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Schofield’s wine slammed in scathing reviews
British TV presenter Phillip Schofield’s duo of Italian boxed wines have been slammed in scathing customer reviews as “overpriced”, “bitter” and “only fit for the bin”.
The two Italian boxed wines launched by TV presenter Phillip Schofield in April have been slammed in consumer reviews
A long-time wine aficionado, the This Morning presenter launched the two bag-in-box wines via a partnership with Waitrose this April. The red and white come housed in 2.25 litre boxes and launched with an RRP of £24.99, which were recently reduced to £19.99 as part of a month-long promotion.
His Benevento IGT Falanghina from Campania is described by Waitrose as being “clean, with a hint of tropical fruit and a thread of peach”.
Customer reviews seem to suggest otherwise, with one buyer describing the wine as “an overpriced, very strong white wine with a bitter after taste”.
Phillip Schofield has long been a wine lover and collector
Another scathing reviewer said it was a “really awful product. Surprised he has put his name to it. Wouldn’t even use for cooking”.
The red in his range, a Nero di Troia from Puglia in the south of Italy, is described by Waitrose as “a powerhouse red”.
However, one reviewer said the wine was “only fit for the bin” and “no more palatable than fizzy Ribena.”
Another dubbed the red as “not pleasant drinking – we failed to finish the box.” One reviewer went as far as to say that it was the worst wine they had ever tasted.
Schofield teamed up with importer When in Rome to create a range, sourcing grapes from independent Italian vineyards.
“When I agreed to this partnership, I had certain conditions; I wanted to be part of the tasting team. I wanted figures on how eco-friendly box wine was and I wanted it to be good value. The result is something I felt I could invest in,” Schofield said at the time of the launch.
“I have really enjoyed the process of sourcing, selecting and now sharing these wines with everyone. I don’t think there is anything I have been so passionate about, so I hope everyone enjoys them as much as I do,” he added.
Rob Malin, CEO of When in Rome, told db that the company has taken the recent reviews on board. “As an independent business working with artisan producers we take all feedback and reviews really seriously. We acknowledge that there have been some negative reviews on the Phillip Schofield range since its launch, but these have been balanced out by a far larger number of positive reviews,” he said.
“And of course we think the recent Bronze award from the IWSC for our Phillip Schofield Falanghina speaks for itself – the first award ever won by a wine in a box. We’ve been really delighted with the response to the wine by consumers and industry experts and we hope we can continue to use our platform to introduce more people to the eco-friendly bag in box category,” he added.
Waitrose was contacted by db, and the company declined to comment on the story.