Sparkling wine has moved from a special occasion order in the Australian on premise to an everyday purchase according to CGA by Nielsen OPUS data.

A significant 41% of wine drinkers choose sparkling wines such as Prosecco, Cava or Champagne when they’re out at pubs, bars and restaurants.

Over half of sparkling wine drinkers order the category every or almost every time they visit the Australian on premise, while nearly a third of consumers who enjoy this category are drinking sparkling wine more frequently versus the previous year.

CGA reports these drinkers are looking to relax, celebrate and enjoy their time in the on premise when they order a glass of bubbly and suggests operators should consider providing ‘aperitif snacks’ when serving the drink to ensure the experience is special and memorable for the consumer.

Sparkling wine is typically enjoyed by Australian on premise users in the early (68%) or late (38%) evening and consumers tend to enjoy the category during dining experiences —both casual and formal—as well as during special occasions.

Around one in six like it to feature in a cocktail with fruit juice or purée, in serves such as the Bellini, Mimosa, or Kir Royale.

James Phillips, Client Solutions Director – ANZ, said: “While sparkling wine is usually an early evening drink for many Australians, which isn’t to say there aren’t opportunities to target other day parts and highlight the category amongst the lunch and mid-afternoon crowd.

“The fact that sparkling wine consumers in Australia are very loyal, and now enjoying the category more frequently than they did a year ago only reinforces how lucrative this segment is, if targeted correctly. CGA’s OPUS solution ensures that drinks suppliers can tailor their strategies and identify how to broaden usage of brands – by channel, occasion or consumer demographic.”

CGA’s twice-yearly OPUS survey explores consumers’ behaviours, habits and preferences in the On Premise. It provides comprehensive analysis of the latest trends and topics, and solutions to questions about brand, category, channel and occasion-specific performance.

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