Projected sales growth of a further 200% in 2024.
Consumer demand for WTF’s unique canned fruit wines proven.
Awards confirm quality and consistency.
Advantages to the trade.
Hampshire based Wine That’s Fruit (WTF) today announces its expansion plans following strong initial sales growth from 2022 to 2023, with a further 200% sales growth projected for 2024. Being the only UK company producing fruit wines in cans, this new entry to the sector is now a proven success with consumers who, as well as appreciating the quality and taste, clearly like the 250 ml cans, their portability and the minimised carbon footprint of these preservative free, vegan-friendly fruit wines. The company is now reaching out to gain more trade stockists who want to engage with the fast-growing RTD market. Advantages to the trade are fewer breakages, less cleaning, quicker service and fully recyclable containers.
After undertaking extensive consumer research/ testing and adapting flavours in response to consumer preferences, the WTF range now comprises 5 fruit wines based on whitecurrants, Apples, Strawberries, Raspberries and Blackcurrants (the last being their best seller). With the addition of winter spices and through gentle warming, the Blackcurrant wine converts to a delectable, mulled wine, perfect for Christmas – a very adaptable, award-winning brand champion (2023 ICWA Silver award – Independent Canned Wine Awards). Sales analysis has confirmed the initial research on the potential target market, which defined Millennials (aged 25 – 45) as being the most enthusiastic about the products.
Speaking today, founder Peter Allen comments ‘I am proud to have launched WTF into the market to take wine beyond grapes, exploring the wonderful flavours of the myriad of other fruits out there. We are delighted to have received awards for our wines, and, having met thousands of eager customers directly at events, we are now perfectly placed to make WTF more widely accessible through the trade’.
In terms of background, Peter was always an entrepreneur at heart. As a teenager, he learned that alcohol could be made from home-grown fruits, turning this into a small business by bottling his fruit wines and selling them to his grandmother. Although life intervened, and Peter pursued a career as a Civil Engineer, he did not forget his earlier experiences, particularly when he noticed fruits appearing in all sorts of drinks, most notably gin, ciders and even beers. Eventually retiring from corporate life, he felt unfulfilled and searched for something different and entrepreneurial that would make his two daughters proud. He decided to revisit his passion for fruit wines, experimenting to see if these could become a commercial success.
Late in 2019, Peter built a winery in his Hampshire garden and installed equipment to make over 900 litres of wine. When Covid then hit, this proved to be the perfect opportunity to source fruits from local farms and experiment using 30 different recipes. Exhaustive tasting and review sessions online followed, with nine of the best flavours. With positive feedback from over 200 participants, he was convinced the business was viable and moved towards initial commercial production in 2021, finalising a production partnership alongside canning and fulfilment near Ledbury in Herefordshire. With the ensuing sales success, Peter then obtained his AWRS licence to sell to the trade early in 2024. Attendance at 3 large trade shows garnered significant interest with both the off and on trades.
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