Daniel Grigg: Rubbish wine – hospitality’s bad global habit
Wine Mag | 25.02.2026 12:27
Barefoot, owned by E. & J. Gallo Winery, is now the biggest-selling American “wine” brand by volume. It is also no longer cheap. There was a time when consumers accepted that wine priced at £5 or £6 was likely to be of relatively poor quality, to put it politely. Rising UK duty and costs mean selling wine at that price is no longer viable unless someone in the supply chain takes a loss. I recently saw Barefoot at £9.50, with the not-much-better Yellow Tail at £9.75. At that price, consumers rightly expect something at least palatable. Apparently, for many, Barefoot is…
