Wine Fast Track Brands

Wine Fast Track Brands

The booming Spritz cocktail trend has also been a key driver for Mionetto, with retailers and accounts leveraging it to boost sparkling wine sales.“ From an activation standpoint, we executed several high-impact market takeovers, including our first-ever Mionetto Salone event in New York, Jones says. The immersive experience celebrates the brand’ s Italian essence and roots through music, lifestyle and art.

“ These experiences were overwhelmingly successful in terms of consumer engagement and conversion, reinforcing our commitment to experiential marketing,” says Jones.

BETTER-FOR-YOU BOTTLES

The growing demand for alcohol-free options has been a significant tailwind for Mionetto Alcohol-Removed Sparkling, which launched nationally in 2024.“ It’ s quickly become a top player in the nonalcoholic /

ESTABLISHED BRAND

alcohol-removed sparkling category, reflecting the broader trend of mindful consumption,” says Jones.

Fre, a category leader and innovator for more than 30 years, offers a robust collection of alcohol-removed wines. The Fast Track winner launched a California pinot grigio this past fall.

Giesen 0 % of New Zealand, a Fast Track brand, is scaling up its production capabilities with a high-capacity spinning cone column to meet surging global demand for non-alcoholic wines. The cutting-edge technology supports the gentle extraction of alcohol and aroma from full-strength wines, essential to safeguarding the character of Giesen 0 % wines.

The new spinning cone column not only delivers long-term sustainability returns through reuse of alcohol for spirits production, operations and fuel, but also allows the Giesen team to increase production from a 1,000−liter to a 10,000−liter column while ensuring high quality standards.

In addition to low- or no-alcohol, more consumers seek wines with fewer calories and less sugar.

COMEBACK BRAND

Despite sake ' s relatively small share of the overall alcohol market, the fermented rice beverage( often classified as a wine) is well positioned to leverage several trends for growth. We caught up with Mark Zheng-Garrat, vice president of sales & marketing Gekkeikan Sake( USA)— Comeback Brand winner— to learn more about what’ s driving the brand’ s success.

WHAT INDUSTRY TRENDS ARE MOST IMPACTING THE BRAND RIGHT NOW? One of the most significant trends impacting Gekkeikan and the sake industry as a whole is the broader shift occurring within the alcohol market. Historically strong categories in

mature markets— such as sake in Japan and wine in France— are losing momentum, particularly among younger consumers. These consumers, who are less connected to established brands, are increasingly seeking out more diverse and unique options. This trend appears to be global, with emerging markets showing growth in more“ traditional” alcohol options, while mature markets are seeing a slowdown.

However, this shift presents a unique opportunity for sake, particularly in the U. S. The pandemic spurred a surge in consumers seeking new experiences, which led to an increased interest in exploring new flavors and categories. Coupled with a rising fascination with Asian cuisine and culture, including the growth of restaurants serving Japanese food, sake has successfully attracted consumers who are branching out from other alcoholic beverages in search of something new.

Additionally, the rise of the low- / no-alcohol category and a broader trend toward mindful and health-conscious drinking has worked in sake’ s favor. Thanks to its natural composition— free from common allergens and additives— sake has become a go-to choice for health-conscious consumers.

WHAT OFF-PREMISE PROMOTIONS AND ACTIVATIONS IN 2024 LED TO THE BRAND’ S INCREASED SALES?

We saw great success in certain markets with case display programs that helped raise consumer awareness of sake. With the myriad options available to consumers, placing sake in prominent, eye-catching locations leveraged the growing trend of consumers seeking new experiences, driving

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