September saw 3% growth in the value of U.S. wine sales, as consumers traded up in value while paring back on volume. The trend appeared across multiple channels, underscoring the strength of the economy. Direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipments posted the strongest growth in September, driven by the arrival of the cooler weather that invites shipping. Wines Vines Analytics/ShipCompliant by Sovos reported that shipment value rose 14% from a year earlier to $252 million, while volumes increased just 9% in the period to 537,446 cases. The faster growth in value versus volume pointed to the movement of more consumers to more expensive wines; indeed, the average bottle price increased 5% from a year ago to $39.12. Bearing out the trend were inroads by the regions producing some of the country’s most expensive wines, Napa County and Oregon. The most expensive DtC shipments flow from Napa, where the average bottle shipped is worth $65; in Oregon, the average bottle shipped is $39, on par with the national average. The latest 12 months saw Oregon post the strongest DtC growth of any region at 28%, to $178 million. Napa, while logging the smallest growth at 7%, did so off a commanding lead over every other region, with total shipments worth $1.3 billion.

Read more at: https://www.winesandvines.com/news/article/204651/US-Wine-Sales-Led-by-Value-Increases
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