Calorie-conscious wine lovers in the UK may be able to enjoy a guilt-free glass of wine with Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) newly-launched reduced-calorie range of wines. The British retailer’s Sumika Sauvignon Blanc range, available in Shiraz and Rosé varieties, claims to contain less than a third the amount of calories of a standard wine bottle.

Retailing at £7.50 a bottle, the Sumika range, which means ‘light’ in Japanese, is said to contain 50 calories per 100ml glass. The white Sauvignon Blanc is described as light, elegant and refreshing with flavours of elderflower, passion fruit and peach whereas the Shiraz has a hint of oak, mocha, blackberry and spice notes.

Despite being classified as a low-calorie beverage, the retailer claims to have made no compromises on the taste and quality of the product, saying it uses only superior ingredients. Targeting weight-watching wine-drinkers, M&S’s low-calorie wines claim to be without any added sugar, which less pricey wines with lower alcohol content tend to use to maintain their flavour.

According to GlobalData’s 2016 Q3 survey, one in five (21%) people in the UK try to lose weight by reducing their consumption of alcohol. This suggests that there is a clear demand for low-calorie wines that consumers are looking to indulge in without feeling the pressure of having to count the calories. Thus far, the range has received positive reviews by experts who have praised the product as a “breakthrough”.  Now it’s time for consumers to give their verdict.