February Brand Wine Sales Winners And Losers

Of the largest 100 brands (by total dollar sales), box and value-priced wines remained as sales growth winners in February, 2009 according to a Wine Business Insight analysis of data from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI).

Boxes from Delicato, Carlo Rossi and Vendage took first, second and sixth places with percent sales gains of 109.8, 100.5 and 58.7 percent respectively. Others in the top 10 had gains of 43.8 to 86.2 percent.

WELL-KNOWN BRANDS TAKE A BEATING

The worst-performing brands were down from 15.4 percent (Kenwood)  to 37 percent (Pepperwood Grove) from the same period last year. All the other brands at the bottom were also well-known names including Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Robert Mondavi, Sterling, and Gallo’s Turning Leaf.

LARGEST OVERALL BRANDS IN MIDDLE

The largest brands overall found themselves with respectable growth, but solidly in the middle of the 100 wines in the sample. Franzia, the third largest brand by dollar volume found that having a box was no guarantee of a top growth position. It came in 45th with a sales gain of 9.4 percent and overall sales of almost $14 million.

However, other large brands — including Yellow Tail, Simi, K-J and Gallo Family Vineyards —  found their sales increases below the average of all wines for this period.

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