Trump wine boycott backfires

An attempt to get consumers to boycott wines made at Donald Trump’s estate has backfired spectacularly, leading them to sell out at stores in Virginia.

Photo c/o Josh Edelson

The National Organization for Women called for people to boycott Wegmans Food Markets until it stopped selling Trump-branded wines at its Virginia store.

“Let’s demonstrate through economic action that the residents and business owners of Charlottesville will not stand for the hatred espoused by Eric Trump and those like him,” the National Organization for Women said.

According to Fox News, the attempted boycott had the opposite effect, with Wegmans Food Markets reporting to have sold out of Trump wines.

“For various reasons, we are sometimes asked to stop selling a product. Our response is always the same, no matter the product: how a product performs is our single measure for what stays on our shelves and what goes,” Jo Natale, Wegmans’ vice president of media relations, told Fox News.

Shortly after the election the hashtag #StopTrumpWine emerged on Twitter. Donald Trump bought the Virginia winery in 2011 for $6.2 million. It is now run by his son Eric and is the most sold wine brand in Virginia by value.

A number of wines are produced at the estate, including a red, white, rosé and a Champagne method Blanc de Blancs. Between 2015 and 2016 sales of Trump wines more than doubled.