LWC, the UK’s largest independent drinks wholesaler and wine specialist has partnered with South African winery, Overhex Wines, to create ‘Kamina,’ a range of lower ABV wines that offer customers more choice ahead of February’s duty increase.
Consisting of three consumer favourites; Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé and Merlot, the exclusive-to-LWC range of light, sessionable wines come in at 8% ABV, providing a more accessible, duty-friendly price point, along with better options for those looking to moderate their alcohol intake.
Using an innovative technique to reduce the ABV, Kamina takes a quantity of the wine and fully de-alcoholises it before blending it back in with the original wine, ensuring that the finished product maintains the flavour, structure and texture of conventionally made wine, but at a reduced ABV.
Shaun Healy, Wine Director for LWC commented: “LWC is delighted to be partnering with Overhex on a range of 8% wines that not only support customers from a cost perspective, but also lend themselves excellently to changing consumer lifestyle habits.
“With the upcoming duty hikes, operators - and ultimately the end consumer - are really going to feel the pinch when it comes to wine, but we cannot let this impact the quality of wines entering the market. By launching Kamina to the on-trade, we are ensuring that customers have lower cost, ‘lighter’ options, readily available, that do not compromise on taste or quality.
“A common criticism of low-alcohol wines is that they can sometimes lack the same mouthfeel or experience as a full-strength wine, and that’s where the Kamina range is different. After trialling many of the different methods that can be used to reduce the strength of these wines, it was clear that the technique Overhex has landed on gives the best quality, ensuring the varietal character of these wines still shines through.
“With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, plus a shift towards more moderated drinking, the Kamina range ticks both boxes, offering the perfect combination of quality and value.”
The Kamina range:
Kamina 8% Sauvignon Blanc, RSP £4.60 (ex VAT)
Bright and fresh with flavours of citrus and tropical fruit.
Kamina 8% Merlot, RSP £4.60 (ex VAT)
A well balanced, juicy example of merlot with ripe plum and cherry flavours and spice.
Kamina 8% Rosé, RSP £4.60 (ex VAT)
A juicy and refreshing rosé that has the perfect harmony of red berry and citrus flavours.
Available to the on-trade, nationally from Monday 11th November, LWC launches the range in its Festive brochure. Perfect for large corporate events, especially around the festive season, customers are encouraged to reach out to their LWC account manager, or wine development manager today to secure their stock.
LWC has just launched its refreshed 2025 wine portfolio, with a new look and feel: https://media.lwc.co.uk/2025-wine-portfolio/
LWC also swept the board earlier in the year at the 2024 Sommelier Wine Awards, scooping 74 medals and almost doubling its success at the 2020 awards. A full list of these medal-winning wines can be found here: https://www.lwc-drinks.co.uk/blog/lwc-sweeps-the-board-at-2024-sommelier-wine-awards-with-record-number-of-medals-29651/
For more information on LWC’s wine portfolio or services, please contact your local depot who will be more than happy to help.