Keg wine set for a boom in pubs and bars

Italian sparkling wine brand Frizzenti has boosted its range with three still wines now available in 20 litre kegs, previously the company only offered fizzy wines on draught.

Meanwhile London wine merchant, Jascots, also unveiled its own Italian sparkling wine brand Vino Vispo, and two still wines on tap, and the Bibendum PLB Group is to launch a range of keg wines in April.

The range will comprise nine wines, including a Pinot Grigio, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Noir and a Malbec.

The company reports that it started looking at developing its own range of draught wines following a surge in demand in the second half of last year.

“There’s a real buzz around keg wine and we are the only supplier currently offering such a wide selection of quality wines in this format,” explained Andrew Shaw, Bibendum PLB’s buying director.

“We’ve been considering launching a range of wines on tap for a number of months now. It was very important to us that we found the right wines and the right storage options before we went full steam ahead and judging by the feedback we are getting from customers, we have succeeded.”

Draught wine exploded in the US about three years ago and, largely via Italian sparkling brands, has more recently begun to make in-roads into the UK on-trade.

It is more environmentally friendly than bottles, easier to store, faster to serve and there’s less wastage compared to bottled wine, according to its advocates.