2020 Category Captain for Wine & Liquor: E&J Gallo Winery

The way Americans drink is changing and E&J Gallo Winery uses consumer and shopper insights to look beyond wine and explore the entire alcohol beverage category. E&J Gallo studies how values and beliefs manifest into what consumers buy, choose and consume. Innovation in the area of alternative packaging and occasions continues to be key. 

Wines in cans, Tetra packs and single-serve formats are helping to expand wine occasions to include instances where wine may not have been top-of-mind before. These new package options also are popular with consumers when it comes to convenience, portion control, sustainability, and occasions where alcohol is consumed at stadiums, golf courses, pools and parks. 

As part of its category leadership, E&J Gallo performed a Small Format Wine Assortment Expansion test last year, and the results were outstanding. In 2019, overall chain wine sales grew by 11.17 percent. Small sizes (under 500 milliliters) vs. all other sizes grew from 14 percent share to 22 percent share. Overall dollars in small format grew 26 percent, particularly driven by the company’s Barefoot Wine to Go product.