Exclusive: Impact’s “Hot Prospect” Wines Led By California, Italy, New Zealand

Each year Impact’s “Hot Prospects” list recognizes the fast-rising smaller brands poised to make their mark on the industry in the years ahead. This year’s list of Hot Prospect wine brands totals 31 promising labels, including 15 domestic players and 16 imported entries.

To qualify as Hot Prospects, brands must have achieved at least 15% depletions growth for 2023, while also showing consistent growth in the two preceding years. For spirits and imported wines, brand volumes must be between 50,000 and 200,000 cases, while domestic wines and RTDs are between 50,000 and 250,000 cases.

California dominates the domestic wine Hot Prospects, with all but one of the winners hailing from the Golden State. The domestic list includes wines from big-volume companies like Gallo, Constellation, and The Wine Group, but also upstart brands from players like Shannon Ridge, Scheid Family Wines, and Wine Hooligans.

Hot Prospect domestic wines above 100,000 cases include California Traditions, Silver Gate, Franciscan, Century Road, Decoy Limited, Banshee, and Sunny With a Chance of Flowers.

Seven Italian labels and five New Zealand brands led the imported wine Hot Prospect winners, with the list also including offerings from Argentina, Spain, and France. Italian wine remains the largest import segment in the U.S., and the category continues to reload with newer brands rising to the fore.

Imported wine Hot Prospects above 80,000 cases include Domaine Bousquet, Trivento, Avaline, The Crossings, Benvolio, La Gioiosa, Wairau River, and Hampton Water Rosé.

The full Hot Prospects list, along with comprehensive data and analysis, appears in the September 1&15 issue of Impact. Click here to subscribe.

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