There’s a wine downturn going on, and yet The Wine Group, America’s second-largest wine company, is snapping up brands like the market is expanding. Felicity Carter speaks with CEO John Sutton, who explains why he remains bullish on wine even as headlines warn of slowdown. Earlier this year, The Wine Group bought a suite of Constellation Brands labels, including Meiomi, Robert Mondavi Private Selection and Woodbridge, plus vineyards and production facilities — a deal Sutton describes as both a vote of confidence and a deliberate decision to consolidate scale.

He discusses how the company rehabilitates neglected brands, the growth of private label in the US, and why premiumisation still matters despite pressure on value wines. Sutton also outlines how portfolio segmentation works inside a business with more than 60 brands, when to divest rather than persist, and how alternative packaging such as boxed wine and single-serve formats are reshaping consumer behaviour.

The conversation ranges from Gen Z’s cross-category drinking habits to the rise of “better-for-you” low- and no-alcohol wines, and the surprising growth of very high-alcohol styles. Sutton also explains The Wine Group’s longer-term ambitions in spirits and functional beverages, while keeping the focus on wine innovation, channel expansion, and premiumisation.

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Meet your host:

Felicity Carter is an award-winning wine and drinks journalist, editor, speaker trainer and content strategist. She led Meininger’s Wine Business International to become the world’s most must-read wine trade magazine, and was founding Executive Editor of The Drop/Pix, which the Wall Street Journal named one of the most trusted sources of wine information. A regular keynote speaker at international events, she was named a 2024 Industry Leader by WineBusiness Monthly.