The U.S. wine market undergoing profound change. In consumption, but also in distribution channels

Driven by a decline in consumption and a loss of revenue linked in part to tariffs, given that, as the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance recently noted, imported wine accounts for 60–70% of the business in the United States, the American market is undergoing a profound and dynamic process of internal restructuring. This process often involves distribution and import companies of varying sizes divesting business units, exiting certain markets, dissolving partnerships, and forming new ones, thereby paving the way for new directions. As is happening right now, for example, with the Republic National Distributing Company, one of the leading distributors, which has already sold and is continuing to sell off business units in various U.S. states. This decision has led Wilson Daniels, one of the oldest and most prestigious U.S. Distributors - which works with top-tier Italian wineries such as Arnaldo Caprai, Biondi-Santi, Benanti, Bisol1542, Gaja, Cogno, Castello di Volpaia, Dal Forno Romano, and Elena Walch, among others (as well as with major names from France such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Faiveley, Domaine Leflaive, and Champagne Gosset, and from Spain such as Familia Torres, to name a few) - to forge two new partnerships: one with Reyes Beverage Group as its exclusive distributor in 7 states (Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia, with an agreement already in effect as of June 1, 2026), and another with Johnson Brothers in 5 other states (Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and West Virginia, which will take effect on August 1).
“The partnership between Wilson Daniels and Rndc over the past 11 years has yielded remarkable results in terms of growth and the relationships we’ve built across 21 markets”, said Rocco Lombardo, president of Wilson Daniels, “and now, as we look to the future, our position as a growing company remains the same. We are excited about the prospects of these new partnerships. Wilson Daniels’ core business lies in a portfolio of fine wines produced by wineries that have been family-run for several generations. A crucial factor in our decision-making process for these new partnerships is ensuring they align with our ongoing commitment to fine wines. With Reye”, Lombardo commented specifically, “a significant effort was made to retain 90% of Rndc’s staff dedicated to fine wines, because continuity is essential”.
But, beyond the details of the deal, this news is just one of many confirmations of the profound change taking place in a market that is fundamental to wine, and to Italian wine in particular, as the United States is and will remain. This change affects not only consumption but also wine distribution channels, as a new landscape takes shape. For the U.S. market, as explained in recent days to WineNews by Albiera Antinori, head of Marchesi Antinori and the Federvini Wine Group (who has a unique perspective on the U.S. market as an American producer as well, owning Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, one of Napa Valley’s most important wineries, in California, and as an importer through Vinattieri 1385), once many issues, from geopolitical to economic crises, have been resolved, the market will see a positive evolution, even if “it won’t be exactly the same market we were used to seeing”.