Branded Wines In Which? Hunt

Seven tasters at Which? magazine have ruled that big branded wines are a ‘big letdown.’ The wine-drinking masses seem to disagree. Patrick Schmitt reports

It may be a distant memory, but in March this year some of the best-selling wines in the UK market underwent a vigorous health check and were diagnosed as disappointing and poor value for money. Conducting the test was Which? magazine, and under the stethoscope was the likes of Hardy’s, Lindeman’s, Rosemount, Jacob’s Creek, Banrock Station, Blossom Hill, Stowells, Kumala, Gallo, Piat d’Or and Penfolds. But why dredge up this damming report’s conclusions? Quite simply to explore whether the accusations were fair; what effect such bad press had, and to try and decide whether in fact brands are good for the wine trade. Certainly, as the drinks business regularly reports, it is brands that are driving much of the growth in the UK wine market.

Firstly, one of the outcomes from the Which? wine tasting was that consumers would find it “well worth looking beyond the big names”, and none of the 41 wines tasted scored more than 13 out of 20. However, some have criticised the tasting for failing to include a point of reference. As Bottle Green’s Jerry Lockspeiser says, “The report should have said this is what we are looking for and then tasted against a benchmark. Deciding on good or bad is subjective, and can only be measured against stated parameters.”

Clare Griffiths, VP marketing at Constellation Europe, even feels, “The report had a slight anti-brand agenda to it. It would have been a fairer evaluation of the merits of the wines had the tasters not known in advance that they were tasting branded wines.”

As for any value for money criticisms, these may have emerged particularly because those wines tasted were judged at full price, when, as those in the trade are all too aware, most of them are sold most of the time on discount. “The promotional demands from the national retailers are getting bigger by the day,” says Paul Stratford, Stratford’s Wine Agencies. “The producer has to fund that, so maybe there is a dilution of quality going on.” Lockspeiser adds, “You have to plan in your commercial budget that you will sell somewhere between 50% to 80% of your total production on promotion – you must work backwards.”

The implication of such remarks is that the real price is closer to the discounted price, or put another way, the off-promotion price is inflated to allow for discounting. But what was so wrong with the branded wines tasted? Lack of “character” or “balance”? Many believe that what an expert in the wine trade looks for in a wine is very different from a mainstream consumer. “What the professional thinks is “best” is not what consumers think is “best”, as Lockspeiser notes. “If people really thought the wines were disappointing for the price then they wouldn’t buy them. Take French wines, which in the mid-price bracket have declined, because consumers didn’t like the style – but perhaps the professionals would prefer them,” he continues.

On the other hand, as Lay & Wheeler’s Hugo Rose MW points out, “Brands have driven the market forwards, but not necessarily upwards,” while Stratford believes it is important that mass-market wine has character, because, “If a wine is bland, then consumers might think, ‘I’d rather stick to beer’.”

But what about the effect of the Which? report? As Constellation’s Griffiths recalls, sales of the company’s wines, three of which featured in the tasting, were not affected by the comments. “I believe consumers are more interested in what to buy rather than what not to buy,” she says.

Which leaves one pondering the purpose of the report. Possibly such professional evaluations are of more interest to the trade, than the branded wine consumer, who after all, buys such wines precisely because he isn’t really interested in the finer details of all things vinous.

As Lockspeiser sums up, “For some 90% of consumers, wine is a functional, not an intellectual experience.” Such drinkers don’t want to be challenged, but want something easy and enjoyable, which the wines tasted by Which? seem to be providing – that is if one is to judge them purely on their popularity.

Methodology and results
March’s issue of Which? amassed the best-selling red and white wines, as well as a Chardonnay and Merlot (where available) from the best-selling 11 brands in the UK, representing around 26% of the wine sold in the off-trade. Seven judges then tasted the 41 wines blind and awarded a mark out of 20 for each one. The scores were then averaged for the final ranking. Only one wine was voted a “Best Buy” – Lindeman’s Cawarra Cabernet Merlot 2004. It only scored 13 out of 20 but at £4.99 it was decided it represented good value for money. Joint highest-ranking red was Lindeman’s Bin 50 Shiraz, 2003 (£5.99) which was also awarded 13/20. The lowest red was Banrock Station Merlot 2003 (£4.99) with 7/20. Highest scoring white was Penfolds Koonunga Hill Chardonnay 2003, (£6.99) with 13/20 and lowest was Piat d’Or Medium White NV, Vin de Pays du Gers, (£3.99) which managed only 8/20.

Insider opinion
Clare Griffiths, VP marketing, Constellation Europe
“I felt that the Which? report had a slight anti-brand agenda to it. It would have been a fairer evaluation of the merits of the wines had the tasters not known in advance that they were tasting branded wines. Branded wines, particularly those from the New World, are undoubtedly responsible for the boom in wine drinking, which the UK has witnessed in recent years and the consistency and quality they offer has raised the overall standard of wine available to consumers at affordable price points on both a branded and non-branded level. Brands offer consumers reassurance in what can be a complicated sector where confusing labelling and appellation systems serve only to alienate. Branded wines like Stowells, Banrock Station and Hardy’s offer an entry into the world of wine and allow consumers to experiment through different countries and at different price levels.”

Jerry Lockspeiser, managing director, Bottle Green

“Why is white Zin so popular? It has 28 grams of sugar and the wine trade slag it off, but clearly the wine-buying public, particularly 20 yearold females, like it, and who are we to say they are wrong?
The mass-market consumer doesn’t actually want to know an awful lot about wine. They just want wine, it is their alcoholic drink of choice. They want to relax with a glass of wine that is easy and consistent and that’s what the Australian and Californians have understood and provided.
For instance, I know nothing about cars, I just want something functional, something that works and in a certain price bracket and that suits the image I have of myself. Most have the same attitude to wine. I don’t know why we think wine is different.”