In 2016 US consumers continue to reach for wine as an enjoyable beverage, even with craft beer grabbing an increased share of the alcohol beverage market. A review of the 2015 wine statistics and buying trends for 2016 are generally positive. Most experts predict another good year for wine, at its usual 1 to 2% growth rate in the US. Despite fluctuating stock markets, a very competitive alcoholic beverage industry, whispers of recession, and fast-moving social media/apps that can influence trends overnight, in general wine seems to be well positioned for 2016. However it could be a pivotal year for American wine, if the industry doesn’t begin to innovate as fast as the competition. Off-Premise– sales of wine in grocery stores, wine shops, and other off-premise establishments continued to perform well, with double digit value and volume growth in 4 price points: $11 – $14.99, $15 – $19.99, $20-$24.99 and over $25 (Brager, 2016). Despite this, 75% of the wine in the US is still sold at $9 and under.

On Premise – sales of wine in restaurants, bar, and other on-premise establishments continued to remained relatively flat in 2015. Dollar sales were up .1%, but volume was down by -4.1%. Varietals selling well on-premise were Prosecco, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon (Guest Metrics, 2016). Direct to Consumer Shipping (DTC/Ecommerce) – online wine sales and shipping direct to consumer was a bright spot in 2015. According to ShipCompliant (2016), revenues hit $2 billion, an increase of 8.1% from 2014 with 4.2 million cases shipped. Thought still only 1 to 1.5% of total wine sales volume in the US, DTC is doing well and expected to increase over the next few years. Average bottle price was again $38, and wineries can now ship directly to 43 states (Fredrikson, 2016). US Wine Exports – though not a large wine exporter because the US tends to consume most of its own wine, in 2015 the US exported 51.2 million cases worth $1.61 billion in revenues (Wine Institute, 2016).

This was up 7.6% in revenues and 4.1% in volume from 2014. Premiumization Continues– the desire to try a more premium product and pay more for it, or “premiumization” is expected to continue in 2016 for wine and other alcoholic beverages. This is reflected in consumers paying more for wine and the double digit increases in the $11 – 25 price range. This should continue unless something happens in the economy to spook consumers. Hot Wine Styles: Sparkling & Sangria – though still table wine continues to grow in value and volume, sparkling wine, especially Prosecco, is extremely popular in America and grew at 11.7% in value, while Sangria grew at 9.8%, according to Nielson (Brager, 2016). 5 Most Popular Wine Varietals – surprisingly the slightly tart and refreshing style of Sauvignon Blanc won the prize for most increased value(13.3%) and volume change (10.7%). This was followed by the continuing hot trend of Red Blends, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and then Pinot Grigio (Fredrikson, 2016).

However, the highest volume varietal sold in the US continues to be Chardonnay.good red wine brands sweet Most Popular Imports – Americans continue to be in love with wines from Italy and New Zealand. best wine for winter in indiaHowever both France and Portugal made great showings in 2015 with 10.8% and 8% increases in value for wines from both countries (Brager, 2016).best wine french or italian Fastest Growing Wine Containers – though the 750 ml glass bottle still dominates the US market at over 50% of the volume of wine sold, the 3 Liter Box and Tetra pack continued to grow in popularity (Fredrikson, 2016)where to buy wine paris

A Record-Breaking Year for Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipments: Top Trends from 2016best wine baskets reviews For the past six years, Sovos ShipCompliant has teamed with Wines & Vines to shed light on the high growth direct-to-consumer shipping channel for wineries. places to buy wine accessoriesContinued consumer adoption of online selling, coupled with more states allowing wine shipments, has resulted in double digit year-over-year sales and volume increases – a development that impacts wineries of all size.dry red wine popular The DtC channel’s value has increased 75% percent since 2011, with a 70 percent increase in the volume of shipments. best wine to taste

To capture the purchasing trends by state, taste preferences, price points and more, we produced the seventh annual Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Report. buy chinese wine in ukThe proprietary data included is based on millions of anonymous direct shipping transactions from thousands of wineries across the country in the Sovos ShipCompliant system. Top Trends in 2016 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Sales Last year, South Dakota and Pennsylvania joined the DtC channel, with Pennsylvania becoming the 45th state to open its borders wine shipping. The industry also saw its largest annual growth rate surge to date, achieving a 17.1 percent increase in volume – that’s over 5 million cases of wine! – and $2.33 billion in the value of sales. Here’s a sneak peek at the top shipment trends from wineries to consumers in the United States during 2016: Direct shipments from large wineries increased 183 percent: While the majority of wine produced in the United States comes from large wineries, the small and mid-sized wineries have traditionally favored the direct shipment channel.

Many wineries moved into the large winery segment to be successful in the DtC channel, illustrating the opportunity for continued growth in this segment. Average price-per-bottle increases did not hinder order volumes: The average price per bottle increased by 1.2 percent to $38.69 in 2016, while order volumes saw a healthy 17 percent boost. Interestingly, the only winery size segment able to mirror that growth in both price per bottle and order volume was the small winery segment. The medium segment contributed generously to price growth but was unable to show year-over-year volume growth. Cabernet Sauvignon reigns supreme: Wineries shipped more Cabernet Sauvignon than any other variety once again in 2016. However, the growth in Cabernet shipments slowed. We saw a 28 percent increase in volume of red blends, which historically competes for second place with Pinot Noir. Pennsylvania poses a real threat to the top 10 destination states: The majority of direct wine shipments (31 percent) go to California, and that is not likely to change in the near – or even distant – future.