Trump wines

Bottles from Trump Winery are pictured in Charlottesville, Virginia.

(facebook.com/TrumpWinery)

Did a threat to boycott Wegmans over products with President Donald Trump's name backfire?

The Rochester-based grocery store chain came under fire this week for carrying Trump wines at its 10 Virginia locations. The bottles come from the Trump Winery in Charlottesville, Va., bought by Trump in 2011 and given to his son, Eric Trump.

The National Organization for Women and other critics encouraged shoppers to take their business elsewhere, despite Wegmans' cult following and positive reputation. "Let's demonstrate through economic action that the residents and businesses of Charlottesville will not stand for the hatred espoused by Eric Trump and those like him," the protest group Stop Trump Wine said.

However, the attention may have encouraged Trump supporters to buy more of the wines.

"As of late yesterday, we had sold out many varieties in our (Virginia) stores, and in some cases, all varieties," Jo Natale, vice president of media relations for Wegmans, told the Democrat & Chronicle Friday. "For example, our two Richmond stores had completely sold out. Other stores had inventory of some varieties."

A liquor store owner in Henrietta, N.Y., told the newspaper that he was also seeing increased demand: "Some people, sight-unseen, would just buy bottles of it."

Wegmans Midlothian SOLD OUT of Trump wines pic.twitter.com/LhPC7tEW8X — TriciaChismerGustin (@ChismerTricia) February 15, 2017

Not all Wegmans stores are legally able to sell wine, but they can special order products for customers. The grocer's Virginia locations sell 237 different wines from 58 wineries in the state; the Trump Winery's bottles have appeared in those Wegmans since 2008, three years before Trump bought and renamed the Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard.

Natale said earlier this week that Wegmans would continue to stock products based on how well they sell, not politics.

"Our role as a retailer is to offer choice to our customers," she said.

"Individual shoppers who feel strongly about an issue can demonstrate their convictions by refusing to buy a product," Natale continued. "When enough people do the same, and sales of a product drop precipitously, we stop selling that product in favor of one that's in greater demand."

Nordstrom said it removed Ivanka Trump's line based on poor sales, but still drew attacks from President Trump and his aides. Other businesses have faced similar controversies if they support Trump -- like Under Armour and Uber -- or if they show any signs of opposition, like Nordstorm, Burlington Coat Factory, and Sears.