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wine drinkers finding more to like every year...Imported
brands speed wine sales growth
NORWALK, Conn., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/
-- U.S. wine consumption took a great leap
forward in 2006, rising an impressive 3.4
percent and continuing the sector's climb for
the 13th consecutive year, according to the 2007
edition of the Adams Wine Handbook, published by
Adams Beverage Group, a division of business
publisher M2MEDIA360.
"Wine sales have sustained
this long-term growth thanks to the industry's
success in appealing to a wide range of
consumers," said Charles Forman, vice president
and group publisher, Adams Beverage Group. Sales
were so strong that if the wine industry's
expansion continues at this pace, the United
States will become the largest wine market in
the world by the end of the decade.
Overall, wine consumption
rose to 283.1 million 9-liter cases in 2006,
domestic wine sales rose 2.6% to 209.4 million
cases, and imported wines rose 5.7% to 73.6
million cases.
Wine now appeals to a broad
spectrum of the population, including the much
sought-after Millennials (consumers 21-30). In a
recent Gallup poll, for the first time, a
majority of respondents claimed wine as their
alcohol beverage of choice. Together,
Millennials and Baby Boomers account for more
than half of today's wine consumers.
Brands marketed to
Millennials-like Pinot Evil, Killer Juice and
Dog House-are consistently more approachable to
novice drinkers.
The continued
popularity of Yellow Tail and its place as
the top imported wine in the United States
has set the stage for other new "critter"
brands. Yellow Tail has even prompted French
wine producers to create new
consumer-friendly labels for Burgundy wines.
Another dynamic in the wine
market is the ongoing evolution in packaging.
Screw caps are becoming more of the standard of
new brands in the United States, and premium
boxed wine, easy to store and transport, has
grown recently. The continued association
between moderate consumption of wine and
decreased risk of disease was further
highlighted in 2006 with the release of a study
that found resveratrol, a substance contained in
red wine, extended life span in mice.
The growth among imports
shows little sign of slowing, with wine imported
from Italy, Australia and France up 6.7%, 6.8%
and 21.9%, respectively, in 2006. Italy still
holds court in the imported wine segment, with a
29.3% share in 2006. Italy boasts the leading
on-premise brand, Cavit, which grew 13.2% to
reach the three million case mark in 2006.
French wines continued
their resurgence in 2006, marking the second
consecutive year of gains. The recent upswing
occurred despite leading French brand, Georges
Duboeuf, declining 7.4% to 750,000 cases.
The largest brands in the
foreign segment are Yellow Tail at 8.1 million
cases (+7.3%); Cavit at 3 million cases
(+13.2%); and Concha y Toro at 2.7 million cases
(-2.6%). The largest brand in the domestic
segment and the overall industry is Franzia
Winetaps, a brand whose volume declined 3.2% to
end the year at 22.8 million cases. Number two
domestic, Carlo Rossi, jumped 2.6% to 12.7
million cases. Twin Valley, a brand that lost
5.9% in 2006 to 8.9 million cases, rounds out
the top three domestics.
Champagne and sparkling
wines continued to grow in 2006, gaining 3.8% to
end the year at 13.4 million cases, marking the
fifth consecutive year of gains for the
category, with imports increasing at a faster
rate than domestics, mirroring the trend in the
table wine market.
Dessert and fortified wines
continued to decline last year, although the
sake and imported port and sherry segments each
continued on an upward climb. Vermouth declined
in 2006, falling 1.6% to end the year at 1.8
million cases. The category continues to remain
virtually stagnant over the past 10 years.
Volume in the category has been sustained in
recent years due to the popularity of the
martini.