Wine Fast Track Brands

Wine Fast Track Brands

RISING STAR

CONTINUING THE MOMENTUM

Despite the political and financial turmoil and uncertainty of early 2025, most Growth Brand winners believe they’ ll be able to build on their success this year.

For Hampton Water,“ 2025 will be a year of expansion and deeper consumer engagement,” Misiorski says.“ We’ re rolling out new marketing campaigns, influencer collaborations and retail promotions that build on our momentum. International expansion is also a key focus— we’ re seeing increased demand for Hampton Water in new markets, and we’ re excited to meet it.”

Harvey & Harriet will launch a new summer campaign.“ This brand loves any moment or opportunity to encourage connection and sharing a glass of wine with a loved one or cooking a meal together, so we are having some fun exploring opportunities with coupons that cross with items like barbeque or picnic supplies,” Sprague says.

“ We also look forward to building our network with influencers to help expand our brand awareness and introduce Harvey & Harriet to more wine drinkers, including those new to wine,” she adds.“ This is a brand that can broaden wine’ s appeal to the next generations.”

Valdo expanded its distribution footprint in 2024 and introduced Valdo Aquarius Blanc de Blancs, Clayton says.“ With its crisp, refreshing taste and eye-catching bottle featuring original artwork by CeCi New York, Aquarius has captivated shoppers and turned first-time buyers into loyal fans.”

To bring more excitement to the category,“ we’ re launching unique and fun holiday campaigns, taking inspiration from our friends in the spirits industry,” he notes.“ Expect value-added packaging, limited-release holiday wear, and festive promotions designed to make gifting— and celebrating— with Valdo even more special.”

In the on-premise space, Valdo will continue to innovate, expanding cocktail offerings and enhancing staff education.“ And because the Mimosa is a timeless brunch staple, we’ re not just honoring the classic— we’ re helping businesses elevate and diversify it with creative new flavor variations,” says Clayton.

Avaline is gaining momentum in the on-premise space, Szura says.“ When we secure placements, we actively drive traffic to those locations through our website’ s wine finder and social media promotions. Additionally, our account activations— including educational tastings and sampling events— have been instrumental in increasing awareness and trial, further fueling demand for Avaline wines.”

The brand has leveraged digital tools such as its website’ s wine finder and social media promotions to connect consumers with retailers and restaurants carrying Avaline.“ These efforts have helped us successfully navigate the evolving landscape and continue expanding our brand’ s reach,” Szura says.

The ability to reintroduce in-store sampling post-pandemic was a game-changer for Avaline, Szura notes.“ We’ ve seen the greatest impact when pairing tastings with retailer-supported display promotions, driving up to a three-times lift in sales scans. These strategic activations have been key to our growth.”

PANDEMIC-INDUCED SHIFTS

The post-pandemic effects have been far-reaching, fundamentally shifting purchasing behaviors across all channels, says Freixenet Mionetto’ s Jones.“ In the on-premise specifically, the number of active licenses has declined since 2019, requiring us to be even more strategic in how we allocate resources and execute our sales and marketing plans. This shift has reinforced the importance of innovation as we continue to meet evolving consumer and customer needs.”

Consumer behavior has permanently shifted, with more emphasis on e-commerce, convenience and at-home experiences, says Misiorski.“ We adapted by strengthening our digital presence, partnering with major retailers for seamless online ordering and increasing our direct-to-consumer efforts.”

Beyond just accessibility,“ we kept our brand experience engaging and authentic, ensuring that whether consumers were buying Hampton Water online or at their favorite store, bar or restaurant, they felt connected to our lifestyle-driven approach,” he says.“ The result? Continued momentum and an even stronger relationship with our consumers.”

One lingering and positive effect of the pandemic has been a huge demand to start living again, Clayton says. Consumers have been regaining social contacts and human connection to enjoy and celebrate life again:“ What a better way to celebrate life than with an amazing Italian prosecco?” •

38 StateWay • Summer 2025 www. stateways. com