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Wine giant Trinchero enters hard seltzer game

California wine giant Trinchero Family Estates, owner of Ménage à Trios and Sutter Home, has followed Gallo’s lead and launched its own hard seltzer brand.

Del Mar will join the likes of Henry’s, Truly, White Claw and Bon & Viv

As reported by Shanken News Daily, Trinchero’s wine-based Del Mar seltzer, which comes in four different flavours, will go on sale across the US next week.

Like brand leaders White Claw and Truly, Del Mar is low in calories, with each can containing less than 100 calories.

Targeted at health conscious consumers, Del Mar is sold in packs of four 355ml cans and carries an RRP of US$9 per pack.

The launch packs will contain only one flavour but variety packs will soon follow.

Trinchero’s senior vice president of marketing, Dave Derby, told Shanken News Daily that production is set to exceed 100,000 cases by the end of 2020.

“While hard seltzer has taken share from the broader alcohol beverage category, we’re not concerned that Del Mar will impact other Trinchero Family Estates brands,” he said.

When bars and restaurants across the US are allowed to reopen following the coronavirus crisis, Del Mar will be rolled out across the on-trade.

The launch of the brand will be supported by a national advertising campaign covering print, digital and outdoor spaces.

In January, Trinchero launched its zero alcohol wine brand – Fre – in cans. The same month E & J Gallo unveiled a range of four white wine-based hard seltzers under its popular Barefoot brand.

The range includes four variants made with sparkling water, white wine and natural fruit flavours: peach and nectarine; cherry and cranberry; pineapple and passion fruit; and strawberry and guava. Each 8.5-ounce can contains 70 calories, two grams of sugar, and 4% ABV.

This week beer giant Molson Coors won its court battle against Future Proof Brands, owner of Brizzy seltzer, for the right to continue to market and sell its Vizzy hard seltzer.

A Texas federal judge said that consumers are unlikely to confuse Vizzy with ‘Brizzy’ seltzer, especially as the packaging of the brands is “overwhelmingly” different.

An in-depth look at the burgeoning hard seltzer category will appear in the April edition of the drinks business.

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