32 WINES&VINES December 2016
THE BEST OF 2O16
OFF-PREMISE SALES
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flavor at its peak.
Protecting quality and taste for 50 years
Rely on Parker domnick hunter for consistent and reputable
filtration performance to optimize your wine making products.
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ENGINEERING YOUR SUCCESS.
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January 24-26, 2017
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Parker dhP Dec 2016 Qtr Pg BW_UWGS Preview.indd 1 10/13/2016 1:38:36 PM
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Best Growth by Varietal
Off-Premise
RED BLENDS
Red blends remained very hot in 2016, with
17% sales growth in the off-premise
channels analyzed by IRI, the Chicago,
Ill.-based market-research firm. That
pace placed the sometimes dry, some-
times lightly sweet blends of varietals
such as Syrah, Merlot and Zinfandel first
among the largest selling varietals and
types in terms of growth rate. The most
dollars gained were in the $8-$10.99 per
bottle retail price segment. The price and
package size that saw the absolute fast-
est growth within the red blends cate-
gory was premium box wines priced
$4.50 and up per 750ml. The second
fastest-growing major varietal was Sauvi-
gnon Blanc, according to IRI.
Fastest Growing Import Source
FRANCE
Long out of the spotlight in most large supermarkets and chain beverage stores in the
United States, France fostered a minor revolution in wine sales in 2016. The nation
attained the fastest growth rate of any major wine-producing state or region in U.S. off-
premise locations, according to IRI. Sales shot up by 23% and volume by 22%, and the
average bottle price of $11.44 easily beat the California average bottle price of $6.11.
French import sales grew by 12% a year ago, then almost doubled that momentum in
2016, pushing France past Chile to claim the No. 7 spot as a region of origin in terms of
sales in IRI channels. Meanwhile, sales of Chilean wines slipped for the second year.
