An international success story

02.03.2021

iheart Wines sells over 30 million bottles worldwide 2020

- From a rising national to a global brand

- Distribution in Germany via Shell shops as of April 2021

Wiesbaden, March 2021 - "iheart Wines" - This was true for consumers last year. While the consumption of beer and spirits suffered from the lockdowns and closures of the gastronomy sector, wine enjoyed great popularity in Germany and in many other countries as a cooking and food companion.

The iheart Wines brand, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2021, was able to benefit from this trend in particular. iheart Wines was able to record a remarkable growth of 43 % to 31 million bottles in 2020. In its home market of UK alone, 23m bottles were sold. In the UK, iheart Wines is now one of the leading wine brands with sales of £116m (+22 % year-on-year).

"It was our dream from the beginning to create a brand by consumers for consumers. And so we came up with the idea of creating a customer-oriented wine portfolio based on consumer preferences in terms of grape variety and origin, ranging from Pinot Grigio to Champagne and Prosecco. To this day, I heart Wines is always thinking about the consumer who is looking for uncomplicated enjoyment at a fair price. We carry this at the heart of the brand. We aim to offer an enjoyable experience with a young, fresh design without overwhelming the consumer consumer," says Robin Copestick, Co-Founder of the brand.

"We've sourced our wines from some of the best wine producing regions in the world. The mission was simple, to make a great wine that we are sure you will enjoy. We didn’t find this hard. We have found something that captures all we love about good wine right here in this bottle. Perfect for every occasion we love." This is written at the heart of the brand and still inspires the team today. Starting with just a few grape varieties such as Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, the portfolio now includes more than 30 different grape varieties and regional specialties. Last year, the brand got a new home with the newly created joint venture between Yvon Mau and Freixenet Copestick in Boredeaux; in the middle of one of the most popular wine regions in the world, the wines are now bottled.

Internationally, iheart was able to start a real triumphal procession: In the Netherlands, where iheart is one of the top sparkling wine brands, the brand doubled its sales and also increased its consumer reach through new social media channels. In the Czech Republic, where iheart was launched in 2018, sales grew 62 % year-on-year and expanded their portfolio with the recent launch of iheart Prosecco. In Ireland, sales exceeded last year 2 million bottles with growth of 165 %. Austria also saw growth of over 150 % in 2020. Other key markets also include China and the Middle East, where total iheart sales quadrupled year-on-year. The brand was also able to gain a foothold in non-traditional wine markets such as Mexico. In Germany, iheart Wines will be offered not only through the online wine retailer Belvini but also in all Shell shops throughout Germany.

The brand will continue to capitalise on this global moment of success and expand into new markets such as Brazil, Scandinavia, South Korea and Australia. Andreas Brokemper, CEO of Henkell Freixenet, comments: "For iheart Wines, the focus has always been on the consumer: good quality at a good price. Consumers in more and more countries appreciate this. With our global organisation, we want to consistently further internationalise iheart Wines and have good ideas for the portfolio. Maybe one day we will partner with a world class winery such as Chateau Lafite, Marchese Antinori or even Schloss Johannisberg. With iheart Champagne, we have already entered into the premium wine market. Sometimes 'simple' is simply superior."

Robin Copestick, Managing Director of Freixenet Copestick and Co-Founder of the iheart Wines brand, added: "For iheart to be selling over 31 million bottles around the world is an incredible achievement especially as we still have not celebrated our 10th birthday. I am confident that this exponential growth will continue both in the UK and the rest of the world. When iheart was launched in 2011 we immediately saw the potential it had across the world. I am really pleased that this potential is now being realised."

 

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