America: The Red, White and Zinfandel
By George Anderson
The “Two Buck Chuck” craze and the health benefits associated with drinking wine are just two of the factors contributing to a steady increase in the amount of wine purchased
by American consumers.
According to numbers from the Wine Institute, U.S. wine consumption in 2003 was more than twice the amount consumed in 1991. Today, the U.S. is the third largest consumer of
wine in the world just behind France and Italy, according to a New York Times report.
Much of the category’s growth in the U.S. has been driven by sales of red wine. American consumers have been buying red wine for its health benefits and returning to the category
because of taste. Numbers from ACNielsen (a RetailWire sponsor) show red wine more than doubled its share of the category between 1991 and 2002.
Moderator’s Comment: Do you expect to see continued increases of per capita consumption of wine in the U.S.? What will be the impact on retail sales,
merchandising, etc?
You’ve seen it predicted here. Coming soon to a store near you — low-carb organic wine. Is low-carb wine even possible, we wonder? [George
Anderson – Moderator]