Sparkling wine producers are preparing to ramp up activity this year following stellar sales for the category in the run-up to Christmas.

Volume sales of sparkling wines, excluding Champagne, were 17% higher in the four weeks to 24 December compared with the same period a year ago [Nielsen], while value sales were 23% higher over the period at £357m - partly due to increases in excise duty and VAT. “Sparkling was a star performer over the Christmas break,” said Nielsen drinks analyst Stewart Blunt.

Jacob’s Creek is hoping to tap into the growth of premium sparkling wine with the launch of Trilogy - a line-up of wines that “pay homage to traditional Champenoise techniques”.

Created using chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, the cuvée brut and cuvée rosé will roll out from August, retailing at £12.99.

“The sparkling wine market is performing strongly in the UK off-trade - and within the category it is premium sparkling wines that are driving this growth,” said Pernod Ricard UK deputy MD Simon Thomas.

English producer Denbies Wine Estate is upping its distribution of sparkling wine to the mults this year to capitalise on increased demand and in preparation for the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics.

This month, Sainsbury’s will launch 24,000 bottles of its Taste the Difference sparkling white wine (expected rsp: £19.99) into stores nationwide and the retailer has put reserves on the following two years. The classic Champagne-style 2007 vintage wine is also made using the traditional blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes.

In April, Tesco will exclusively launch 22,000 bottles of Denbies’ Broadwood’s Folly, a sparkling white that is made using the seyval blanc grape.

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