The scores on the doors

Over the last three years wine writers’ recommendations moved upmarket while the retailers’ share of voice has become more evenly spread

SO FAREWELL, then, In The Press. After three years and a lot of what we hope have been interesting insights, Wine Intelligence is calling time on the analysis service so it can concentrate on its rapidly growing Consumer Access quantitative research business.

It is only appropriate, then, for us to see what changes have occurred in the wine media landscape since Wine Intelligence started monitoring the nation’s wine critics at the beginning of 2002.

Outside the wine columns, there have clearly been massive changes: a recession (now over, we think), a war, several mergers and acquisitions among producers and retailers, and of course the continuing march of New World wine products onto our shelves at the expense of Old World wines.

Perhaps the biggest shift in wine critic sentiment has come at the price point level.  In 2002, around 3 in 10 mentions carried a retail price of less than £5, while only 22% of mentions were for wines worth more than £10. In 2005, only 17% of mentions were for the under £5s, and 31% were for the over £10s.

If nothing else, the critics have more or less taken to heart the idea that they are in business to trade their readers up to higher quality wine.

Elsewhere, the changes are marginally less dramatic.  Retailer share of voice has undergone a quiet revolution: where three years ago Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Safeway grabbed 30% of mentions between them, today they can only muster 15%.

This is partly due to the Morrisons takeover, but also to do with a perceptible shift among critics towards highlighting independent and mail-order retailers who offer high quality wines or regional specialisation.

What’s fascinating, however, is how relatively little movement can be observed in the country share of voice. Looking at the averages for 2002 vs 2005, the only noticeable change is the gains made by Chile (which has invested in a UK promotion office), and the reverses suffered by Italy and Argentina (neither of which have made such an investment).

About this research and Wine Intelligence

This analysis is brought to you by Wine ntelligence, a research-led marketing consultancy specialising in the wine industry.  The company is staffed by experienced wine industry and research professionals and provides research and consulting services to leading producers, importers, retailers and trade organisations.

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