The rosé boom that has taken over so many other parts of the wine market now appears to be hitting English wine too - what are you seeing?
Our first wine in 2017 was a Bacchus. An aromatic bubbly white wine. At that time, England was best known for traditional method sparkling white wine, so we created an Uncommon variation on that theme. In 2019, we released ‘Eleanor’ our Bubbly Pinot Noir Rosé and it became a huge hit. Now, it’s our bestseller by a margin, making up just over half (56%) of total sales in a range of four. Even with a two year head start, our rosé is very much in the lead.
Sales of our Bubbly Rosé have risen 46% over the last 12 months across two sizes (187ml and 250ml). But it’s not just us. Chapel Down have also announced a 47% rise in sales volumes of its traditional-method rosé, it’s clear there is a thirst for English rosé across the country.
Why do you think there has been such an interest in sparkling rosé?
The Uncommon team have been looking to shake up English wine since they launched their canned range in 2017
‘British summertime’ is part of the fabric of our nation and English rosé is the perfect new pairing. Pinot thrives in this country and produces wines that are unmistakably English in many ways.
It’s light, dry, fruity and delicious. England is known for making fresh fruit forward wines with bright acidity that are often elevated by bubbles for something a bit special…but they can also be informal and fun.
Also, whether we like it or not, people go doolally for pink drinks. Couple that with the rising reputation of English sparkling wine means bubbly rosé makes a whole lot of uncommon sense.
What styles of rosé are customers and consumers looking for?
Rich and complex, precise and fruit forward, floral and elegant. The variety of rosé across the southern counties is fantastic now and so there really is something for everyone. Hambledon’s 1ère Cuvée Rosé, Chapel Down’s Discovery Series, Lyme Bay’s Rosés using Crouch Valley Pinot and our Eleanor would make a really interesting cross-section for a tasting!
But it’s the pale rosés that are still the most popular. You just have to look on supermarket shelves or a restaurant menu to notice the wide appeal of Provençal style. Though our pale rosé is delicious, we hasten to add that pale doesn’t always mean better.
Is it more the sparkling factor that is really helping here or are you also seeing demand for still rosé wines too?
We started with Bubbly Rosé as ‘sparkling’ was what England was best known for, and we made a very good one. People loved it and started asking if we were ever going to make a still. So much so that we couldn’t really ignore it. Our still Pinot Noir rosé will launch exclusively in the on-trade – with some incredibly exciting partnerships.
The Uncommon's Bubbly rosé in a can
Still rosé in England is now coming into its own. A combination of warmer and longer summers and therefore better ripening conditions has meant more balanced wines. We will have to wait and see whether our still rosé becomes the new overall favourite.
How are you looking to make the most of this new demand for sparkling rosé?
We are going to shout about Eleanor. A lot. Our marketing activity will focus primarily on Bubbly Rosé and how it fits into people’s summers. We’ve always tried to give equal weight to both our white and rosé (like children, it’s hard to pick a favourite) but we feel the favourite has been chosen for us.
We’ve also introduced more format sizes for different venues and occasions. Our 250ml cans (one large glass, or two flutes) work best for the off-trade whilst our new 187ml cans (one medium glass) are perfect for the on-trade.
Also, as we become more well known for it, ours stands out as a low-risk introduction purely due to format size (250ml vs 750ml). It’s very high quality at a more accessible price so consumers can discover English wine with little worry.
It is also a good solution for grape growers and producers who have excess supply to be able to push more of their grapes over to still rosé and sparkling rosé?
It definitely opens up the possibility for winemakers to create a different style using the same grapes they would use in traditional-method sparkling.
Traditional method wines are predominantly white (in style) but come from black grapes; it's the skin contact that determines white, rosé and red.
The growing doesn’t change and so having the option as a producer to experiment with different styles and blends is handy. There’s a lot of fun to be had.
Where are you sourcing your grapes from?
Henry Connell helping with the 2023 English wine harvest
Around 80% of our grapes are our own, grown in our vineyard on the Kent Downs. We grow predominantly Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. We also have a negociant arrangement with some fine grape growers in the Crouch Valley in Essex, where fruit typically gets riper.
Essex is making some of the best still wines in Europe - the Crouch Valley is one of the driest and warmest parts of the country on some really lovely terroir. Perfect for slightly riper parameters for making still wines.
What grapes work best in English rosé and sparkling rosé?
Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir Précoce, Pinot Meunier would be highlights. Variations within those based on GM, Burgundy, Champagne clones will offer points of difference.
How is the rest of the business going - where else are you seeing demand and why?
The Uncommon is really coming into its own. We had success with higher end places but larger venues went for value led cans. However, once they saw the can format worked from a service perspective, they started looking for better quality.
We’re also seeing continued growth in national retail, across all existing partners and a big uptake from airlines. At 30,000ft, (where every millimetre and gramme has a fuel cost) cans which are lighter and stack tight really solve a problem and make a whole lot of sense.
Recently we conducted a full lifecycle assessment of our products with Carbon Cloud. The results were better than we could have possibly imagined. Our climate footprint is over 50% lower than the nearest canned wine and 86% lower than that of bottled wine. This is because it’s not just down to our format, we break tradition for the better at every stage of production, from local growing to carbon positive canning and finally the can itself. As a result, we’re working with more sustainable venues and helping those with clear and serious Net Zero targets.
How is the overall canned wine market going compared to previous years?
When we first started the category in 2017, we had the luxury of no competition. Then along came new entrants wanting to jump on the trend thinking ‘How hard can it be?’ Pun intended.
The Uncommon team have been a regular sight at food and drink festivals across the UK over the last seven years
Turns out not as easy as you’d think. It involves a whole host of additional parameters to make wine specifically for cans. Many of those players are now falling away as they cannot produce the necessary quality of wine.
One cannot simply put wine intended for glass bottle in a can. There is a lot to consider from a viticultural and oenological point of view; ripeness parameters, picking dates, SO2 limits, pH, shelf-life, ageing/freshness potential. We make wines specifically to thrive in cans.
What are the biggest challenges and how are you overcoming them?
The biggest challenge is convincing people that no two cans are equal. So, pricing is really number one for us because we get bundled up in people’s minds with lower quality cans.
If we were in a bottle, we would sell for at least £25 but this format has a price ceiling currently. It’s our job to educate buyers and consumers and convince them that there is a huge difference between producers and importers of bulk juice.
Canned wine is now at a real pivot point. Like we’ve seen in the US, I think the value products will fall away and we’ll be left with a handful of quality producers. I would expect to start seeing top quality producers releasing canned wines.
What are your thoughts on English wine in general and where the big untapped opportunities are?
England is, truly, one of the most exciting new wine regions in the world.
It feels like the industry is now entering the next phase. Vineyards planted over the past five to 10 years are flourishing, wineries are being built, and there are some lovely winemakers out there producing delicious wines. We’ve had two big harvests. To continue to be successful I believe we need to look beyond traditional method and explore new formats, new styles, new clones, new markets and fresh ideas.
There is so much potential here and to make sure demand stays in line with supply – it’s all about innovation, innovation, innovation! We have got to get people excited, and that won’t happen with hundreds of clones of the same thing.
What next for Uncommon in terms of the company?
We have just closed a very successful fundraise which was a great vote of confidence for what we are creating here.
We’re now investing in high-end grapes for our new still wines and in building the brand. The still wines are absolutely delicious. We are so excited to get them into people’s hands. There’s a lot more to come.
Any other big activities you have planned this year?
The Uncommon's pop up bar in Covent Garden
We’re excited to be running our English wine bar in Covent Garden in May. Our rosé-tinted bar is proud of place in the East Piazza and we are there until May 27 so please come and see us there.
In June, we’ll also be taking over Waitrose King’s Cross for English Wine Week. Plus, you might even see us at some very well known cricket, tennis and polo events this year. Keep your peepers peeled.
If people want to work with you, what are you most looking for and how do they contact you?
We want to work with people who are open minded and excited about innovative products that don’t compromise on quality. Especially those who like local products. Get in touch with Ben Williams our general manager at ben@the-uncommon.uk.
* You can find out more about The Uncommon at its website here.
