Phillip Schofield’s wine brand removed from shelves after it was branded ‘undrinkable’

Phillip Schofield’s wine brand has been pulled from shelves in Waitrose after it was branded as ‘undrinkable’.

The This Morning host launched the wine brand back in 2010 after teaming up with importer When in Rome.

At the time of its launch, Schofield said he would be part of the wine tasting team during the production stage, insisting that he didn’t think there was ‘anything I have been so passionate about’.

He said, as per The Drinks Business: “When I agreed to this partnership, I had certain conditions; I wanted to be part of the tasting team. I wanted figures on how eco-friendly box wine was and I wanted it to be good value. The result is something I felt I could invest in.”

The wine brand has earned a number of accolades in its short life, including the 2020 International Wine & Spirit Competition, where the Benevento IGT Falanghina white scooped a bronze prize.

However, it seems not everyone is too impressed with the product, with Waitrose making the decision to pull all of Schofield’s wines from its shelves this week.

The wine range was previously available to buy at the supermarket for £24.90, but it is no longer available to purchase either in-store or on its website. 

Waitrose told OK! magazine of its decision: “It’s absolutely normal for us to review our selection from time to time and we haven’t sold this wine for a while.”

Schofield Wine

And customers seem to be on the same page as Waitrose, with one reviewer describing the wine as ‘an overpriced, very strong white wine with a bitter after taste’.

Another unimpressed customer said it was a ‘really awful product’, adding that they ‘wouldn’t even use for cooking’, while a third said they failed to finish the box, saying it was ‘not pleasant drinking’. 

Rob Malin, the CEO of When in Rome, told The Drinks Business that the company has taken the recent reviews on board, saying: “As an independent business working with artisan producers we take all feedback and reviews really seriously.

“We acknowledge that there have been some negative reviews on the Phillip Schofield range since its launch, but these have been balanced out by a far larger number of positive reviews.”

Phillip Schofield is yet to comment on the backlash.