Wine Statistics in US Restaurants

[Mark Sommelier]

Some interesting statistics about wine consumption in the US market.

Beringer is #1 wine in US restaurants

[GordonCooks]

Some interesting statistics about wine consumption in the US market.

Beringer is #1 wine in US restaurants

Sufferin Sbragia!

[tommy]

i wonder what wine would be number 1 if all consumers were given a choice at restaurants?

[Mark Sommelier]

i wonder what wine would be number 1 if all consumers were given a choice at restaurants?

I can guarentee it wouldn't be Clos de la Coulée de Serrante. Prolly some kind of pinot grigio.......

[rich]

Well, that's a step up from what it was in the 60's - Thunderbird (the 1957 vintage I believe.)

[Carolyn Tillie]

Here is the complete run-down of the TOP 25 OF "TOP 100 WINE BRANDS" ON-PREMISE 2003.

The scary part is that Sutter Home is #3 which means there are still people drinking White Zinfandel...

Edited to add: Please note that the TOP WINE BRANDS are ALL large corporations. Not that it is a huge surprise, but simply an awareness note of the power behind these wines.

Edited June 17, 2004 by Carolyn Tillie (log)

[Brad Ballinger]

Much of this really has more to do with production volume and distribution than anything else. But if it means more people are drinking wine (however loosely we might put some of these beverages in that category), it can't be all bad.

[tommy]

Much of this really has more to do with production volume and distribution than anything else. But if it means more people are drinking wine (however loosely we might put some of these beverages in that category), it can't be all bad.

in my vision of a better world, people would drink less, but better, wine. and once they start drinking better wine, they might drink more of it.

[FunJohnny]

QUOTE

"Animal brands" or "fun brands" - light, fruity wines aimed at young, novice or occasional drinkers, in bottles with labels that feature humorous, whimsical and cartoonish drawings of animals (HMR Rex Goliath, Leaping Horse, Little Penguin, Yellow Horse) - more than doubled their on-premise sales in 2003, jumping to 3 percent of the market from 1.3 percent in 2002.

Wonder what "young" means and where's Frog's Leap? Do novice drinkers ask to look at the bottle before they order? Oh well, I guess those of us who would like to see an increase in the number of winos, er I mean wine connosieurs should be heartened by this stat.

Edited June 17, 2004 by FunJohnny (log)

[herbacidal]

Much of this really has more to do with production volume and distribution than anything else.  But if it means more people are drinking wine (however loosely we might put some of these beverages in that category), it can't be all bad.

in my vision of a better world, people would drink less, but better, wine. and once they start drinking better wine, they might drink more of it.

Yea, that may well still happen.

But change in consumer behavior is usually glacial in its speed.

Edited June 17, 2004 by herbacidal (log)

[tommy]

Yea, that may well still happen.

But change in consumer behavior is usually glacial in its speed.

and consumer behavior is often controlled by the business behind the product. point being, if restaurants gave even a second of thought to their wine lists, people would be drinking better wines. they don't, so people don't. and if it continues, no amount of time will help.

Edited June 17, 2004 by tommy (log)

[rich]

Yea, that may well still happen.

But change in consumer behavior is usually glacial in its speed.

and consumer behavior is often controlled by the business behind the product. point being, if restaurants gave even a second of thought to their wine lists, people would be drinking better wines. they don't, so people don't. and if it continues, no amount of time will help.

Add to that if restaurants limited themselves to a 100 percent markup, instead of 300% and above.

[tommy]

rut-roh.

giving it a moment of thought, i think that i've noticed that restaurants that put thought into their list often have less of a mark-up than those who offer 2 cabs and 2 pinots. and i certainly don't mind the mark-up as much when the wine is interesting and good, as opposed to complete shit and warm.

[Craig Camp]

Let's see...there are over 500 TGI Fridays restaurants in the USA. Then there are the hundreds and hundreds of Bennigans and other chains. That's quite a head start if you get a placement there. I believe you will find Beringer and Sutter Home featured at all of these these "restaurants".

Statistics are not always what they seem to be. Subtract the major chains and hotel groups and Beringer won't look so hot - not that makes any difference to them.

All in all I am happy to see Americans drinking wine - any wine - at this point. Slowly, but surely it will become part of our culture. White Zin continues to be the elementary school for American wine consumers. Most never graduate, but untold thousands have.

[tommy]

Statistics are not always what they seem to be. Subtract the major chains and hotel groups and Beringer won't look so hot - not that makes any difference to them.

unfortunately these products find their way into local independents as well. lots of them.

Edited June 17, 2004 by tommy (log)

[rich]

White Zin continues to be the elementary school for American wine consumers. Most never graduate, but untold thousands have.

I agree with you Craig. I know I've suggested White Zin to people getting started with wine. It eases them in quite nicely. Thank you Mr. Trinchero

[Craig Camp]

Statistics are not always what they seem to be. Subtract the major chains and hotel groups and Beringer won't look so hot - not that makes any difference to them.

unfortunately these products find their way into local independents as well. lots of them.

There is nothing inherently wrong or strange about this - the French, Italians and Spaniards mostly drink mass brands too...with the major difference being their mass brands are not as well-made as ours.

...oh yeah, they cost less than American mass brands.

[Craig Camp]

White Zin continues to be the elementary school for American wine consumers. Most never graduate, but untold thousands have.

I agree with you Craig. I know I've suggested White Zin to people getting started with wine. It eases them in quite nicely. Thank you Mr. Trinchero

I started with Lancers and Mateus Rose. The wine was great for dates and the bottles made good candle and incense holders.

You have to start somewhere.

Americans just don't drink wine. The statistics are brutal if you make wine and want to sell it. Mass brands have an appropriate and needed role in the market.

No, I don't drink them.

[tommy]

Statistics are not always what they seem to be. Subtract the major chains and hotel groups and Beringer won't look so hot - not that makes any difference to them.

unfortunately these products find their way into local independents as well. lots of them.

There is nothing inherently wrong or strange about this - the French, Italians and Spaniards mostly drink mass brands too...with the major difference being their mass brands are not as well-made as ours.

i suppose that's a matter of opinion. i find that there's something terribly wrong with cookie-cutter wine lists consisting of the "usual suspects".

[Boris_A]

in my vision of a better world, people would drink less, but better, wine. 

As a side note, this happened in European wine countries over the last decades.

For instance, France had once a record consumption of 115 liters per year and capita. (30 gallones; all kids, women and abstinents included!)

Today, the are "down" to roughly 85 liters, but the average price (and quality) is considerably higher. You'll find the same pattern in Italy and other countries with high consumption levels.

[Craig Camp]

Statistics are not always what they seem to be. Subtract the major chains and hotel groups and Beringer won't look so hot - not that makes any difference to them.

unfortunately these products find their way into local independents as well. lots of them.

There is nothing inherently wrong or strange about this - the French, Italians and Spaniards mostly drink mass brands too...with the major difference being their mass brands are not as well-made as ours.

i suppose that's a matter of opinion. i find that there's something terribly wrong with cookie-cutter wine lists consisting of the "usual suspects".

As long as there are cookie-cutter restaurants there will be cookie cutter-wine lists.

[tommy]

As long as there are cookie-cutter restaurants there will be cookie cutter-wine lists.

possibly. and there are plenty of examples of decent to good restaurants that have cookie-cutter wine lists. those are the ones i'm worried about, as they should know better.

[Craig Camp]

As long as there are cookie-cutter restaurants there will be cookie cutter-wine lists.

possibly. and there are plenty of examples of decent to good restaurants that have cookie-cutter wine lists. those are the ones i'm worried about, as they should know better.

Unfortunately all to true. I have to admit when I see these lists I always wonder what short-cuts they must also be taking in the kitchen.

[Carolyn Tillie]

As long as there are cookie-cutter restaurants there will be cookie cutter-wine lists.

possibly. and there are plenty of examples of decent to good restaurants that have cookie-cutter wine lists. those are the ones i'm worried about, as they should know better.

Unfortunately all to true. I have to admit when I see these I always wonder what short-cuts they must also be taking in the kitchen.

Ah.... but don't forget the cookie cutter restaurants (P.F. Changs) with decent wine lists!

There is some hope in the world!

[tommy]

Unfortunately all to true. I have to admit when I see these lists I always wonder what short-cuts they must also be taking in the kitchen.

since wine isn't so much a part of our culture here in the US, i don't make those assumptions when i know the restaurant is producing quality food, regardless of how standard the wine list may be.