Northern Irish consumers prefer Lidl’s £21.99 bottle of Henry Dubois Brut champagne to the market leading luxury label Moët, which retails for around £44*.
Proving that high quality, affordable bubbles can trump the high-end heavyweights, Lidl Northern Ireland went head-to-head with the globally renowned champagne house in a taste test held in complete darkness, which revealed that 63% of Northern Ireland taste testers preferred Lidl’s own brand fizz to Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut.
Tasters also selected Lidl’s £5.39 own-brand Pinot Grigio Blush Rosé as their top choice in the rosé tasting category. It outperformed the popular Whispering Angel, which is more than twice the price*. Over half of consumers (54%) preferred Lidl’s rosé, citing its superior taste.
The taste tests were carried out at Lidl Northern Ireland’s recent Vino Sensoria event, a unique, immersive wine tasting experience, where guests were plunged into darkness to put their taste buds to the ultimate test.
More than 400 consumers attended Vino Sensoria, which took place at Belfast Exposed, in the heart of the city’s Cathedral Quarter. The event was hosted by Lidl’s Master of Wine Richard Bampfield, who took guests on a tasting journey, inviting them to sip their way through a range of Lidl’s best red, white, rosé and sparkling wines.
Richard Bampfield in Belfast
Vino Sensoria - which sold out shortly after tickets were released in October - aimed to challenge common wine myths and demonstrate that quality wine isn't defined by its label or price tag.
Highlighting that the most expensive product on the shelf is not always the superior choice, Richard Bampfield said:
“What Vino Sensoria has revealed is that the majority (63%) of Northern Ireland consumers actually prefer the taste of Lidl’s own brand Henry Dubois champagne to Moët, finding it well balanced, more flavoursome and of excellent quality.
“It was interesting to see how surprised people were when they learned that they were unable to tell the difference between the more expensive champagne and rosé from Lidl's own brand.
"What was even more surprising was the revelation that Lidl’s preferred own-brand champagne costs considerably less thanMoët’s price, retailing at just £21.99 – a much more affordable option, especially during the Christmas season.
“By tasting in total darkness with no distractions, tasters at Vino Sensoria were able to concentrate fully on the wine in the glass and reach a better understanding of their own tastes and palate. Our guests in Belfast 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 Northern Ireland.”
Other wines tested with the consumer panel included Lidl’s Pinot Gris £7.19, Gris Pays Doc Rosé £5.89 and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC £5.29.
Lidl wines mentioned in this release and included in the Vino Sensoria consumer taste test included the following:
• Henry Dubois Champagne, £21.99
• Pinot Grigio Blush, £5.39
• Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, £5.29
• Premium Pinot Gris Gisborne, £7.19
• Gris Pays Doc Rosé, £5.89
*Price comparison (accurate as of today’s date – 02/12/24):
• Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut - £44.00 (Tesco)
• Whispering Angel - £22.00 (Sainsbury’s)