It’s a thirsty bunch of wine drinkers in the U.S., with almost 300 million cases of table wine consumed in 2013. The number of people who drink wine increased to 101 million, out of population of 330 million.
In 2014 overall wine consumption increased by 1.6%. In fact, it has been on an upward trend for the last two decades, according to the Wine Market Council.
Choice of Younger Millennials
Boomers account for over 40% of the wine bought in the U.S. but millennials are gaining, up to 24% of the total consumed. Over a quarter of the younger set of this generation, those aged 21 to 26, drink wine daily.
“The story isn’t just more wine drinkers, but that they are drinking wine much more frequently,” according to John Gillespie, president of the Wine Market Council.
Wine marketing experts feel this will drive growth for many years to come. When wine drinking becomes the norm in early adulthood, it tends to become a lifetime pattern. It is an excellent long-range prognosis for the health of wine business opportunities.
Good New for Wine Businesses
Wine drinking is becoming common at nonstandard venues like concerts and ball games. Quick service restaurants and chains are reporting higher requests for wine with meals.
The Wine Market Council has also reported that other demographics are noting an increase too. More Asian Americans, Hispanics, and African Americans are drinking wine on a regular basis. Craft beer and cider sales are increasing too, showing that the population is broadening its interests.
At 55%, more than half of wine drinkers in this country are women. About 15% of wine drinkers surveyed said they consume wine at least once a week, while 29% called themselves occasional drinkers.
French and Italian Wines
The U.S. has outpaced France as the biggest wine market in the world, according to a story in the Huffington Post. The U.S. is one of the biggest importers of French wines. Overall, over 34% of all wine sold in the U.S. is imported.
Millennials have also shown a preference for Italian wines. In fact, Americans are drinking more wine from Italy than the Italians are. This is good news for companies like Lyon Wine Imports, a wine distribution company in the U.S. and Canada.
Americans like a wide range of imported wines. French wines account for 24%, Italian 30%, Australian 14%, Chilean 7%, Argentinian 6% and Spanish 6%. Companies specializing in wine distributorship like Colorado Wine Imports benefit from these expansive tastes in American consumers.
U.S. Wines Still #1
Though the sale of imported wine is booming, wines made in the U.S. still dominate. California wines make up 57% of what people drink. Wines from Washington, Oregon, New York and the other 47 states accounted for 9% of what Americans drink.
The most popular varietals are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, and blends. Most wine sold in this country costs between $9 and $11.99 a bottle, but higher priced wines are growing in sales.
SOURCES: Huffington Post, Wine Market Council