Floreat is a sparkling, lower-alcohol botanic wine, our ambition was to create the same sensation and joy you experience with wine but with beautiful tasting premium herbs in a lower alcohol drink. Two and a third glasses of Floreat are equivalent to a single glass of champagne.
Floreat takes its name from the Latin “to flourish” with the golden leaf on the bottle symbolising the precious plant ingredients used in every glass.
I worked in the drinks industry for Diageo across many drinks brands and explored the reasons why people wanted to drink alcoholic wine; often this was to relax, unwind, be sociable and enjoy the moment. As a qualified medical herbalist, I then realised that the feelings people were looking for when they opened a bottle could be genuinely provided by the herbs used in Floreat!
The ultimate inspiration is to make people feel the happiness of enjoying a glass of chilled wine on a lovely summer’s day but with a lower-alcohol content and additional botanical benefits, so drinkers can unwind without any of the unwanted after-effects.
Besides having just won a IWSC Silver Medal for Taste, the whole experience of enjoying of a glass of wine is captured in Floreat. It is something you will immediately notice with your first glass, with many people now opting for Floreat as their wine of choice because of the relaxing feelings that last through to the next day.
In simple terms, we wanted to replace the positive effects of alcohol with effective herbs in considered amounts, alongside using specific herbs to mitigate the negative aspects of the small amount of alcohol found in Floreat. The concept was so new and surprisingly difficult that I worked with a team of sommeliers and plant experts over 18 months in a real ‘labour of love’ in order to get the balance of taste and herbs just right, whilst simultaneously reducing the alcohol content.
The brand loyalty that Floreat has created is testimony to the uniqueness of the feelings and drinking experience created by Floreat.
At a time when you are wishing to unwind and rejuvenate, Floreat provides a unique way of bringing about these sensations in a lower alcohol sparkling wine, leaving guests feeling refreshed, calm, and content. Other benefits include its gentle mood and vitality boosting traits, its vegan, it’s low in calories and yet high in biodynamic botanicals and minerals, and some consumers experience increased quality of sleep due to its low 5.4% alcoholic content. Floreat has been designed to simulate feelings of wellbeing and mindful living - a perfect accompaniment to any spa experience.
The most exciting thing is Floreat being the first in this field! It’s a genuine, functional wine that still captures wellness and gives people a balanced response to alcohol in each glass - without compromising on taste. We believe we will see more wines in the lower alcohol space, rather than non-alcoholic drinks, as the benefits of herbs become more widely recognised.
Whilst we can’t give away any specific secrets, we can say that Floreat contains Limeflowers that mingle with a small amount of alcohol in the quickest and safest way to kick start that feeling of unwinding. Then fresh rose petals provide the first of the summer aromas and a very gentle mood boost, fresh violets contribute an intriguing aroma and have capillary fragility properties that stop any reddening due to alcohol, and finally, milk thistle is well known to help remove alcohol from the body. All these botanicals - and many more that we can’t reveal! - combine to produce a wonderfully tasting sparkling wine that will leave you feeling both energised and relaxed.
I personally blend the herbs, botanicals, and wines to make Floreat in Cornwall. The Charmat method is then used to create the beautiful bubbles and keep all the plant ingredients perfectly preserved.
After listening to consumers saying that they wanted to participate in celebrations and enjoy social occasions but struggled to find a drink with the best of both worlds, we pioneered this new lower-alcohol, botanic drinks category. Next, we are looking to broaden our range with a Rosé in the near future, and we will also be expanding overseas into Ireland, Germany, and the US.
If you fancy tasting Floreat we now have it listed on the menu in Raw & Cured!
With the most wonderful time of the year fast approaching, it’s time to start Christmas shopping! We know how tricky it can be to find the perfect pressie for your loved ones so whether you are looking for stocking fillers, festive treats, the one who loves self-care or the one who has everything, look no further!
These little beauties are so delicious and extremely easy to make. Great for an on-the-go breakfast or mid-morning snack – releasing energy slowly to keep you going until lunchtime. They will keep in the fridge for a week, but we doubt they’ll last more than a couple of days!
We have had Moon Roast Coffee at Lime Wood and in Raw & Cured for 3 years now, we sat down with the founder Francis, to find out more about them…
