Sunny with a Chance of Flowers was named the category winner for the Low- & No-Alcohol category of the 2021 virtual Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Brand Battle. Sunny Wines, produced by Scheid Family Wines, targets consumers wanting to drink wine while living a healthy and optimistic lifestyle. The wines have zero sugar, 85-calories per glass and are low-alcohol.
During the live competition, the audience voted on the People’s Choice Winner, crowning Spiritless with the award. Spiritless is a non-alcoholic spirit crafted for everyone to complement bourbon cocktails.
Low- and no-alcohol has become an exciting and rapidly growing category in the U.S. marketplace and was well represented by the five Brand Battle contenders. As consumers explore new brands that better fit their lifestyles and alcohol preferences, these healthy conscience lifestyle products will continue to evolve offerings and expand reach.
While the competition was fierce, the Sunny brand wowed the judges with its focus on sustainability, its detailed marketing campaigns, a vibrant social media presence and the overall taste and quality of the wine, proving they have what it takes to make it in the uber-competitive U.S. marketplace.
“We know how to make great wine…But making a low alcohol wine is an entirely different proposition because you’re taking out two things that are really important to making wine taste great: Alcohol and sugar,” said Heidi Scheid, Executive Vice President, Scheid Family Wines, after the competition. “To take that away from your winemaking toolbox creates a big challenge, so the fact that the judges said that our wine was delicious…just made my heart sing. And that’s really a testament to our growers and to our winemaking team.”
Brand Battle continues Tuesday, Aug. 3, with the Whiskey & Bourbon category, and wraps category sessions on Tuesday, Aug. 10, with Cordial, Liqueur and After-Dinner Drink.
On September 14, all category winners from every category will compete to be named the Brand Battle Champion.