Peach Moscato, anyone? Franzia adds fruit flavors to boxed wines it makes near Ripon
Franzia has added several fruit flavors to its lineup of wines made and boxed near Ripon.
Its parent company on Tuesday launched Franzia Refreshers, blended with natural fruit flavors. Shoppers can find Peach Moscato, Tropical Pinot Grigio, Strawberry Rosé and Wild Berry Moscato.
The new products have about half the alcohol of conventional wine. They sell for a suggested $15 for a 3-liter box, which equals four standard bottles.
“Franzia was the first nationally distributed wine in a box, and we are always exploring new ways to build upon this legacy of innovation,” said Jeff Dubiel, chief marketing officer at The Wine Group, in a news release.
The Livermore-based company produces Franzia at Highway 120 and Murphy Road. It has dozens of other brands from California, New York and several foreign countries.
The Ripon-area plant has its roots in grapevines planted in 1906 by Teresa Franzia. Her descendants no longer own the brand, the world’s top seller by volume. It has been packaged in plastic-lined cardboard since the 1980s.
This is Franzia’s first entry into “flavored wine,” meaning something other than grapes is in the products. The category has grown 47% in the past year to nearly $600 million, according to Nielsen data cited in the release.
The Wine Group has two other fruit-flavored brands, Beso del Sol Sangria and MD 2020.
The company is second in total volume only to E. & J. Gallo Winery of Modesto, which has flavored wine brands of its own. Among them are Barefoot, Arbor Mist and Wild Vines.
Bronco Wine Co., another major player south of Ceres, offers flavored wines such as Allure Infusions and De La Costa Sangria.
Franzia Refreshers are “slightly sweet” and have only 75 calories per 5-ounce serving, the release said. Moscato and pinot grigio are both white wine varieties.
The new products will help Franzia stand out, Dubiel said, “as we continue our focus on innovation and maintain our leadership in the boxed wine space.”
This story was originally published July 15, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
