Branding The Hess Collection: Fine Wine … Or Not?

The announcement that Hess Collection is buying MacPhail Family Wines brings to mind an interesting conundrum that I’ve wondered about for some time: does the brand Hess stand for fine wine or not?

You see, I’ve picked up a bottle of their $10 wine from time to time and found it about the same quality as other wines costing $5.99 or so — a perfectly servicable, ordinary, non-flawed but unexceptional wine. One that costs 40% more than similar quality budget wines because of the Hess name.

Now, that may be a good way to get people to pay more for an ordinary bottle of wine, but it seems to be an overall branding mistake.

Why?

Because the unexceptional quality of Hess Collection at an over-priced lower end has stopped me from buying any of the higher-priced wines.

This appears to be a good case for a second label name to keep the higher end from being devalued by an ordinary and somewhat over-priced experience.

UPDATE POINT:

Jim Caudill who handles PR for Hess Collection made this online comment:

I suspect it’s been a while since the “time to time” you’ve picked up a Hess Select wine. That tier regularly receives applause for consistently delivering more than its competititve set.

Ironic, in fact, that this post appears at the same time Paul Gregutt’s current story in the Seattle Times compares Washington Cabs vs. Napa Cabs and among many conclusions, says this: “Among the Napa bottles I most liked the Grgich ($60), now all biodynamic fruit, with nice details of herb and earth. Also the three from Hess: Allomi ($28), 19 Block ($36) and Mount Veeder ($48).

Hess often delivers a bit extra in its price range.” That story is in the Fetch, you can see for yourself. A vigorous program of vineyard replanting, investments at the winery, and a talented winemaking team are producing plenty of evidence that your question is based on “aged” insights that just don’t apply to today’s Hess wines.

UPDATE COUNTERPOINTPOINT:

And I responded:

Had a friend bring a bottle of that Cab to dinner last week … I said nothing, but he ended up apologizing, said he’d  heard so much about them that he figured it for a great bottle. That left a bad taste in his mouth for Hess as well. Devaluing the brand is what it’s about.

I still think it’s a bad move to have the $8-$10 wine branded Hess Collection. It’s not that Hess can’t make fine wines at those price points, just that the budget brand devalues all its wine.