Consumers shopping for wine at Tesco have let rip in the comments section of the retailer’s website, as they fume about popular wine brands “quietly” reducing their alcohol levels. As db has reported, rising duty import costs in the UK, based on the level of alcohol a wine contains, is causing some producers to consciously lower the alcohol levels of their product beneath the 11% threshold. Last year, Concha y Toro announced it would bring the ABV on its leading Isla Negra brand down to as low as 10.5% from 12%. “When someone only has £5 to spend on a bottle, you have got to really work to see how you can mitigate these costs,” said Simon Doyle, managing director at the UK office for Concha y Toro, before commenting, “And the only way to do that is to reduce your duty exposure – no-one has the efficiencies to do it any other way.” Blossom Hill Rosé has also decreased from 11% to 10.5% during the last year, while Hardys Stamp Shiraz Cabernet (currently £5.25 in Tesco) has been reduced from 13.5% to 11%. Consumers unimpressed Now Tesco shoppers have taken to the comments section of the retailer’s website to express their unhappiness with some of the resultant wines stocked on Tesco shelves. “I wouldn’t mind if they still offered the original formula for more money but they have taken our choice away, not told us and are now trying to pass off a watered down version of the wine
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine
