An award-winning sparkling wine sold by Aldi accounts for one in every 12 bottles of all champagne bought in UK supermarkets and off-licences, according to the discount retailer. Aldi said its exclusive Veuve Monsigny champagne, made by the renowned French producer Philizot & Fils and priced at £10.99, had become a firm favourite of shoppers across the country after winning a reputation for top quality at an affordable price.
Since launching in 2012, the bestselling champagne has sold consistently well, but the retailer has ordered 50% more this year, following a 24% rise in volume sales amid soaring demand for a tipple to toast the festive season. The German company’s wine buyers are gearing up for a bumper Christmas, with three-quarters of a million bottles of champagne expected to fly off its shelves.
Aldi said Veuve Monsigny had won plaudits for its “aromas of baked apple, brioche and stone fruits, with gorgeous flavours of red fruit, ending in a long, extremely delicious finish”. Among the accolades it has won are a Decanter silver, an IWSC bronze, and a Quality Drink award. It was also recommended by Good Housekeeping in its most recent Christmas taste test. However, it did not feature in the top 10 champagnes in a recent Which? taste test, in which the Co-operative’s Les Pionniers NV was voted the best Christmas bubbly.
Philizot & Fils is the only champagne producer that Aldi works with and its current owners are the fourth generation to run the business, based in the Marne valley in the heart of the Champagne region.
One in every 13 bottles of all wine sold in UK shops during 2015 was from Aldi, the retailer claimed. It has also stocked up with premium wines and spirits for the festive season. These include the Imperial Collection Gold Vodka, purified using gold thread and sold in a bottle decorated with 24-carat gold. It costs £19.99, but Aldi claims the same product is available on Amazon for £35.
Aldi’s director of wine buying, Mike James, who plans the retailer’s Christmas drinks range as early as January, said: “We’re expecting our champagne range to be particularly popular over the coming months. We’re delighted not only to have increased stock of our core-range offering, but also to have introduced some premium bottles – such as our Blanc de Blancs champagne – to allow our customers to enjoy something extra special over the festive season.”
