Current revenue in the sparkling wine market is just over $42B in the U.S. and is expected to grow annually by 7.43% far outpacing still wine growth rates, according to a 2022 report by IMARC Group. Looking at the global market, the U.S. generates the most revenue in this market.
U.S. consumers want to drink premium sparkling wine—and they are interested in a variety of bubbly options.
While Champagne and Prosecco remain the most popular and well-known sparkling wines, have you introduced your customers to Crémant, Franciacorta, or Pét-Nat?
Winebow Imports offers a diverse selection of premium sparkling wines from independent artisanal European growers to pique the interest of consumers seeking a bottle of something new and different for the upcoming holiday season.
The best Prosecco comes from the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG in Treviso, Italy, where the predominantly chalk and clay soil yields crisp and elegant Glera, the traditional grape for Prosecco. The greater Prosecco DOC currently produces 90% of the world’s Prosecco.
Produced in the Charmat method (also known as the Tank Method), Prosecco is crisp and low alcohol—a glass is an ideal aperitif for the cocktail hour or for glass pours at brunch. Premium Prosecco tends to Brut, but Winebow also offers extra-dry and dry options for those who want to offer their customers a hint of sweetness.
The cool climate of Italy’s Lombardy region offers the right growing conditions for high-acid white grapes. This is the home of Franciacorta, a sparkling wine made in the Traditional Method. The predominant grapes in region are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero in Italy), and Pinot Bianco is often blended in, creating a unique drinking experience.
In Austria and Germany, sparkling wine is called “sekt” and typically has been produced by the Tank Method for easy, affordable, mostly local drinking. In the last few decades, however, producers have been uping their game and producing higher quality sparkling wines made in the Traditional Method. These high-acid, fresh sparklers are finding their way across the globe into wine programs that value diverse preparations.
Austrian and German sparkling wines are made from the expected Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but also from regional varietals such as Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and Blaüfrankish.
France is home to the renowned Champagne region, where the Champagne tends to a classic presentation from the earliest estates. However, as Champagne Houses consider the changing climate and its effect on the terroir, many have adopted organic and biodynamic farming practices to protect and coddle their aged Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier vines.
But this famed AOC isn’t the only region of the country to produce excellent sparkling wine. Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley, and Provence all produce premium sparkling wines in the Traditional and Charmat methods. French appellations that are made by Champagne Method but are not from Champagne AOP carry the term Crémant de "Region." For example, Crémant de Bourgogne is made from primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but is made in Burgundy, not Champagne. With the current interest in low intervention and independent sparkling wine producers, the options for high-quality wines from across France made in the traditional Méthode Champenoise have dramatically increased.
American consumers want to celebrate with a glass of bubbly. According to Wine Intelligence, the number of Americans enjoying sparkling wine rose by 30% between 2019 and 2022—and not only are more people drinking sparkling wine, but they are also drinking it more frequently, with the number of monthly sparkling wine drinkers rising from 56% three years ago to 72% in 2022.
Be ready for the holiday season with a full bar program of diverse sparkling wine from Winebow’s carefully selected portfolio of independent, global artisanal producers.
