Magazine: Wine branding

In 2014 growth in the US wine market slowed down to 1 percent. Although wine sales in general has been a success story in the USA – per capita consumption increased from 6.59 litres to 10.71 litres in 20 years – analysts say people have recently started to turn to new drink types a little. Experts think it is very important for winemakers to reach young consumers, adding that for retailers it would be more useful to build the wine category in general instead of focusing on individual wine brands. Still, the question arises: is building wine brands necessary at all in Hungary? Ferenc Szlávik, head of the top gastronomy and wine division of Zwack Izabella Wine Shop opines that building wine brands is important. He thinks we are still a long way away from having a glass of wine becoming part of everyday life. Kurt Taschner, owner of Taschner Wine and Sparkling Wine House Kft. reckons that wine has no real competitors. Despite this wine consumption has to be promoted. János Eszterbauer, owner of Eszterbauer Winery sees a strengthening wine consumption culture among young people, but still finds that some of them don’t drink spritzer because they are snobbish. Miklós Gáspár, commercial director of Garamvári Wineyard thinks that brand building is necessary for the wine category in general, with communication focusing on young and rather well-off consumers.