Skinny Champagne to launch rosé

Just days after db announced the launch of “Skinny Rosé” by UK online retailer Finest Fizz, we bring you news that the original Skinny Champagne is to add a pink variant.

Skinny Champagne rosé will sell in Nobu restaurants and online with a 10% price premium on Skinny Champagne blanc

Speaking to the drinks business yesterday, founder of the Skinny Champagne brand Amanda Thomson said that she would be launching a rosé under her Skinny label, which was first unveiled six months ago with a zero dosage Brut NV from Alexandre Penet – a Champagne house renowned for its low-dosage cuvées.

While admitting that she was surprised to see on our website that there was another Champagne featuring the Skinny tag on its label, she added that she was “flattered”, and commented, “I realise that as I’m growing there will be copycat products.”

Thomson also told db she had achieved her “dream” for the Skinny Champagne brand with a listing at famous Japanese restaurant chain Nobu in the UK, which was secured last month.

Furthermore, she said that Nobu on London’s Old Park Lane has “just” given Skinny Champagne a by-the-glass listing, making the Champagne, which has no added sugar, more accessible to diners.

“Nobu I’m excited about, I really held out for there, and it was my perfect client – the food is a fabulous match for my Champagne and the restaurant is a fabulous match for my brand,” she commented.

The Nobu listing has also opened up other possibilities for Skinny Champagne.

“Now I’m in Nobu it means the Champagne is positioned in many people’s minds as top quality, and now there’s interest from others,” she recorded.

As for the soon-to-be launched Skinny Champagne rosé, Nobu and Thomson have just agreed that the pink variant will be exclusive to London’s Nobu Old Park Lane and Nobu Berkeley Street.

Thomson also told db that she was planning on bringing out Skinny Champagne in magnums for the Japanese outlet.

Skinny Champagne contains approximately 15% fewer calories than standard fizz due to the complete absence of sugar in the wine.

A small amount of sugar (know as the dosage) is usually added to Champagne to balance the naturally high acidity in the wine, enhance its aromas, and help preserve the product.

While a brut Champagne commonly contains between 9 and 12g/l of sugar, extra brut contains fewer than 6g/l, and a zero dosage Champagne no sugar at all.

The “Skinny Rosé” from UK online retailer Finest Fizz

To put such sugar levels in perspective, Prosecco, in its traditional and widespread extra dry style, contains between 12-17 g/l, and “blush” Californian rosé between 20-30g/l. A pudding wine such as Sauternes will contain between 110 and 150g/l, a similar level to Coca Cola, which has around 110g/l.

Thomson said she “spent months finding the perfect zero dosage” Champagne before encountering Alexandre Penet, owner and winemaker at Champagne Penet-Chardonnet Grand Cru and Champagne Alexandre Penet.

“Skinny Champagne is 100% grand cru and it’s a bloody good Champagne,” she said, pointing out that the quality of the product had been crucial to persuading sommeliers to list it, who were initially “a bit sniffy”, she recalled.

Continuing, Thomson said that the concept of zero dosage Champagne was “misunderstood by everyone outside the fine wine trade”, and consequently Thomson “needed a hook” to persuade consumers to try her product.

This “hook” was the word “skinny” to promote Champagne without any added sugar, which, she said, has opened up the concept to a “whole new crowd”.

“If it was just another zero dosage Champagne it would have been impossible to reach out to new markets,” she added.

When asked whether she had attracted the attention of Beam Global, who own the Skinnygirl brand, which comprises ready-mixed cocktails, a wine range and both a Prosecco and Moscato, she assured db there had been no contact with the drinks giant, and that there was no conflict – “I am aware of it [Skinnygirl] but it is a completely different sort of product”.

As for sales of Skinny Champagne so far, Thomson said she wouldn’t reveal figures at the moment, but told db that she “gets emails and sales everyday” from her website, which sells the product in cases of six.

The rosé will be available on Thomson’s website with a 10% price premium on the Skinny Champagne blanc, which sells online for £249 for six bottles (£41.50 per bottle).

For more on low-calorie wines, see db’s top 10 low-calorie wine brands, compiled by us in April last year.