DINE OUT ON PIZZA AND WINE FOR 600 CALORIES*

On the 5th January 2010, PizzaExpress introduces lower calorie, lower alcohol wine to its popular ‘Leggera’ (Italian for ‘light’) range, allowing customers to enjoy a pizza and glass of wine for around 600 calories.

Following the success of its Leggera pizzas (each around 500 calories), PizzaExpress has developed Leggera wines, which are lighter and less calorific**, so you can relax and enjoy a glass of wine with your meal, even if you’re counting your calories or watching your alcohol intake.

PizzaExpress is the first restaurant on the high street to develop a wine which is lower in both calories and alcohol while really delivering on taste. Leggera wines contain 25% fewer calories and 25% less sugar than an average wine from its wine list, meaning that a 175ml glass is just 87 calories. The Leggera Pinot Bianco is 9% alcohol and the Leggera Sangiovese is 9.5% ABV. The secret behind their reduced calories and lower alcohol content while still offering a tasty drop lies in the early harvesting of the grapes, while sugar levels are still low. The Leggera Sangiovese is blended with super-ripe Sicilian Merlot to fill out the fruit profile.

Nutritionist Juliette Kellow comments,

“Weight conscious diners who want to control portions and cut calories welcome more choice on the high street. Lower calorie, lower alcohol wine in restaurants allows them to go out for dinner and enjoy a tasty meal and glass of wine without sacrifice.”

Master of Wine Adrian Garforth has been working with PizzaExpress for six years to develop the best wine selection on the high street, introducing new grapes, wine styles and regions to its customers. Predominantly an Italian selection, wines are listed according to style and each with its own tasting note to help guide customers in their choice.

Adrian Garforth, Master of Wine, comments,

“Lower calorie, lower alcohol wines have been an increasingly important discussion point for both the trade and the consumer over the last few months and it’s great to see PizzaExpress take this on board. We’ve worked with their growers to deliver a really great tasting wine and developed a winning concept.”

A glass of Leggera wine is the perfect complement to a Leggera pizza, and, because together they add up to around 600 calories, you can indulge yourself without having to feel guilty.

The wines are available in 370 PizzaExpress restaurants; the bottle price is £16.55 and both wines are also available by the glass (175ml & 250ml).

*This figure is a guideline approximation – as all of our pizzas are made by hand by our pizzaiolos, there is always room for a little variation. The Leggera pizzas contain 30% less calories than the average of our standard pizzas, without compromise to taste

**Leggera wines contain 25% fewer calories and 25% less sugar than an average wine from PizzaExpress’ wine list

Some info about the ingredients:

PizzaExpress

Leggera pizzas are made from the classic PizzaExpress dough and signature tomato sauce, topped with Fior di Latte mozzarella and fresh ingredients. Inspired by a classic fresella from Naples – an Italian bread with a hole at its middle – dough is removed from the centre of the pizza and replaced with a delicious, fresh salad. Each Leggera pizza is around 500 calories and contains less than 5g saturated fat.

There are four pizzas in the Leggera range –

– Contadina – torn chicken breast with spinach, fresh red peppers and creamy fior di latte mozzarella, finished with a splash of Tabasco.

– The Margherita Leggera is topped with fior di latte mozzarella, marinated santos tomatoes and fresh basil.

– The Gustosa, which is Italian for tasty, brings together hand torn prosciutto cotto ham with slices of Portobello mushroom, sweet yellow pepper, fior di latte mozzarella and fresh thyme to give it a bit of a kick. A meaty pizza that’s still light.

– A vegetarian feast, the Vitabella, meaning ‘good life’ in Italian, is topped with asparagus spears, mixed chargrilled vegetables and red and yellow peppers on a base of tomato source and fior di latte mozzarella. It’s super healthy and counts as one of your five a day.