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METRICS Domestic Wine Grows 8% in August Off-premise Cabernet sales rise especially fast in high price segments S -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% an Rafael, Calif.—Off-premise sales of domestic table wine grew in August by 8% over the same month in 2011, while 52-week sales rose 7%. The continued success of one of the biggest sell- ing varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, buoyed the numbers significantly—especially in the three highest priced segments, according to the Symphony IRI Group (SIG). Growth Rates by Price Segment Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet took the second-biggest market share of all varietals with 14%, lagging only behind Chardonnay (23%), in the 52 weeks ending Aug. 5. Sales of Cabernet 750ml bottles from all regions increased by 9% during that period and earned the highest bottle price hike of 32 cents at the same time. The full-bodied red varietal wine's growth did not come from the lower price points, where it actually shrank slightly, but from wines priced at $8 and above. Rates of sales increases rose, too: The higher the price on a bottle of Cabernet, the faster its sales grew. 30% growth at high end Cabernet sales swelled by 6% in 52 weeks for $8-$10.99 bottles, but they ballooned by 30% for $20-plus wines, a category in which Cabernet is the dominant varietal. Packaged in 750ml bottles, it averaged $114 per case and $9.48 per bottle at major U.S. food and drug stores where sales are ana- lyzed by SIG. Zinfandel scored the highest average 750ml bottle price, with a 52-week aver- age of $10.20 per bottle. Market Share by Price Segment Cabernet Sauvignon Stores sold a relatively small amount of Zinfandel in 52 weeks—$139 million, compared to Fumé/Sauvignon Blanc at $284 million and Cabernet at nearly $1 billion— but producers of California's heritage varietal may be feeling pretty good about their pric- ing, which grew by 18 cents per bottle. Domestic table wines in general rose in price by 26 cents per bottle, or $3.15 per case, according to SIG, the Chicago-based market research firm. Riesling, Syrah/Shiraz and white Zinfan- del were the biggest percentage losers by varietal. Syrah/Shiraz wines dropped 13% in 52 weeks. Not coincidentally, sales of wines from Australia, the home of Shiraz and the biggest import country in the SIG data, decreased 5% over 52 weeks. $20-Plus $15-$19.99 $11-$14.99 $8-$10.99 $5-$7.99 $3.50-$4.99 <$3.49 Total table wine, relative market share in major U.S. food and drug stores, 52 weeks ending Aug. 5, 2012. Total table wine, sales growth rate in major U.S. food and drug stores, 52 weeks ending Aug. 5, 2012. —Jim Gordon Market Share by Price Segment Cabernet Sauvignon $20-Plus $15-$19.99 $11-$14.99 $8-$10.99 $5-$7.99 $3.50-$4.99 <$3.49 Total table wine, relative market share in major U.S. food and drug stores, 52 weeks ending Aug. 5, 2012. 11 WINES & VINES OCTOBER 2012 WINES & VINES OCTOBER 2012 11 $3.50-$4.99 <$3.49 $5-$7.99 $8-$10.99 $11-$14.99 $15-$19.99 $20-Plus