Elton John breaks into drinks sector with 0% blanc de blancs
Legendary British singer-songwriter Elton John has entered the drinks category with the launch of a 0% ‘blanc de blancs’ bearing his name – and db is the first to learn about it.
Called Elton John Zero Blanc de Blancs – a reference to the drink’s pure Chardonnay base, and its position as an alcohol-free alternative to Champagne – the product is launching now in the UK with a shelf presence at Sainsbury’s, priced at £10.
Made using grapes from northern Italy sourced by Liberty Wines co-founder David Gleave MW, it is crafted in Germany – which has become the home for high-quality no-alcohol wine.
As for sales and distribution, that is being handled by celebrity wine heavyweight Paul Schaafsma of Benchmark Drinks, the man helping famous figures charge up the drinks charts, from pop star Kylie Minogue to Take That frontman Gary Barlow.
Fermented but not de-alcoholised
While most 0% products are created by taking a normal-strength wine and then removing the alcohol, Elton John Zero Blanc de Blancs is made as a 0% ‘wine’ from the outset by fermenting grapes with ‘good’ bacteria that don’t produce any alcohol.
While the zero-ABV sparkling drink is made primarily using cool-climate Chardonnay from northern Italy, it also incorporates a variety of ingredients, including green tea extract to add a touch of fine tannin, before it is gently saturated with CO2 to give it a fine and persistent fizz.
Elton is an ideal backer for a 0% brand – he must be one of the best-known non-drinkers, following a well-publicised struggle with alcohol addiction, which ended in 1990, when he ditched the booze altogether for a life of sobriety.
Also teetotal is his husband and manager David Furnish, who gave up alcohol in 2014.
Partner Content
Designed for teetotal entertaining
However, quitting drinking has not diminished the pair’s love of entertaining. The problem was, as Furnish told db in an exclusive interview in December, they felt that they had no suitably celebratory alternative to the Champagne they once enjoyed, nor an ideal 0% fizz for their abstaining guests.
It was this quandary that drove their urge to create Elton John Zero, explained Furnish – CEO of Rocket Entertainment, and a former advertising executive-turned-film director, who once ran a Champagne bar in Las Vegas.
“It really came from something we wanted and needed in our life and in our home,” he said, before stating: “Both Elton and I are teetotal, and we love to entertain.”
Priced to be accessible
Notably, despite wanting to emulate the taste and experience of drinking Champagne, Elton Zero is priced more like crémant. Furnish explained: “As Elton always says: ‘If I’m going to put my name on something, I want my fans to be able to afford it; I want my fans to have access to it,’ because he feels they’ve always had access to his music, and Elton – as much as he is a perfectionist – he is not an elitist.”
Meanwhile, suggesting that Elton will be watching the sales of his new baby closely, Furnish told db: “The thing that matters most to Elton with his music is not awards, it’s about how many people are listening, How is it selling? How is it streaming? What is his chart position? And that’s because he gets the greatest joy out of reaching people and bringing them happiness and joy.”
Click here to read the interview with David in full, and click here to read more about the product, including what it tastes like.
Related news
This is what Elton John Zero tastes like
