Bronco Aims For Bigger Presence In Wine’s $10-$30 Tier

California-based Bronco Wine Co. is known for value-focused wine, producing 100,000-plus case brands like Charles Shaw, Crane Lake, Redwood Vineyards, Coastal Vineyards, and Salmon Creek among many others. In recent years, the company has been among the top 15 U.S. wine suppliers with total volume around 3 million cases. Last fall, Bronco appointed industry veteran Dom Engels as CEO. Engels tells SND that Bronco is maintaining its focus on value and will be refreshing some of its larger brands this summer, while also placing a greater emphasis on wines priced up to $30 a bottle.

“I think we’re over-concentrated in value where we sit today,” says Engels. “You’ll see from Bronco over time more price points between $10 and $30 suggested retail.”

Engels highlights Paso Robles’ Brady Vineyards as a current focus brand, telling SND that the $25 SRP label has seen strong growth and increasing interest in the market. Brady Vineyards overperforms in the northeastern U.S. “Brady is just on fire for us,” he says. “We’re talking deep double-digit, year-over-year increases and we’re really seeing a lot of traction in the marketplace.”

Another opportunity for the company is Portlandia ($15-$30, depending on varietal), formally added to the portfolio when Bronco acquired Wine Hooligans at auction in February. According to Engels, the top brands that Bronco gained from that acquisition are Portlandia, Broadside, and Shortbread. “There’s already great momentum there so we are not disrupting any of the distributor network, which is slightly different than our distributor network,” he says. “When you have a change of control, there’s always that potential for a stutter step. We’re intent on not having that.” Bronco is partnered with RNDC across 20 states.

Last year, Portlandia was up 10% to 77,500 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank. The brand is continuing to make gains, according to Bronco, which says it’s particularly strong in the off-premise, and in the Pacific Northwest region in general.

While working to expand in higher price tiers, Bronco is continuing to nurture its value offerings. This summer, says Engels, brands like Coastal Vines, Salmon Creek, and Picket Fence will receive refreshes. “It starts with a fresh take on the label that builds on the equities that came before,” he says. “That’s point one, and point two is that under the leadership of our CMO, Jenna Duran, we’re going back and creating the story and 360-degree messaging around these labels.”

Across its portfolio, Bronco sees its strongest sales in California, Florida, and the Northeast, with Crane Lake and Carmenet doing especially well in California, and Coastal Vines overindexing in Florida. In the on-premise, Bronco’s sweet spot is by-the-glass pours between $8 and $14, with Chardonnays from Coastal Vines, Carmenet, and Salmon Creek, and Cabernets from Broadside and Brady as standouts.

Looking ahead, Engels sees opportunity for Wag, a new wine label that raises money for the Petfinder Foundation. Currently, the brand’s Cabernet Sauvignon is available in Target stores in Texas, and it will soon launch in HEB, ahead of a wider distribution plan. “We’re seeing some great momentum around this brand and what it stands for,” he says.—Shane English

Tagged : Brady, Broadside, Bronco, Coastal Vines, Portlandia, Salmon Creek, Wag

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