Wine lovers are being shortchanged in the latest round of “drink inflation.”
Drinkers were shocked to discover that Blossom Hill’s hugely popular wines have drastically reduced the alcohol percentage of their products.
But even as widely sold drinks have weakened, the price has risen.
A 75cl bottle of Blossom Hill White Zinfandel was 11 per cent alcohol two years ago and cost £5.25.
Today it costs £5.75 and its strength has dropped to 8.5 per cent. One consumer described it as a ‘glorified Shloer’ – a non-alcoholic grape fizzy drink.
Meanwhile, the brand’s soft, fruity red wine has been reduced from 12.5 to 10.5 percent, and they are not the only wines that have weakened.
Hardys Stamp Shiraz Cabernet, for example, was reduced from 13.5 per cent to 11 per cent in 2023, while the cost increased from £5 to £5.25.
The change comes after the previous Government increased taxes on stronger alcoholic drinks, meaning wine, beer and spirits are now sold with less alcohol.
Wine lovers are being shortchanged in the latest round of ‘drink inflation’ (file image)
A 75cl bottle of Blossom Hill White Zinfandel was 11 per cent ABV two years ago and cost £5.25.
Hardys Stamp Shiraz Cabernet, for example, was reduced from 13.5 per cent to 11 per cent in 2023, while the cost increased from £5 to £5.25.
Experts have said the trend to reduce alcohol content is likely to have a small positive impact on public health.
“Only people who drink with the specific purpose of getting drunk are being defrauded,” says Colin Agus, senior researcher at the University of Sheffield and an expert on alcohol consumption.
After popular beer brand Heineken announced similar money-saving measures last year, it wrote: ‘Reducing alcohol content… is in (the manufacturers’) commercial interest.’
‘But it also aligns with trends in consumer demand and is likely to be of public health benefit by reducing overall alcohol consumption.
“It’s incredibly rare for these normally opposing interests to go in the same direction, so perhaps the current trend is something worth celebrating for almost everyone.”
Blossom Hill’s change comes as wine replaces beer as Brits drink.
However, last year the World Health Organization warned that there was no safe level of alcohol consumption.
The WHO estimates that excessive alcohol consumption kills 3 million people worldwide each year.
It is estimated that more than 9,000 people a year die from alcohol-related causes in the UK.
In an article published in The Lancet Public Health, a team of WHO experts said last year that “alcohol consumption” as a whole was behind the toll.
They said that “alcohol consumers should be objectively informed about the risks of cancer and other health conditions associated with alcohol consumption.”
The NHS recommends that people drink no more than 14 units a week and spread them over three days or more.
Ian Hamilton, an addictions expert at the University of York, told MailOnline that WHO experts are “right” that there is “no safe level” in terms of health risks.
However, he added that it was “important to stress” that if the guidelines are followed the health risk is “small”.
The risk of developing alcohol-related illnesses is “higher for those who consume large amounts in a short period of time,” he added.
Mr Hamilton said: “It is important to ensure that everyone understands the risks associated with their consumption, but for those who drink occasionally and in small quantities the risks to their health are small.”