Lidl’s own brand champagne is better than Moët according to Irish consumers, with the majority of taste testers preferring Lidl’s €22.99 bottle of Henry Dubois Brut champagne to the market leading luxury label Moët, which retails for around €65*.
Proving that high quality, affordable bubbles can trump the high-end heavyweights, Lidl Ireland went head-to-head with the globally renowned champagne house to put its Henry Dubois own brand champagne to the test in a blind taste test, with a sensational six in ten tasters agreeing that Lidl’s own brand fizz tasted better than Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut.
Tasters also voted Lidl’s own brand Pinot Grigio Blush, priced at just €7.99, as their favourite rosé, in a blind taste test against the cult favourite Whispering Angel. In fact, more than half of consumers (54%) raved about Lidl’s own brand blush, stating that its taste far exceeded that of Whispering Angel which is more than twice the price of the leading discount supermarket’s rosé.
The taste test was carried out at Lidl Ireland’s recent ‘Vino Sensoria’ event, a wine in the dark pop-up tasting experience held on Dublin’s Grafton Street, where guests were plunged into darkness to put their taste buds to the ultimate test.
Running across two weekends in November, more than 800 consumers sipped their way through a range of Lidl’s best red, white, rosé and sparkling wines, hosted by Lidl’s Master of Wine Richard Bampfield, to dispel wine myths and prove that quality wine is more than just what is shown on a label – and doesn’t have to break the bank.
According to Lidl’s Master of Wine, Richard Bampfield, when looking for a good champagne, people often assume that the most expensive champagne or wine on the shelf is going to be the best choice, particularly when they’re willing to spend a little bit more to enjoy at Christmas time or give as a gift. But that’s not always the case.
“What Vino Sensoria has revealed is that the majority (63 %) of consumers actually prefer the taste of Lidl’s own brand Henry Dubois champagne to Moët, finding it more refreshing, of higher quality and holding fizz for longer. This was a real surprise for most of the people in the room who were sure they would be able to tell the more expensive champagne from the supermarket own brand.
Even more surprising was the reveal that the preferred Lidl own-brand champagne is less than a third of the price of Moët, retailing for a very reasonable €22.99 which is much more affordable particularly at Christmas time”, said Richard.
“The aim of Vino Sensoria is to dispel some of those myths surrounding the buying and serving of wine. By tasting in total darkness with no distractions, tasters were able to concentrate fully on the wine in the glass and reach a better understanding of their own tastes and palate. Our guests left the tasting room feeling inspired, challenged and their taste buds reawakened. Hopefully it has inspired them to branch out and try some new wines at more affordable prices this Christmas with Lidl”, added Richard.
Other wines tested with the consumer panel included Lidl’s Pinot Gris €9.79, Gris Pays Doc Rosé €7.99 and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC €7.