Sparkling Wine the leading choice for wine lovers in pubs & bars

Australians are drinking Champagne & Sparkling Wine in pubs, bars and restaurants more often, according to research from CGA by Nielsen IQ's latest consumer research.

The research found that a 41 per cent of wine drinkers choose Sparkling Wine (e.g. Prosecco, Cava or Champagne) when they’re out at pubs, bars and restaurants.

More than 50 per cent of this group order Sparkling Wine every or almost every time they visit the Australian On Premise, while nearly a third of consumers who enjoy this category are drinking Sparkling Wine more frequently than they were last year.

These drinkers say that they are looking to relax, celebrate and enjoy their time in the On Premise when they order a glass of bubbly, and CGA says there is an opportunity here to lift the experience by providing ‘aperitif snacks’ when serving the drink to ensure the experience is special and memorable.

Sparkling Wine is typically enjoyed by Australian On Premise users in the early (68 per cent) or late (38 per cent) evening, and consumers tend to enjoy the category during dining experiences —both casual and formal—as well as during special occasions. Around 1 in 6 like their sparkling wine to feature in a cocktail with fruit juice or purée, in serves such as the Bellini, Mimosa, or Kir Royale.

James Phillips, Client Solutions Director – ANZ, said: “While Sparkling Wine is usually an early evening drink for many Australians, which isn’t to say there aren’t opportunities to target other day parts and highlight the category amongst the lunch and mid-afternoon crowd. The fact that Sparkling Wine consumers in Australia are very loyal, and are now enjoying the category more frequently than they did a year ago, only reinforces how lucrative this segment is, if targeted correctly. CGA’s OPUS solution ensures that drinks suppliers can tailor their strategies and identify how to broaden usage of brands – by channel, occasion or consumer demographic.”

CGA’s twice-yearly OPUS survey is a rich resource of data and insights into consumers’ behaviours, habits and preferences in the On Premise. It provides comprehensive analysis of the latest trends and topics, and solutions to questions about brand, category, channel and occasion-specific performance. To learn how this definitive picture of consumers’ interaction with the On Premise can help all suppliers and operators build winning sales and marketing strategies, email James Phillips at james.phillips@cgastrategy.com