Cloudy Bay Reviewed: Iconic Wine or Brand on Autopilot?

Is Cloudy Bay still leading the category - or living off its reputation?

In Episode 2 of Beyond the Label, a mini-series from FineWineToMe - The Wine Business Podcast, I’m joined by Kathleen Smith DipWSET, founder of The Happy Vine, to take an honest, brand-first look at one of the most recognisable wine brands in the world.

Cloudy Bay didn’t just make a successful Sauvignon Blanc - it defined the global style of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. But 40 years on, the big question is: does the brand still feel relevant, exciting, and human?

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Cloudy Bay became a global benchmark

• Consistency at scale: strength or weakness?

• When a brand becomes too safe

• The impact of global ownership (LVMH) on brand identity

• Why “everywhere” can be a problem for premium wine brands

• Packaging, messaging, and the loss of the human story

• Price vs quality perception across markets

• Whether Cloudy Bay should refresh its style and positioning

This is not a takedown. It’s a respectful, critical discussion about what happens when an iconic wine brand stops evolving.

🍷 Beyond the Label looks past hype and nostalgia - and asks whether great brands can stay great without change.

🎙️ Host: 𝐂𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐚 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐡, Wine Business Consultant, Brand Manager
🎙️ Co-host: 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐢𝐩𝗪𝐒𝐄𝐓, Brand Strategist, Wind Judge, Writer

🎧 Audio available on Podbean & Spotify
📺 Video available on YouTube

👉 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬.

𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧:
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦: https://www.instagram.com/thehappyvineks/
𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-happy-vine/
𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 - https://www.facebook.com/thehappyvine
𝗪𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 - https://thehappyvine.net

𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐚:
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦: https://www.instagram.com/finewinetome/
𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 - https://www.linkedin.com/company/finewinetome/
𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 - https://www.facebook.com/finewinetome/
𝐓𝐢𝐤𝐓𝐨𝐤 - https://www.tiktok.com/@finewinetome
𝗪𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 - https://www.finewinetome.com

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