A projected 3 percent increase in red wine consumption in 2008, to 121 million cases, an all-time high according to the recently-released The U.S. Wine Market: Impact Databank Review and Forecast, 2008 edition.
White wine consumption is also expected to grow this year, but by a slightly slower 2 percent rate to 118 million cases, while rosé and blush wine consumption is projected to decline 3 percent.
Red wine had not outsold white since 1976, till 2006. A boom in cocktails based on white wines and the emergence of wine coolers had made the whites dominate. Wine cooler popularity slowed down in mid eighties and the blush wine phenomenon began, driven by white Zinfandel.
Sales of red and white wines also began to grow simultaneously, reports Wine Spectator. Increases in the number of working women and the number of legal-age drinkers were responsible for much of that growth.
Most of the growth in 2008 is projected to come from sales of varietals, both domestic and imported. Pinot Noir leads the pack with an expected growth of 12% to 9 million cases. Cabernet Sauvignon is also projected to perform well.
The recent success of red wines can be attributed to the American consumer's increasingly sophisticated palate, expanding knowledge of wine and willingness to experiment with a wider variety of wine styles.
Drinking red wine has also been linked favourably in numerous medical studies to various health benefits, such as a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.
Chardonnay continues to lead the pack in the domestic white wine growth while imported Pinot Grigio surpasses it. Chardonnay consumption is projected to grow 2 percent in 2008 to 63 million cases, whereas Pinot Grigio is expected to grow by 7 % to 18 million cases.
Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling imports will continue to surge at double-digit rates in the near term according to this report. The lone bright spot for blush wines this year is white Merlot, which is expected to advance by a modest 3 percent, while the much larger white Zinfandel category is projected to decline by 2 percent.
Some imported rosés are growing very fast but the base of such wines is very small.
http://www.winespectator.com |