Australian Vintage Limited’s (AVL) McGuigan label has released its first mid-strength wine, launching McGuigan Black Label Mid this month.
The new wine is described as a lighter version of the iconic McGuigan Black Label Red, featuring the same full-bodied fruity flavour of the full strength version just with 20 per cent less calories and alcohol. It has been crafted using AVL’s spinning cone technology, which is also responsible for McGuigan’s successful range of zero alcohol wines.
During recent Cellar Door research carried out by McGuigan, 80 per cent of consumers were surprised that they preferred the Mid version over the classic full strength after blind tasting both options.
Tom Dusseldorp, Chief Marketing Officer at AVL, said this was a key goal of the new wine – to deliver the same great quality and value that consumers know from the wider McGuigan range.
“McGuigan Black Label has been a staple in Australian households for nearly 30 years and McGuigan has a rich heritage of winemaking credentials. As cultural and societal attitudes shift towards a more conscious consumption of alcohol, we want our customers to still be able to enjoy the full-bodied flavours that Black Label offers, just tailored for mindful moderation,” Dusseldorp said.
The development of a mid-strength wine in the AVL portfolio was driven by the growing trend of Australian consumers drinking in moderation. AVL pointed to recent research commissioned by DrinkWise which found that 37 per cent of local consumers have reduced their alcohol consumption and are using low and no alcohol alternatives to do so.
Thanks to this trend, AVL expects the wine category to follow the same trajectory as beer, with mid-strength beer reportedly accounting for 25 per cent of the beer category. Already, AVL noted that ‘lighter’ wine is growing at 14 per cent, in comparison to total wine which is growing at two per cent.
“McGuigan has already seen great success adapting to the new societal norms, with McGuigan Zero fast becoming Australia and the UK’s number one selling no-alcohol wine range. McGuigan Black Label Mid is the natural choice for consumers who are looking for a modern drinking experience and for Boomers who are becoming more health conscious,” Dusseldorp added.
McGuigan Black Label Mid is available for retailers as of this month.