Echo Falls Sparkling Tisane

Echo Falls has teamed up with Dave Pahl - founder of pioneering 90s alcopop Two Dogs - to launch an alcohol-free wine alternative.

Echo Falls Tisane is a combination of fermented white grape juice and a tea infusion that is intended to contribute tannins and structure to the drink, and help it taste like wine. The fermentation process does not use yeast, so alcohol does not develop.

Brand owner Accolade Wines said the recipe had been in development for three years. Pahl is better known for adding alcohol into traditionally non-alcoholic drinks, having helped create the alcopop category by launching Two Dogs in 1993. That drink was taken off the market in 2000.

“Tisane fills a genuine consumer demand, delivering an authentic taste experience without any alcohol,” said Pahl. “It fits comfortably within the repertoire of someone who enjoys an alcoholic beverage but is sometimes looking for a socially inclusive non-alcoholic alternative and also for those who choose not to consume alcohol.”

Echo Falls marketing director Amy White said the drink had the potential to appeal to consumers looking to cut down on alcohol, calories and sugar. “Our research shows one in three shoppers claiming to spend £10 to £15 per month on non-alcoholic alternatives and this is becoming an increasingly valuable area of the market,” she said. “Coupled with increasing demand for lower sugar and low calorie drinks – the sparkling infusion has just 26 calories per 100ml – we see a real opportunity to drive this burgeoning category.”

“In support of this launch, we have an extensive marketing campaign in place that goes live in early 2015 and already have interest from international markets,” she added. “It’s a very exciting development and one we are fully committed to.”

Echo Falls Tisane is available in Tesco stores now (rsp: £3.49/750ml). The launch follows Echo Falls Fruit Fusions, a range of fruit-flavoured lower alcohol wines that Accolade launched last summer.