Prosecco Boosts Growth For Sparkling Wine, Led By La Marca, Mionetto
November 9, 2023After 13 consecutive annual gains, total sparkling wine consumption fell in the U.S. last year for the first time since the global financial crisis of 2008, according to Impact Databank. But sparkling brands look to rebound this year, as Prosecco from Italy remains buoyant.
Year-to-date ending October 8 in Circana channels, Prosecco is up 7.6% by volume and 10.7% in dollar terms. That growth has been led mainly by La Marca, the Gallo-owned juggernaut that surged past 3 million cases last year, and Mionetto, which neared the 1-million-case mark and is expected to surpass it this year. Together, La Marca and Mionetto account for 30% of all imported sparkling wine in the U.S. by volume. Last month, Gallo added another arrow to its quiver in sparkling wine with Viarae ($19), a vintage Prosecco from the La Marca cooperative that’s marketed in partnership with actress and producer Issa Rae.
Mionetto, part of the Freixenet Mionetto USA portfolio, has averaged 10% annual growth over the past decade, according to Impact Databank. This year it’s up nearly 20% in off-premise channels, after receiving a packaging update earlier this year. Aside from the two largest-selling imported sparkling wines, other $15 and over sparklers doing well so far in 2023 include Josh Prosecco and the domestic Gruet brand from New Mexico.
“Prosecco offers affordable luxury, with high quality at an accessible price point,” notes Julie Rossman, vice president, brand management for Ruffino Prosecco at Constellation Brands. “It’s the number-two sparkling variety on menus and is expected to continue growing while sparkling wine and Champagne remain stagnant.” Ruffino is now rebranding its sparkling and Pinot Grigio portfolio as Ruffino Lumina, introducing new packaging this month in markets like Florida, Texas, and California ahead of a national rollout next spring. In addition to Ruffino, Constellation extended its Kim Crawford brand with a Prosecco offering earlier this year.
While Prosecco continues to rise, total sparkling wine imports are expected to decline by volume this year, although brands priced at least $10 a bottle are projected to propel the segment to an overall gain in dollar terms. The top Champagne brands in the U.S., Veuve Clicquot and Moët & Chandon, have both slipped in off-premise channels so far this year. But with a large portion of Champagne volume sold during the holiday season, marketers are focused on driving value with a focus on higher-end offerings.
“We’ve experienced an increase in consumer recruitment for our breakthrough products such as Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, the portfolio’s prestige cuvée, and Moët & Chandon’s Ice Impérial,” Anne-Sophie Stock, vice president of Veuve Clicquot and Moët & Chandon at Moët Hennessy, told SND.—Daniel Marsteller
| U.S.—Leading Sparkling Wine Brands Above $15 a 750-ml.1 | ||||
| Brand | Company | Origin | Total 2022 Case Volume2 |
2023 YTD Percent Change Off-Premise3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Marca | E.&J. Gallo Winery | Italy | 3.0 | 8.4% |
| Mionetto | Freixenet Mionetto USA | Italy | 1.0 | 19.6% |
| Luc Belaire | Sovereign Brands | France | 0.8 | -6.7% |
| Veuve Clicquot | Moët Hennessy USA | France | 0.7 | -8.0% |
| Chandon | Moët Hennessy USA | California | 0.5 | -9.2% |
| Ruffino | Constellation Brands | Italy | 0.5 | -6.4% |
| Moët & Chandon | Moët Hennessy USA | France | 0.5 | -4.5% |
| 1 Average price per 750-ml. 2 Millions of 9-liter cases. 3 Year-to-date through October 8, 2023 in Circana/IRI channels. Sources: Circana/IRI & IMPACT DATABANK © 2023 |
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Tagged : Freixenet Mionetto, La Marca, Mionetto, Moet & Chandon, Ruffino, Veuve Clicquot
