'Anything pink', sparkling and premium is tipped to do big things this year, producers say. Photo / Getty Images
'Anything pink', sparkling and premium is tipped to do big things this year, producers say. Photo / Getty Images
Alcohol sales initially took a hit from disruption from the global coronavirus pandemic, but winemakers and distillers are now experiencing an uplift in sales.
Perhaps it's those in other countries drinking away their despair at seemingly ongoing lockdowns, or perhaps it is the result of ongoing innovation.
Kiwi alcoholic beverageproducers say "anything pink", sparkling and high-end is tipped to do big things this year as consumers continue to spend up large.
Tim Lightbourne, co-founder of wine and spirits company Invivo & Co, says global consumers had tried New Zealand beverages for the first time during the height of the pandemic and were coming back to them.
Marlborough sauvignon blanc exports have grown exponentially in the past six months, fuelled by increased consumption in the US and Britain.
Invivo & Co's UK sales increased by 215 per cent in 2020, driven largely by Marlborough sauvignon blanc sales, and NZ Wine figures from November show that NZ sauvignon blanc exports to the United States were up 5 per cent last year on the previous year.
Local sauvignon blanc was a hot commodity around the world right now, said Lightbourne.
"The back orders that we have to go out in the next few months are phenomenal."
The current financial year will be Invivo's biggest year yet - by far, and sales for the Waikato-based company that was founded in 2008 are approaching $30 million.
Lightbourne said the increase in sales was being seen across the industry.
"People have ventured to sauvignon blanc from New Zealand during lockdown - and we're still tiny as a country on a global scale for wine, but it is a style people really like - New Zealand sauvignon blanc is having a bit of a moment around the world."
NZ sauvignon blanc price hikes
Demand for New Zealand sauvignon blanc has never been stronger and as a result retail prices are going up in price as the average price points increase.
Lightbourne expects this to continue through the year.
"New Zealand is running out of sav, it's all about supply and demand, the price will increase as there is not an endless supply.
"It's really positive news right now, and it is a fortunate position we're in."
At the end of last year the Italian Government allowed prosecco producers to use pinot noir in their winemaking in addition to the glera grape, meaning that for the first time rosé sparkling wine can be made in Italy by prosecco producers. It is poised to further fuel growth of prosecco sales in the United States, Britain and New Zealand.
Standard prosecco is popular on its own, but the trend is expected to become more mainstream as new styles of prosecco come to market. The category doubled in size over the past 12 months.
Invivo & Co have created a new Rosé Prosecco with Graham Norton, which it anticipates will fly off the shelves over summer. Photo / Supplied
Invivo began working on its first rosé prosecco during the height of the pandemic in New Zealand in May/June last year. It tasted the samples with Graham Norton over Zoom and agreed on the recipe virtually about a month later.
After facing shipping delays due to sea freight hold-ups at the Ports of Auckland, seven shipping containers of the rosé prosecco arrived in December, took about five weeks to clear, and has just gone on sale.
"We see it as a real hot trend, we're seeing it taking off in the UK and the US as well and so on the back of growth of prosecco, we think prosecco rosé is going to be very hot for 2021."
Lightbourne said Invivo had reordered more stock on the back of anticipated demand.
Lightbourne believes "everything pink" including pink gin will be a hit this year. This could be in part down to the product being Instagram-friendly.
