What you need to know

COVID-19 has changed where, when, and how much consumers drink. The events of 2020 forced on-premise closures and halted large gatherings, limiting consumption to at-home, small scale occasions. As a result, total dollar sales of wine are expected to dip nearly 4% in 2020 to $63 billion, the first overall decline since the great recession of 2008. While the category benefits from popularity among alcohol drinkers, second only to beer, brands already contending with waning alcohol interest and flight to RTDs will need to define and own wine occasions, present value and wellness, and, where possible, look outside the category for inspiration.

Key issues covered in this Report

  • The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior and the wine market

  • A potential bright spot in the youngest drinkers

  • Wine education as a driver of category engagement

  • The need to expand outreach to a more diverse consumer base

Definition

This Report includes retail sales for domestic and imported wine for home (off-premise) and on-premise consumption. The Report covers the following types of wine:

  • Still/table wine – noncarbonated wine; primarily red, white or rosé/blush

  • Champagne and sparkling wines

  • Dessert and fortified wines

  • Vermouth and aperitifs

Sales of wine-based coolers are included in the dollar sales data, but are not discussed in this Report. Wine coolers are discussed in greater detail in Mintel’s RTD Alcoholic Beverages – US, December 2020.

COVID-19: market context

The first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the US in January 2020. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global health pandemic, and on March 13, President Trump declared a national emergency in the US.

Across the US, state-level stay-at-home orders rolled out throughout the months of March and April, and remained in place through May, and in some cases June. During this time, referred to as lockdown, nonessential businesses and school districts across the nation closed or shifted to remote operations.

During reemergence, all 50 states have relaxed stay-at-home orders and allowed businesses to operate with varying levels of social distancing measures in place. The continued spread of COVID-19 infections has driven some states to slow down or reverse course on reopening plans. Mintel anticipates the US will remain in a state of flux through 2021 until a vaccine is available.

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