Kylie Minogue’s Rosé Tops U.K. Wine Charts With Sales of $13.5 million

Kylie Minogue’s rosé entry into the celebrity wine industry in 2020 has been a success.

Her wines are available in 10 countries, including Australia.

U.K. wine and spirit company Benchmark Drinks claims that in the past 12 months, someone in the world was drinking a glass of one of her wines every 1.5 seconds.

Last month, Yarra Valley Pinot Noir won the Global Pinot Noir Masters for a second year.

Meantime her Signature Rosé – made from Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the sunny southern French Coast – is the top-selling in its category in the U.K. above £7 (AU$12.30), said Nielsen EPoS Sales data.

But her biggest success in the U.K. has been the pink Prosecco Rosé, which sells for £12 ($21).

With fresh notes of strawberries, raspberries and blossom, it is made by seventh-generation producers in Gambellara, Italy at the foothills of the Lessini Mountains.

After 10 months on the shelves, it was the biggest seller in the branded category, generating £1.4 million ($2.45 million) of retail sales in the last 12 weeks to October 23.

“I’m unbelievably humbled and thrilled by the global response to Kylie Minogue Wines,” Minogue said. “To sell over a million bottles in less than a year has been incredible, and testimony to the amazing producers and winemakers the brand has been lucky enough to work alongside.”

By May 2022, it was still top-seller, but had snared a 16.2% market share and with sales worth £7.7 million ($13.5 million) a year.

The Financial Times quoted Benchmark Drinks MD and founder, Australian-born Paul Schaafsma: “In my 25 years in the wine industry, I have never experienced such an overwhelming response to a brand in its first two years. Selling more than five million bottles globally is a testament to Kylie’s commitment and the incredible producers we work with.”

As with most of Minogue’s career, timing has been a driving force of its success.

In the wine industry, rosé has been one of three types to have enjoyed rising sales while the market has been flat for most of the others.

Italian and French rosé has also been tickling the taste buds of Millennials.

Among 25 to 34-year-olds in the U.K., twice as many enjoy it as 35 to 54-year-olds and four times as often as the over-55 demo.

In Australia, rosé consumption has risen in the 18—34 demo from 24% in 2007 to 47% in 2019.

Schaafsma believes that Minogue’s success comes from her profile with this group, her image of partying and fun, and the lower price

He told the Financial Times: “In the U.K., 93% of consumers will never visit a winery, meet a winemaker or see a vineyard in their lives.

“Their whole experience of wine is walking down the supermarket aisle thinking, ‘Oh my God, don’t pick the wrong one.’

“A lot of the brands don’t resonate with them.

“So if they pick up the bottle because they know Kylie, and if we put the right wine that’s exactly the right quality in the bottle, they’ll come back again.”

Minogue has announced she is next branching into the champagne market.