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Better-For-You Wines Rapidly Expanding In The U.S.
December 6, 2022
The better-for-you wine category continues to show strong momentum heading into the holidays, with many of the leading brands experiencing triple-digit gains in retail channels. Overall, better-for-you wines nearly quadrupled in volume terms in 2021 and are expected to reach 3 million cases in the U.S. by year-end, according to Impact Databank.
O’Neill Vintners & Distillers recently made an acquisition play in the category with a deal to acquire Impact “Hot Brand” FitVine for an undisclosed sum. “FitVine isn’t just competing within the BFY segment,” O’Neill CMO Christine Moll told SND. “Expanding out to the super-premium price point at large, FitVine has multiple SKUs performing in the top 20 of their varietal, indicating that this brand is resonating with a wide range of consumers.”
Delicato is also among those making gains in the better-for-you category with Bota Box Breeze. “Bota Breeze is on fire,” CEO and president Chris Indelicato recently told SND. “It’s a home run for us and a home run for the Bota brand that continues to grow.”
The Wine Group has two brands showing strong growth in the better-for-you segment with Cupcake LightHearted and Franzia Refreshers. About one-third of the volume for Refreshers comes from consumers who are new to the 3-liter segment, according to Jeff Dubiel, CMO at The Wine Group, with notable interest from hard seltzer drinkers.
Constellation Brands debuted a low-calorie extension, Illuminate ($18 a 750-ml.), to New Zealand label Kim Crawford in the fall of 2020, and it’s up about 100{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} over the past year in IRI channels, after reaching 100,000 cases in 2021. Another up-and-coming brand is Sunny with a Chance of Flowers ($17 a 750-ml.), which Scheid Family Wines sources from its Monterey vineyards, with zero sugar, 85 calories per 5-ounce glass, and 9{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} abv. Another brand doing well in the low-calorie space is Avaline—from actress Cameron Diaz—an organic, vegan-friendly label ($24) which touts its use of little-to-no additives.
Other brands on the move in the better-for-you arena include Kendall-Jackson Lower Calorie Chardonnay ($17 a 750-ml.) from Jackson Family, Mind & Body ($13) from Trinchero, Matua Lighter ($10 and up) from Treasury Wine Estates, Yellow Tail Pure Bright from Deutsch ($7 and up), and Myx Light Chardonnay and Light Rosé ($12 a 4-pack of 250-ml. cans) from Royal Wine Corp.
| U.S.—Leading “Better for You” Wine Brands (thousands of 9-liter case depletions) |
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| Brand | Company | Origin | Total 2021 Volume1 |
2022 Volume Growth In IRI2 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitvine | O’Neill Vintners & Distillers |
California/Italy | 375 | 14.4{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Bota Box Breeze | Delicato Family Wines | California | 365 | 139.7{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Cupcake LightHearted | The Wine Group | California | 250 | 23.7{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Franzia Refreshers | The Wine Group | California | 220 | 121.6{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Yellow Tail Pure Bright |
Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits |
Australia | 142 | 175.4{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Kim Crawford Illuminate |
Constellation Wines | New Zealand | 102 | 100.4{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Sunny With a Chance of Flowers |
Scheid Vineyards | California | 58 | 185.1{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Avaline | Avaline | Multi-Origin | 55 | 128.1{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Liquid Light | Ste Michelle Wine Estates |
Washington | 51 | 91.7{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Mind & Body | Trinchero Family Estates | California | 31 | 95.2{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Matua Lighter | Treasury Wine Estates | New Zealand | 22 | 958.9{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |
| Total Leading Brands | 1,671 | 92.2{dd3cf16dc48cbccde1cb5083e00e749fe70e501950bc2e0dea1feff25a82382f} | |||
| 1 Thousands of 9-liter case depletions 2 52 weeks ending October 9, 2022 in IRI channels. Source: IRI and IMPACT DATABANK © 2022 |
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