Woolworths, Coles private label plonk angers wine industry

In a nondescript building in Sydney’s trendy Surry Hills a team of market researchers and brand developers are designing dozens of bottles of wine. They’ve used focus groups to work out exactly why you like the wines you do – even if you don’t have a clue. Sales data from hundreds of stores tells them which flavours are catching attention and which labels are most likely to lead to a sale. It might be the wine you like has a little extra residual sugar, maybe a bit more tannin, or a little less oak.