You own a wine brand - whether you like it or not

A brand is how we relate to everything we buy - wine included. Whether it’s actively managed is another question. But with every bottle purchased, those cues shape what we choose, why, when, and how. 

The word brand comes from the Old Norse brandr — “to burn” — the mark seared onto cattle to show ownership. From the start, it meant more than a symbol: it was a promise of quality, reliability, and consistency. 

We can define as wine brands as: 

"The total set of associations, memories, and meanings consumers hold about your wine — from the label and reputation to the taste and the story they tell themselves when they drink it."

These associations live in their minds. They reduce risk, simplify choice, shape identity, and create belonging. And they’re often worth far more than our physical vineyard assets. The vineyard makes the product; the brand makes the margin. 

Get that meaning right and you build pricing power, loyalty, and resilience. Neglect it, and you end up in the bulk bin, muttering about “quality” while discounting to shift stock. 

The only real differentiator is the set of associations held in consumers’ minds. Everything they think and feel when they see your name or label — that’s what drives choice. 

Which leads to four realities for wine businesses: 

1. The value of a wine business lies in its brand equity — the intangible value beyond its physical assets. That’s as true in premium and luxury as it is in entry-level. Are the physical assets and stock of Dior worth US $10.4 billion? (Source: Interbrand, Best Global Brands 2024.) If not, where’s that value coming from? Exactly. 

2. Every wine sold is a brand. No exceptions. Ever. A wine’s name, label, visual codes, price, and taste all build a perception in consumers’ minds. Whether you like it or not — agree with them or not — that perception is your brand.  

3. Brand awareness — not story — is the strongest driver of wine-brand growth. It’s simple maths: if 100 people know your brand and 10% purchase, you have 10 buyers. If 200 people know your brand and you change nothing else — same product, same equity — you’ve just doubled your sales. According to Ehrenberg-Bass, awareness alone explains around 80% of market-share variance between brands. People buy what they Know and notice first.  

4. The key differentiator between selling your wine at $20 vs $30 is brand. Yes, of course product (taste and quality) matter — but price tolerance and perceived value are built on how consumers interpret those cues. To them, it’s not “Pinot Noir”; it’s your Pinot Noir — or it isn’t.