Wine, the recipe for overcoming the collapse of consumption in the United States is to focus on cocktails and ready-to-drink wines

For the first time since 2020, wine consumption in the United States is declining, while consumption of wine cocktails is increasing. Wine uses its versatility to emerge from the consumption crisis (-7.3% in the first six months of 2023) and re-emerge as a protagonist in the world’s largest market, thanks to the trend that embraces wine-based cocktails and ready-to-drinks, which is becoming increasingly popular, particularly out of home. In the first half of 2023, according to the Uiv Observatory (Unione Italiana Vini) on a SipSource basis (a tool for monitoring off- and on-premise consumption data, which covers 75% of the American market, for a total of over 330,000 commercial establishments) wine cocktails, in this case classified in the “pre-mixed” typology, are in fact the only positive item linked to wine, with an overall trend growth of over 3%, and with peaks of +7% in out of home, starting from restaurants (+1.2%), while in bars and other venues the increase recorded is double-digit.
“The mixology phenomenon - comments the president of Agivi (Association of Young Wine Entrepreneurs, Italian Wine Union), Marzia Varvaglione - is increasingly obvious in the country that is a forerunner of global trends. Wine can play a central role in this context, which is why we need a “pop” and inclusive approach to a lifestyle category that is particularly appealing to young people, those who will appreciate our product tomorrow for its most intrinsic qualities”.
According to the Uiv Observatory (Unione Italiana Vini), overall consumption of wine at home is falling (-8.2%) in a difficult year, owing to lower purchasing power, with reds falling by 9.6%. The drop in eating out was less pronounced (-0.9%), and consumption of white wines has now surpassed that of reds. The market share of wine-based ready-to-drinks is still small (around 2%), but it is only the tip of the iceberg of on-trade demand for wine cocktails mixed on the premises and based primarily on Champagne, Prosecco, and Asti Spumante. Ready-to-drink cocktails based on wine, beer, and spirits are popular among consumers seeking trendy, fresh, and fruity aromas and flavours. According to the most recent Nielsen IQ data, sales of “Ready to” products in the United States have surpassed $10 billion in the last year and continue to set new records year after year.