AMERICANS LIKE THEIR WINES CHEAP

EVERYONE IS BUDGET conscious when making purchases these days – and wine is no exception.  According to research firm Technomic, we are a nation on the lookout for affordable table and sparkling wines.  The competition is most intense at the $1O to $2O price point, says Donna Hood Crecca, senior director at the firm.  “Consumers today are very engaged with wine, and table wine suppliers are marketing brands aimed at specific groups,” she says.  In this price range, many brands are going head to head and crowding the market.  Momentum continues in the sparkling segment as well.  The category is outpacing the total market as domestic and Italian sparklers realize additional volume gains.  Italy now holds the largest share of the imported table wine and imported sparkling wine categories.  “Sparkling wine is on an upward trajectory,” says Crecca.  “The advent of brands with accessible flavor profiles and price points is opening up the world of sparklers to many consumer groups, who are starting to incorporate it into more everyday occasions.”  The infographic at right provides more details about trends in table wine, sparkling wine and consumer engagement with wine.  These findings, included in Technomic’s 2O14 WineTAB Report, are part of the Trends in Adult Beverage series.