Bigger brands create more loyalty among consumers, according to the chief executive of Wine Intelligence.

Speaking about the 2022 Wine Intelligence Global Wine Brand Power Index at Prowein, Lulie Halstead said consumers tend to go back to big wine brands more frequently.

“For smaller market share brands, which tend to be more niche or luxury, or maybe organic for example, those consumers have bigger portfolios. So, they might be buying 20 wines and bigger brands will just get one slot in 20. Whereas if it’s a mainstream brand with big volume, maybe those consumers are only buying five wines and you’ll get two slots out of their five.”  

The global brand list placed Yellow Tail at the top, with Concha y Toro’s Casillero del Diablo in second place and Gallo’s Barefoot in third. In the UK, Yellow Tail and Casillero del Diablo take the top two spots, but number three went to Jacob’s Creek, with Blossom Hill, Hardys and Echo Falls all ranking before Barefoot, which sits at number seven in the UK.

Halstead said brand equity declined during the pandemic because consumers had fewer touch points with wine.

“We weren’t in store as long, we weren’t asking for advice, we weren’t in the on-premise as frequently. We were buying more online and that’s a very different touch point.

“What happened remarkably quickly in wine during 2020 and to a certain extent in 2021, was consumer awareness of brands shrunk really rapidly.”

Halstead concluded that although this year has seen brand awareness stabilise, “we’re not back to pre-pandemic levels yet”.