(TDB) - Americans will continue to move up from entry-level wines to the lower rungs of premium brands, but the total volume growth in wine sales in the US is beginning to flatten out after 20 years of steady growth, according to a report by the Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division.

Authored by SVB’s executive vice president Rob McMillan, the report predicts a 4-8% growth for the premium wine segment, while the total industry is expected to grow only 2-4% in dollar sales and only 1% in total volume. The share that imports have of the lower end of the premium range is expected to continue its acceleration.

One eye-catching trend is the slowing of consumer interest in red wine blends. “From the consumer perspective, red blends are really the jug wine craze of the 1960s on steroids,” the report said, made possible because wine selection is difficult and brand loyalty is easy, “until the customer seeks more-distinctive wine. At that point, the red blend will fade just like Lancers, Mateus and Blue Nun did for the boomer and mature generations before them.”