Top 10 wine brands 2015 7th April, 2015 by Gabriel Stone The wine industry as we know it today owes an inestimable debt to European knowhow and culture, but in commercial terms today’s axis leans in a very different direction. As consumers in France, Spain and Italy cut back their wine consumption, often in favour of other drinks categories altogether, global sales are being propelled forward by countries whose embrace of wine is a relatively recent phenomenon. Last year marked a watershed moment as the US overtook France for the first time to become the world’s biggest wine consumer by volume with annual consumption reaching 29.1 million hectolitres. That certainly helps to explain why US-based brands feature so strongly in this list and suggests that their dominance is set to grow. Indeed, recent IWSR estimates suggest that US wine consumption is due to rise by 11% over the next three years, growth that would put this market’s total at more than double the level anticipated for that former hotbed of interest, China.

Meanwhile there remains plenty of opportunity for those capable of navigating the crowded and highly competitive UK market, where a steady decline in wine consumption is due to reverse in a more positive direction this year. Although much of this growth looks set to be led by sparkling wine, especially Prosecco, IWSR predictions suggest that still wine is also due to share in this bounceback. As if managing the fluctuating fortunes of these established markets wasn’t enough, those at the helm of the world’s biggest wine brands must also decide what role, if any, they can play in rapidly emerging markets such as Africa, where consumption is expected to rise by a third in the decade to 2018. For the moment however, read over the following pages to discover last year’s 10 biggest selling bottled wine brands* and the latest developments that are helping them to stay on top. “Sales figures are based on a combination of data provided by the brand and industry estimates.

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Sales Manager - Scotland Sales Manager - North-West England Sales Manager - London Key Account Manager - Grocery Key Accounts Manager - Impulse North Devon & Somerset, UK Sales Manager - North East England Within 15-20 mile radius of York, UK London and Greater London, GB Park Royal, London, UK Head of Sales - Hush Heath Estate The Global Merlot Masters 2017 Deadline : 2nd May 2017 Deadline : 3rd May 2017 The Global Organic Masters 2017 The Global Sparkling Masters 2017 Deadline : 12th May 2017 Global Chardonnay Masters 2016 Now in its fourth year, the competition will identify the best Chardonnay from all around the world in every price range. Now in its fifth year, the competition will recognise and reward the finest Riojas on the world stage. Now in its third year, The Fortified Masters will reward the best fortified wines on offer. The Global Malbec Masters 2016 the drinks business is proud to announce the inaugural Global Malbec Masters 2016.

The August 2015 issue of Wines & Vines magazine is full of interesting and useful information as usual. One article that caught my eye provides IRI off-premise wine sales data for the top 20 U.S. wine brands. What are the best-selling off-premise brands? What’s hot (and what’s not)? The best-selling brand in the IRI league table is Gallo’s Barefoot, which accounted for an incredible $622 million in sales in the 52 weeks ending on June 14, 2015. That’s 5% more than the previous year in value terms and a 7% increase in volume. Congratulations to Gallo on their great success with this popular-priced ($5.64 average) wine. It is commonplace to say today that the sub-$9 wine category is in a slump, but Barefoot is the obvious exception to the rule Sutter Home from Trinchero Family Estates is #2, but a long way back at $356 million sales. The rule does apply here — value is down 2% on the year and volume is down 3%. The Wine Group’s Franzia Box is just behind with $325 million in sales on the year, flat in value terms and down 5% in volume.  

Franzia’s average price per 750 ml equivalent is up 11 cents to $2.17 compared with Sutter Home’s $5.25. Who are the other big players? Here are the remaining members of the top ten listed in  order: #4 Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi (Constellation), #5 Yellow Tail, #6 Kendall Jackson, #7 Beringer (Treasury), #8  Chateau Ste Michelle, #9 Cupcake (The Wine Group), and #10 Mènage à Trois (Trinchero). The next ten largest brands includes four Gallo product lines (Gallo Family Vineyards, Apothic, Carlo Rossi and Livingston Cellars), four from Constellation Brands (Black Box, Clos Du Bois, Robert Mondavi Private Selection and Rex Goliath) plus 14 Hands from Ste Michelle and Bogle Vineyards. Clearly the Big Three companies (Gallo, Constellation and The Wine Group) dominate the list, but note how Trinchero and Ste Michelle punch above their weight. Kudos to Bogle for their success, too. The biggest wine brands are not always the hottest brands and the IRI data reported in Wines & Vines bears this out.

As noted above, many of the top brands are experiencing slower sales in value terms including Sutter Home (-2%), Yellow Tail (-5%), Gallo Family Vineyards (-2%), Carlo Rossi (-3%), Clos Du Bois (-2%), Mondavi Private Selection (-4%), Livingston Cellars (-5%) and Rex Goliath (-4%). These declines are matched by some spectacular gains elsewhere on the wine wall, often at much higher price points. Mènage à Trois tops the Hot List with 24% growth in value and 23% increase in volume, continuing its incredible market run. Black Box is right behind with 23% value growth. Gallo’s Apothic is next 21% value growth. Continuing down the Hot List (among the 20 largest brands) is 14 Hands (+17%), Bogle (+15%) and Chateau Ste Michelle (12% value growth). When you’re hot you’re hot, I guess. While Beringer and Clos Du Bois  have experienced falling average prices according to IRI (-11 cents per bottle equivalent for Beringer and -27 cents for Clos Du Bois), Mènage à Trois has seen its average price rise by 10 cents while Apothic’s average price holds steady at $9.58.