Moët & Chandon hits $2.3bn as Champagne brands outclass still wines

Moët & Chandon's brand value rose 12% year on year to US$2.3bn, keeping it the world's most valuable champagne and wine brand in Brand Finance's 2026 Alcoholic Drinks report. That is roughly the value of three Veuve Clicquots.

Veuve Clicquot delivered the strongest growth in the ranking, up 39% to US$1.4bn, jumping from fourth to second place. Dom Pérignon gained 21% to US$300m and climbed to ninth.

The champagne gains came despite pressure on shipment volumes. Brand Finance said: "This performance comes despite ongoing pressure on champagne shipment volumes, underscoring the resilience of the category's leading brands. While consumers may be purchasing fewer bottles overall, top Champagne houses continue to sustain value through strong heritage, luxury positioning, and a clear association with celebration and prestige."

For operators, the read is straightforward. Fewer bottles are moving, but the brands guests ask for by name are holding pricing power on wine lists and in cellar inventories.

How did still wine brands fare?

Badly, on the whole. Four of the six still wine brands in the ranking lost value:

• Penfolds: down 32% to US$776m
• Changyu: down 22% to US$641m
• Yellow Tail: down 14%
• Beringer: down 16%

Henry Farr, global sector head for alcoholic drinks at Brand Finance, said: "Consumers are drinking less wine, but they are still willing to spend on brands that represent meaningful occasions. The success of Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Pérignon shows that strong brands can outperform their categories when they command premium perceptions and emotional relevance. Meanwhile, declines for brands such as Penfolds and Changyu reflect the broader pressures facing still wine, where changing consumption patterns are making growth harder to achieve."

Which brand is strongest overall?

Barefoot, not a champagne house. The report stated: "Barefoot is the strongest champagne & wine brand in 2026, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 85.1/100 and an AAA brand strength rating."

Its brand value rose 2% to US$3.1bn — larger than Moët's — which the report said underlines "the continued relevance of accessible, familiar and widely available wine propositions even as consumers become more selective".

That split — premium champagne up, value volume stable, mid-market still wine down — maps directly onto list strategy. Celebration-led spend is holding at the top. Entry-level by-the-glass brands are holding their shelf and list presence. The squeezed middle is where operators should expect supplier pressure and promotional discounting through 2026.

Watch next year's edition for whether Veuve Clicquot's 39% run continues and whether any still wine brand stabilises.