From time to time in our articles, we highlight the traumatic impact of declining wine consumption and production. In some producers, we observe reactive strategies in response to these shifts: expanding entry-level lines to compete on price, or moving in the opposite direction toward premium.

In this article, we turn our focus to mid-segment wines, which, much like the shrinking middle-income class, are under mounting pressure. Both in Turkey and globally, we see signs of erosion in this category. This piece first defines the segments, then analyzes changes in the mid-segment, draws attention to their consequences, and finally questions what possible solutions there may be.

The Anatomy of Segments

In the wine world, three main categories are generally recognized: entry-level, mid-segment, and premium. These describe not only a price scale but also production approaches, target audiences, and the strategic direction of brands.

Entry-level wines are produced on an industrial scale. The goal is to attract consumers through price advantage and make wine widely accessible. Production prioritizes efficiency, rapid turnover, and broad distribution networks. Aromatic intensity, terroir expression, or aging potential usually remain secondary.

Premium wines, on the other hand, are built on limited production, uniqueness, and a perception of high quality. Low yields, carefully selected vineyard parcels, aging potential, and exclusivity define this category. Premium wines provide brands with prestige, underlining wine as not just a beverage but a cultural and luxury object.

Mid-segment wines bridge the two extremes. They involve more attentive vinification, controlled yields, and sometimes highlight terroir. While not as exclusive as premium, they offer consumers “affordable quality.” This is why the mid-segment is critical for both market balance and cultural sustainability.

Why the Mid-Segment Matters: A Parallel with the Middle Class

The erosion of the mid-segment can be likened to the shrinking of the middle-income class. Just as the decline of the middle class destabilizes societies, the decline of mid-segment wines disrupts the balance of the wine world.

Mid-segment wines fulfill two key functions:

• Accessible quality:A lifeline for consumers who cannot afford premium but do not want the banality of entry-level.
• A stepping stone:The natural bridge that takes consumers from entry-level toward premium.

When this rung disappears, consumers are left either with budget wines or the pressure to buy premium. Yet in today’s world of shrinking incomes and growing economic uncertainty, shifting en masse to premium is clearly unrealistic.

Looking at two major players in the Turkish market, we see that they continue to invest in this crucial segment. In Kavaklıdere’s product pyramid, the importance of the mid-segment is immediately evident. The Çankaya–Lâl–Yakut trio, under the “Popular” range, draws strength from its legacy and rests on a broad consumer base. At Pamukkale, the Anfora series has assumed the same role.

Meanwhile, among smaller Turkish producers we observe a tendency to release entry-level products. This requires careful management—otherwise it risks undermining the institutional identity they are in the process of building for the medium term.

Producers’ Miscalculation: Fleeing to the Extremes

In recent years, many producers have sought to overcome declining consumption by turning either to “accessible, low-priced entry-level wines” or to “high-margin premium wines.”

• Turning to entry-levelcan deliver short-term sales volumes. But this segment is already highly competitive, price-driven, and low in profitability. It tends to create little brand loyalty beyond being the “cheap option.”
• Turning to premiumrequires a strong brand story and significant investment. In contracting markets, demand for premium wines remains limited. Premium will always exist, but it addresses only a very small fraction of consumers.

Neglecting the mid-segment, however, makes brands fragile in the long run. Sustainability relies not only on luxury buyers or price-sensitive mass markets, but also on the stable, loyal mid-segment consumer.

The Cultural Role of the Mid-Segment

Wine is not only a drink but also a carrier of culture. And mid-segment wines are central to that role.

Premium wines are symbolic and status-oriented; entry-level wines expand consumption. But it is in the mid-segment that wine meets real life—where it comes to the table, enters daily rituals, and becomes part of culture.

Just as the middle class is the backbone of society, the mid-segment is the backbone of wine culture. Its erosion risks leaving wine perceived only as either a “luxury object” or a “cheap beverage.”

Keeping the Mid-Segment Alive: Possible Solutions

• Identity building: Mid-segment wines must not only be “mid-priced” but also carry the identity of terroir, grape variety, or production style. For small-scale producers, dedicating a family member—or ideally a professional—to this work can accelerate the process.
• Education and communication: Consumers need to understand that the mid-segment is not just a bridge but a category in its own right. This requires collective sector-wide efforts rather than individual attempts. 
• New marketing narratives: Narratives that do not imitate the grandeur of premium or fall into the price-driven simplicity of entry-level, but instead build a distinctive mid-segment voice.
• Native grape varieties: In countries like Turkey, with rich diversity of indigenous grapes, mid-segment wines can serve as the key platform to introduce these varieties. For the Turkish market, this role is especially vital—indeed, central to becoming a true “wine destination.”
• Economic models: Pricing strategies, cooperatives, and regional branding initiatives to support the mid-segment. This area requires collective effort, and so far we lack successful examples to point to.

Restoring the Balance

The wine world stands at a crossroads. If producers focus only on entry-level and premium, the mid-segment will rapidly erode. This will jeopardize wine’s cultural role, its bond with consumers, and its sustainability.

The erosion of the mid-segment reveals that the economic and cultural balance of the wine world itself is deteriorating. Preserving that balance is not only the responsibility of producers, but also of consumers—because wine, in all its layers, creates a complete culture only when it exists in its full spectrum.

The disappearance of the mid-segment is like the disappearance of the middle class: quiet, but eroding the backbone of the whole. Restoring it is vital both for the future of vineyards and for the culture of the table.

At WAYANA, our own roadmap overlaps directly with three of the solutions—Education and Communication, New Marketing Narratives, and Native Grapes.

Identity building and economic models lie beyond our immediate scope, but we hope this article serves as a reminder to our fellow producers that their efforts outside production itself are just as essential.

So let us close with a question—perhaps friends in the sector will want to respond: 

What steps do you think are necessary to strengthen mid-segment wines?