nir-vana innovation network

The combination of wine and ice-cream is very attractive for consumers. However, the production process of such type of ice-cream is highly complex because of the difference in freezing points (wine's freezing point varies from -13℃ to -18℃, while the basic ice-cream mixture freezes at 0℃).

A Macedonian start-up company that specializes in development of innovative technological processes for the food and beverage industry has developed wine ice-cream. The company produces the ice-cream based on its own developed food-technological process for increasing the freezing point of wine from -18℃ to 0℃. The end result is a cup of 180ml ice-cream that has an equivalent effect as drinking a glass of wine. Currently, the company has its own manufacturing plant with production capacity of 300L/Hour.

By using its own research and development laboratory for product optimization the company currently produces two main flavors of the wine ice-cream:
• Merlot, chocolate & sour cherry (with 4.5% and 8% ABV options)
• Riesling, vanilla and raspberries (with 4.5% and 6.8% ABV options)

The company wants to penetrate international markets with its innovative product. Partners for distribution of the ice-cream and commercial agents for ensuring promotion and sales are required. The Macedonian company expects to benefit from increased sales and improved brand recognition on international markets.

Advantages & innovations

The main competitive advantage of the wine ice-cream lies in the technological process of increasing the freezing point of wine from - 18℃ to 0℃, in a way in which the wine will stay frozen inside the basic ice-cream mixture at a temperature of 0℃. While there are other competitors on the market, the main competitive advantage of the Macedonian company is the fact that the ice-cream manages to keep the wine alcohol frozen inside the ice-cream mixture, while the competitors only have infused wine ice-cream, meaning the taste and smell of the wine alcohol are kept, but most of the alcohol itself has actually evaporated. The company also has a subsidiary in the UK market, making sales process easier. Besides the alcohol content, which can reach up to 9% per 100ml, another competitive advantage is the high percentage of antioxidants, mainly because of the wine itself, but also because the company is using natural grape pomace additive, developed based on a circular economy model by recycling grape marc waste and turning it into a raw material for the ice-cream mixture. Another competitive advantage is that the wine ice-cream is made with minimum 40% wine from the total ice-cream mixture, whilst managing to have stabile structure and a shelf-life of 12 months making it ideal for commercialization.

Stage of development

Already on the market

Partner sought

The company is looking to enter into cooperation with international partners that have the capacity and willingness to help penetrate the product on foreign markets. Preferred types of cooperation are distribution and commercial agency agreement. Partners under distribution agreement should be willing to distribute the product to large and small retailers, where partners under commercial agency agreement should assure promotion of the brand in the right way and negotiate sales on behalf of the Macedonian company in return for agreed remuneration.