One in every 12 bottles of Champagne in the UK is from Aldi
Aldi is the new home of Christmas bubbly. It has announced that one in every 12 bottles of Champagne bought in the UK is Aldi's Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut NV. This Christmas it is expecting to sell 50% more of its Champagne than last year - and has 750,000 bottles at the ready.
It's hardly surprising. The champagne costs just £10,99 and has picked up a number of awards - including a Decanter silver, an IWSC bronze, and a Quality Drink award. It has also been recommended by Good Housekeeping.
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Many loyal shoppers agree. One Tweeted: "@AldiUK I think Aldi do the BEST champagne #AldiFavouriteThings" Another added: "Fantastic champagne from #aldi recommended by #goodhousekeepingmagazine and me. Paid £9.97 a bottle." One said: "Aldi champagne and it's actually French and good - the world has gone mad", and another added: "Aldi champagne, £9.95 a bottle is a steal. I'd get some whilst you can mate #christmastoptip".
Fine wines
Is not just champagne either. One in every 13 bottles of all wine sold in UK shops during 2015 was from Aldi. And the store has launched a swanky range of fine wines and spirits for Christmas, including Auslese Riesling 2003 (£9.99), Chateaux La Marzelle St Emilion Grand Cru Classe 2008 (£24.99), La Sogara Amarone Riserva 2010 (£22.99) and a rare Tokaji Aszu 5* 2000 (£17.99).
Posh spirits include Whitley Neill Handcrafted London Dry Gin (£19.99), which is also sold at the Dorchester hotel. Then there's the Kraken Black Spiced Rum (£18.99) - which is £14 cheaper at Aldi than in Harvey Nichols. And perhaps most strikingly a 24-carat gold labelled Russian Vodka. The Imperial Collection Gold Vodka is apparently filtered using gold thread, before being put in a bottle decorated with gold. The same product is available on Amazon for £35.
Why?
This, in turn, is part of a larger luxury range introduced for Christmas, including delicacies like Serrano ham and lobster. This is a key part of Aldi's plan to appeal to more upmarket customers - which also includes opening stores in posher areas.
The discounter is not only trying to make inroads into mid-range stores, but also rival high-end supermarkets - in recognition of the fact that this is the only other part of the market that continues to grow.
By launching award-winning products - and drawing attention to the fact they are also available in the likes of Selfridges and the Dorchester, they are hoping to lure customers in to try them for Christmas, and hopefully stay for the weekly shop.
But what do you think? Are you tempted to buy your Christmas booze at Aldi, or do you think your guests expect posher brands on the Christmas table?
