Imported Wine Remains Resilient Amid Tough Conditions
August 18, 2021After a solid 3.7% depletions increase last year, imported table wine momentum has carried over into 2021 as year-to-date shipments advanced 10% to $1.9 billion (excluding bulk) for the six months ending in June, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Aggregate import values had fallen significantly last year, and the decline was exacerbated by the fact that many importers elected to build up inventories late in 2019 as further tariff hikes were threatened on the category.
Among the strongest performers year-to-date in 2021 are imports from France—up 13% in volume terms (excluding bulk), buoyed by rosé—as well as wines from Portugal (+18%) and South Africa (+13%). Chile’s Concha y Toro, which according to Impact Databank was the lone brand among the top 10 imports to lose volume last year with a 0.5% decrease, has shown promise in the first half of 2021—with growth led by premium wines like Casillero del Diablo, Marques de Casa Concha, and Don Melchor.
While imports from Australia continue to lose volume overall, they’ve made consistent headway on the pricing front, with the average value of U.S. shipments rising 1% in fiscal 2021 (ending in June) to US$2.31 per liter, the highest for a financial year since 2008-09, according to Wine Australia. Premiumization also continues on the retail end, as 19 Crimes ($12.60 a 750-ml.) from Treasury Wine Estates rose 28% by volume and 37% in dollar terms in the year-to-date period ending June 13 in IRI channels.
Italy’s Stella Rosa ($12.90 a 750-ml.), the U.S. market’s largest-selling import by value—according to Impact Databank—has also posted some modest gains at retail year-to-date, which is impressive considering the tough comparisons against last year’s off-premise surge at the height of the pandemic.
For comprehensive data on the imported wine sector in the U.S., order the 2021 edition of Shanken’s Impact Databank Review & Forecast at impactdatabank.com.—Juan Banaag
| Top Six Imported Table Wine Brands In The U.S. (millions of 9-liter case depletions) |
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| Rank | Brand | Importer | Origin | 2019 | 2020 | Percent Change1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yellow Tail | Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits | Australia | 6.60 | 7.04 | 6.7% |
| 2 | Stella Rosa | Riboli Family Wines | Italy | 2.48 | 5.25 | 111.6% |
| 3 | Cavit | Palm Bay International | Italy | 3.55 | 3.98 | 12.0% |
| 4 | 19 Crimes | Treasury Wine Estates | Australia | 1.63 | 2.18 | 33.8% |
| 5 | Concha y Toro | The Fetzer Vineyards Co | Chile | 2.12 | 2.11 | -0.5% |
| 6 | Kim Crawford | Constellation Brands | New Zealand | 1.37 | 1.62 | 18.3% |
| Total Top Six2 | 17.74 | 22.17 | 25.0% | |||
| 1 Based on unrounded data. 2 Addition of columns may not agree due to rounding.Source: IMPACT DATABANK © 2021 |
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Tagged : 19 Crimes, imported wine, Stella Rosa
