Dark Horse sold ‘five bottles every minute’ in February

US wine producer E&J Gallo was selling five bottles of its Dark Horse brand in UK supermarkets every minute by the end of February.

Over the past 12 months the Californian brand has grown by 33% by value in a still wine category that has grown by 1%, according to Nielsen scantrack data.

Part of this growth, Gallo said, was driven by Dark Horse Malbec, a new expression that was added to the range in 2019.

In turn, this was the main driver of growth for the entire US Malbec category in the UK, doubling its off-trade revenues by 100%.

Positive trends have also been recorded by Nielsen with Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon. As the best-selling expression in the brand’s portfolio, it is also the primary driver of growth in the premium Cabernet Sauvignon category in UK retail.