Dear Client:   The pandemic-induced lockdowns led to a huge boost in e-commerce sales, particularly for bev alc. Indeed, online alcohol sales in the US were up nearly 80% in 2020, and grew 15% in 2021, according to IWSR. Not surprisingly, that growth is expected to moderate in the future, with a forecast value CAGR … Continue reading “IWSR: US Online Bev Alc Share Forecast to Nearly Double by 2026”

Dear Client:   The majority of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits’ business is still in wine, but president Tom Steffanci tells WSD that “spirits is a big focus for us, especially in this sort of super premium and luxury space.” And “as we think about our future growth, we feel like spirits will be a … Continue reading “Deutsch Family President Details Latest M&A Deals”

Dear Client:   As we near springtime, we’re starting to get a better picture of how wine and spirits are performing so far in 2023. Indeed, the latest scan data reports came out at the end of last week, with data through February. Below are a few key takeaways. SPIRITS VOLUMES OUTPACING SALES. Total spirits … Continue reading “W&S Trends Taking Shape in 2023”

Dear Client:   Several leaders in the non-alc space gathered at the recent VIBE conference to chat about the category and where they see trends going, including the category’s role in the on-premise.  Panelists included: Athletic Brewing ceo and co-founder Bill Shufelt; Hyatt’s national director of bars, Miranda Breedlove; Cohn Restaurant Group’s wine and beverage … Continue reading “The Non-Alc Category’s Evolving Role in the On-Premise”

Dear Client:   You’ve no doubt seen the deluge of coverage over the weekend and this morning on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank – the second-biggest bank failure in US history after Washington Mutual’s crash in 2008.  SVB is a major lender to the wine industry, but the majority of its business is done … Continue reading “Silicon Valley Bank No Longer Exists”

Dear Client:   Alternative packaging is still a relatively small segment of the total wine industry, but it’s often cited as a way to expand use occasions and to bring in younger consumers.  A panel of representatives from wine companies of all sizes assembled at the recent Unified Wine & Grape Symposium to discuss their … Continue reading “How Alternative Packaging Can Grow Wine’s Share of the Bev Alc Pie”

Dear Client:   The Duckhorn portfolio reported a net sales increase of nearly 5% for the second quarter ended January 31, which was at the high end of the company’s expectations and on top of strong double digit growth from the prior year period, chief Alex Ryan said on yesterday evening’s earnings call. “This marks … Continue reading “Duckhorn Ups Fiscal Year Guidance, Confident in Luxury Wine Trends”

Dear Client:   Brown-Forman recorded global net sales growth of 8% on a reported basis for the first nine months of the fiscal year, ended January. Looking at just Q3, global reported net sales were up 4%. B-F chief Lawson Whiting noted on this morning’s earnings call that top line results were weighed down by … Continue reading “B-F’s Mid-Single Digit Growth Impacted by Normalizing Inventory Levels”

Dear Client:   Breakthru Beverage Group has been expanding its market presence lately. Earlier this year, the company made a big move into the California market by acquiring Wine Warehouse [see WSD 01-17-2023]. That’s on top of acquiring Missouri-based Major Brands and Minnesota-based JJ Taylor in 2022.  With those “three fairly sizable transactions within the … Continue reading “Breakthru CCO on Entering California Market, Plus ’23 Expectations”

Dear Client:   Ste. Michelle Wine Estates today announced that Shawn Conway has been named ceo.   Shawn has about three decades of leadership experience across several CPG categories. Most recently, he was the ceo of Peet’s Coffee, and prior to that he spent nearly 10 years at Skyy Spirits.  “Shawn is a proven leader and … Continue reading “Ste. Michelle Names New CEO”

Dear Client:   Pronghorn launched in 2021 with the goal to increase representation from the Black community in the spirits industry. And the company has made big strides in a short time.  Your editor recently chatted with Jomaree Pinkard, Pronghorn’s recently-appointed ceo and managing director, to learn more about his and Pronghorn’s vision for the … Continue reading “Pronghorn’s New Chief Shares What’s Ahead For the Incubator”

Dear Client:   This week WSD attended the annual VIBE conference held in … rainy, windy (?!) San Diego. While 2023 was the second post-COVID VIBE conference, it’s safe to say that one of the themes to reverberate throughout the week was “what happens next” now that the on-premise has bounced back to pre-2019 levels.  … Continue reading “VIBE 2023 Outlook: The Year of “The Shift””

Dear Client:   After strong double-digit growth in 2021, Napa-based Far Niente Family of Wineries and Vineyards had another banner year in 2022, up around 20%, ceo Steve Spadarotto tells WSD. “So we got two really great years back to back, which was our plan, but sometimes you don’t always expect to hit your plan.”  … Continue reading “Far Niente up 20% in ’22, with Another “Aggressive Growth Plan” for ’23″

Dear Client:   Rabobank recently delved into the operational side of e-commerce and what’s working for bev alc companies in the channel across the board based on surveys and interviews. Here’s what they found.  A QUICK OVERVIEW. As part of the report, Rabobank surveyed the heads of e-commerce at 17 alcohol companies. While the sample … Continue reading “Rabobank: Building a Successful E-Comm Team”

Dear Client:   The pandemic led to a huge boost in the direct-to-consumer wine shipping channel. In 2022, the channel experienced market normalization, with volumes down 10.3% and value down 1.6%, according to Sovos ShipCompliant’s annual DTC report [see WSD 01-24-2023]. And that normalization will likely continue in 2023.  “I’m not underplaying the significance of … Continue reading “What to Expect from the DTC Wine Channel in 2023”