What is America Drinking? Restaurant SuperBrands

Charles Gill is the CEO of Winemetrics LLC, a company providing on-premise market intelligence to the wine and restaurant industries. Winemetrics recently released The 2007 On-Premise Wine Distribution Report, which summarizes varietal, brand and product distribution from of over 10,000 U.S. restaurant wine lists. This report is the source for the content referenced in the article below.

Before revealing our brand ranking, it is important to realize how different the wine market is from other alcoholic beverages or consumer goods. Wine, by its nature, is a very fragmented market, dependent on varietal and regional definition. Unlike the beer market where Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser, Bud Light) commands over 40% of sales, no equivalent exists in the wine market. Even the wine conglomerates of Gallo and Constellation Brands don’t capture more than 25% of the total market and their share is disbursed among dozens of brands in different segments.

Breakdown by Wine Type

Still or table wines make up 94% of distribution in our survey with sparkling wines accounting for the remaining 6%. (Fortified wines make up less than 1% of the total).

Winemetrics: Roster of Restaurant Superbrands

Overall Brand Leader: Beringer
Beringer is found in over 50% of our 10,588 account sample, the only brand to do so. Kendall-Jackson follows with ¾ of Beringer’s distribution, followed closely by Napa-based Robert Mondavi and Beaulieu Vineyard. A surprising 5th place showing was delivered by Washington State powerhouse Chateau Ste. Michelle, a testament to that region’s consistent quality and value.