TOP 10 LOW-CALORIE WINE BRANDS

(TheDrinksBusiness) - With around 20% of Americans on a diet, low-calorie wine brands are booming in the US, and particularly where celebrities are involved. The Skinny Vine is endorsed by Christine Avanti, a celebrity nutritionist and author of Skinny Chicks Eat Real Food Kick-starting the trend was Skinnygirl, which, as previously reported by db, was a label created in 2009 initially for ready-made cocktails by chef, author and TV star Bethenny Frankel. The brand now also includes a range of three wines, which were added to the line-up in March 2012 (following the sale of the label to Fortune Brands/Beam for US$8.1 million in March 2011).

More recently, in January this year, former Foster’s wine division Treasury Wine Estates launched The Skinny Vine in the US, backed up by Christine Avanti, a celebrity nutritionist and author of Skinny Chicks Eat Real Food (pictured, left).

According to the company, the new product has already sold 100,000 cases, half the quantity sold by Skinnygirl wines in its first year, although The Skinny Vine is cheaper, with an RRP of US$11 compared to Skinnygirl’s $15 per bottle. The Skinny Vine also promises slightly fewer calories per serving than the Skinnygirl wine. While the latter product has 100 calories per 5-ounce serving (148ml) from its 12% abv, The Skinny Vine contains 95 calories for the same measure.