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MARCH NEWS Consumption and Sales on the Rise Wine is one of only four Nielsen Co. categories that is growing off the wet blanket of recession that be- gan in 2008. According to Nielsen Co., which tracks S retail growth in 120 categories, wine is one of only four categories currently register- ing sales growth. Yet while the wine business looks rosy, consumers on the whole still are unsure about the economy's direction, and most wine still is selling at a discount. The Wine Market Council present- ed its analysis of U.S. Wine Consumer Trends to a crowd of about 150 people at Santa Rosa's Vintners Inn. John Gillespie, president of the non- profit council that tracks the wine mar- ket for its members, said that total wine consumption has kept its pace of steady growth since 2001, building to 291 mil- anta Rosa, Calif.—More people are drinking wine, more retailers are selling wine, and it seems the wine world is beginning to shrug Consumption of Older vs. Younger Millennials 50 47 Age 26-34 Age 24-25 33 17 18 35 Danny Brager, Nielsen Co. vice presi- dent and group client director for the com- pany's alcohol beverage team, said wine is edging out beer in the beverage market, and the number of retailers selling wine has surged. Consumers want more wine, and so do retailers. Brager emphasized the number 492,552: the total number of locations that now sell wine in the United States. That's 76,000 more than in 2004. Despite the good news, consumers are Every Day Several Times Per Week Once Per Week Percent by group and consumption frequency. Cherokee_Nov05.qxt 9/19/05 10:52 AM Page 1 lion cases in 2011. Table wine consump- tion also grew 4.7%, after a recent low of 0.9% growth in 2008. still cautious about the economy and hold an uncertain view of its future. Brager said they are also more likely to save or pay off debt with extra money rather than splurge on perks. "I think that's still the mindset of a lot of consumers in today's economy," he said. Brager pointed out that while wine is growing, prices have stayed flat, asking much longer wineries can keep prices low. —Andrew Adams hauling precious cargo • 24 hour dispatch • Competitive rates • Personalized Service • Radio/Cell phone equipped • State-of-the-art equipment • Maximum payload capacity • Over 30 years in operation • References available • Fleet of over 200 trucks including Wine Tanks and Dry Freight Vans CHEROKEE FREIGHT LINES 5463 Cherokee Road • Stockton, CA 95215 Telephone: 209.931.3570 • or visit our website:www.gocfl.com 20 Wines & Vines MARCH 2012 WINE MARKET COUNCIL