E&J Gallo makes nearly three-quarters of premium US wine sold in UK

California-based E&J Gallo has revealed it produces almost three-quarters of the US wines priced at £7 and over per bottle that are sold in the UK off-trade.

Citing data from Nielsen, E&J Gallo has reported “consistently strong” growth in its premium wine portfolio over the past six years.

It noted that its top-performing premium wine brands in the UK – Dark Horse, Apothic and Carnivor – are now key players in the £7-plus price point, and represent three out of every five bottles of premium US wine sold in the UK off-trade, according to Nielsen data from January 2021.

Together, the three brands have grown over seven times faster than the premium still wine category as a whole, which itself has expanded 171% since January 2015.

Dark Horse saw its volume sales rise by 51% in the UK last year, and it now produces the leading California Cabernet Sauvignon priced above £7. Its Chardonnay is the top contributor to the expansion of the Dark Horse brand in the UK and the leading revenue growth driver in the £7 plus Chardonnay category, according to Nielsen.

Apothic, which launched in the UK in 2015, was the UK’s best-selling premium red from the US last year, growing by 23% in the year to 8 August 2020. Its Cabernet Sauvignon, which was unveiled in the UK last year, has been responsible for “driving substantial incremental growth for the brand”, according to E&J Gallo.

Finally, E&J revealed that brand Carnivor is responsible for the best-selling Zinfandel in the UK, with the wine experiencing 47% revenue growth last year. The brand recently partnered with website Great British Chefs to launch a campaign focused on food and wine pairing.

Dark Horse wines retail for £8.50, Apothic’s for £9.50 and Carnivor’s for £9.50, and are available throughout the UK.