Oct 09: Fratelli has taken a lead in the Wine-in-Can segment by introducing 5 wines - TiLT red, white, Bubbly and Bubbly Rose and NOI Spritzer in beautiful slim 250 mL packaging, in the Aluminium Can segment that is relatively new in India but saw 68% growth in the US market last year alone, with the global market clocking a growth of over 90 times since 2012, writes Subhash Arora who feels that due to convenience, pricing and attractive packaging, the wine would be an attraction for millennials and novices in India alike
Fratelli has recently launched 5 variants of Wine-in-Can (WiC) from their Akluj plant. All the 4 variants of TiLT- Red wine, White wine, Bubbly and Bubbly Rose have a low alcohol of 11%. There is also NOI Spritzer-a very low alcohol, slightly sweet bubbly with only 8% alcohol. The wines are vegan and gluten free and described as crisp, easy and delish.They are widely available in their Distribution Network of Retail in Maharashtra, Goa, Delhi, UP, West Bengal, Punjab and Chandigarh. By the month-end they will also be available in Karnataka, Pondicherry, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
World Class Packaging
The first thing that hits you is the attractive packaging, with a clever selection of colours and a lot of trivia on the Can that is a party starter for the youth. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the TiLT cans are world class and strong contenders for top prizes for packaging at an international level. As an example, the white wine is a splash of blue colours while the Rosé bubbly is all roses. The Bye-lines on each Can are catchy:
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TiLT (Red wine) Can Make Strangers feel like friends So you can RELAX
TiLT (White wine) Can Make your Boss feel like a friend So you can CHILL
TiLT (Bubbly) Can make a Monday feel like Friday So you can PARTY
TiLT (Bubbly Rose) Can make you sway, so you can DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY
NOI (Spritzer) lets you celebrate LIFE, celebrate TOGETHERNESS
Priced at Rs. 180 for a 250 mL Can in Mumbai and Karnataka (available by the month-end) and Rs. 175 in Delhi, TiLT offers the possibility of drinking 2 glasses of 125 mL each at less than Rs. 90 a glass, an excellent price point to make wine popular with the masses, and a great boost for on- the- go experimental millennials. In Goa it is available at only Rs. 160. Thanks to the higher taxation, it is priced higher at Rs. 225 in UP. At 11% alcohol by Volume, it is a low alcohol wine.
But if you prefer still lower levels of alcohol, there is NOI Spritzer to entice you at 8% alcohol and Rs. 150 for the same size in Delhi, Mumbai and Karnataka (by month-end); It sells for Rs. 180 in UP but You can pick it up at Rs. 130 in Goa!
Kapil Sekhri, the Founder –Director of Fratelli Vineyards is pleased with the wines. He says, “from a business standpoint, the alco-bev industry in India is booming but the consumption pattern in tier-II cities differs slightly from the metro cities. Fratelli aims to bring the sophistication of wine in a can with a focus on bridging the demand and supply gap for the millennials without affecting their pockets. TiLT is available in different variants so one can choose according to their mood."
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The recyclable packaging in Cans is resistant to oxidation and light with no risk of cork taint. It is easier and lighter to carry and cheaper to ship than glass, with about 25 percent decrease in packaging costs. Another major benefit of aluminium cans is environmental. According to the Container Recycling Institute, aluminium cans are recycled 45.2 % of the time in the U.S., while glass bottles only at 27.8 %.
Wines in Cans (WiC) started as a concept at the same time as the introduction of beer cans in 1935, though it has become very popular since 2012. With a small sales base of $2 million in 2012, the global WIC segment has jumped over 90 times in 8 years, recording a jump of 68% over the previous year alone. About 450 wineries in 22 countries are now using cans for packaging. In the US, all the top wineries, top varietals and top distributors offer cans.
DelWine recommends a daily glass of wine of 125 mL for women and 250mL with 12.5% alcohol, as ideal for men for health. A Can- a- day of TiLT is acceptable for men while a Can of Noi spritzer is ideal for women. Of course, the onus of keeping to the advised limits is on the drinkers. No claim is made for the wine to be exciting for connoisseurs. Young novices would find it easy to switch from Coke to these low alcohol, quaffable wines and party.
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The only other competitor in India is Sula Vineyards which introduced 2 variants-red and wine of Dia-in-Can last year. They are off dry (slightly sweet) sparklers with 8% alcohol. Thus, Fratelli has an opportunity to become a market leader in this segment.
The WiC market will not replace glass bottles as a container but as a category it has come a long way from being just a fad 8 years ago. These are interesting times to experiment convenient packaging and the eyes are on Fratelli and how TiLT and NOI Spritzer WiC perform in the market.
Subhash Arora
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