Supermarket Sauvignon?
The Grocer Winemaker
SHOP - February 17, 2010
By Michelle Locke
You're used to tossing store-brand milk and more in your shopping cart. But wine? Turns out more and more grocers are getting in touch with their inner vintner. Wines made exclusively for their stores ("private label") have only gotten hotter with the current thirst for bargains.
How hot? Recent Nielsen Co. figures show these wines growing at a rate of more than 32 percent. "While relatively small, they are growing fast," says Nielsen's Danny Brager.
For stores, private label wines save advertising dollars and build customer loyalty. For consumers, quality wine at reasonable prices is looking good right now. "This recession has opened consumers' eyes to the value of private labels across all categories, but especially wine," says Stephanie Grubbs of Winery Exchange, a major producer of private label wine.
You may have bought one without knowing it. The days of clunky "generic" packaging are long gone and most bottles look like regular brands. But with vintage values becoming more of a selling point, some stores are drawing attention to their lines.
Will consumers keep taking house brands home? Grubbs thinks so. "Now that they have tried private label, they're believers," she says. Possibly, but we were curious. See the results of our reader poll below.
Poll Results
from February 17, 2010
Arrow Creek - Kroger
The 2008 chardonnay won a Silver Medal in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2010. (~ $12.99)
http://www.arrowcreekvineyards.com
Kirkland Signature - Costco
Sourced directly from wineries, varieties are sold for 3-4 months and brought back if successful. The 2007 Napa County Cabernet Sauvignon is a robust red. (~$12.99)
Goat's Trail Zinfandel 2007 - Supervalu (Albertsons, Shaw's/Star Market, Lucky)
Silver Medal winner of the 2009 World Value Wine Competition, winemaker tasting notes say it will "knock you off your feet with full-bore Zinfandel fruit." (~$10.99)
http://www.goatstrail.com
Foodies - Cost Plus World Market
Varietals available are Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. (~$7.99)
Michelle Locke writes a nationally distributed wine column for The Associated Press and works as a freelancer in Northern California, specializing in wine, food and travel.
Wine mark-ups and prices vary, and, as such, Wine Country Minute 00:60 cannot guarantee the accuracy of the listed prices. Please check around to find the best price and availability.
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