Want double digit sales in the wine market? Effective strategies exist
Wine lovers are thirsty for environmental certifications, moderate serving sizes, convenience and whimsy. Kathleen Willcox reports.
There are winners and losers in every market, but the space between the haves and have nots in wine has rarely felt this vast, or as unbridgeable.
Overall, the wine business has suffered declining sales for three years in a row. And in recent years, the wine business has become incredibly top-heavy, making it increasingly difficult for many brands to respond to market forces in a timely manner. There may be more than 11,000 wineries in the U.S. alone, but the largest 50 control more than 90% of
the domestic wine market by volume, according to figures compiled by WineBusiness Monthly.
The most recent Consumer Wine Shipping report from Sovos ShipCompliant raised alarm bells across the industry: nationwide shipment volume dropped by 12% from January-June 2025, while volume slipped 6%.
As tastes and the culture of consumption evolves, and with consumers demanding more than good or even great wine from the brands they support, certain sectors of the industry are enjoying incredible success amid general malaise.
Eco-friendly wine market is booming
One person’s eco-friendly wine is another person’s greenwashed fraud, but without wading into that muddy morass, it’s clear that wine enthusiasts are eager to buy wine that they believe is produced in an environmentally responsible manner.
Wine lovers (especially younger ones) are prepared to pay more for it, they prefer it, and it’s selling better than conventional wine.
How much? People are willing to pay 15% more for wine with sustainability bon mots, according to a meta-analysis of consumer behavior published in Food Quality and Preference, and young people are driving the growth in sales of the organic wine market, according to the IWSR.
More than half (60%) of younger consumers want organic or sustainable wine according to a recent Wine Market Council study, and while overall sales have plummeted, organic wine sales grew 2.6% last year, according to Nielsen IQ (NIQ).
Entire countries, like Austria, where 25% of the vineyards are certified organic, are enjoying the halo effect of their eco-friendly reputation. Since 2015, Austria has increased its export value by $105.7 million, or 62.7%.
“In recent years, Austria’s low-intervention wine scene has gained significant international recognition, placing Austrian producers at the heart of the movement,” says Oliver Chramosta, teamlead markets international for Austrian Wine. “At the same time, Austria is a frontrunner in environmentally conscious viticulture. This commitment to sustainability is highly valued by consumers, and is opening new business opportunities in environmentally conscious markets worldwide.”
The organic wine market, valued at around US$9.84 billion in 2021, is set to grow at a compound annual rate of 11.3%, to reach around US$25.07 billion by 2030.
Some wineries, like Sicily’s Alileo Wines, are investing in sustainability certifications like organic and Certified B, because they know it sells.
“I think consumers want to see the messaging go into actual practice rather than just window dressing,” says co-founder Antonio Bertone, noting that Alileo has seen a 20% growth in year-over-year sales. “We also appeal to foodies and people who are more fitness conscious. I think the whole low intervention, unfiltered, zero sugar, low sulfite thing is appealing to folks that are still enjoying alcohol, while also working on their fitness.”
And for Bertone, Alileo’s sales are also surging because of not just the philosophy of the brand, but its presentation. Alileo’s wine is boxed, and it heavily promotes its premium quality inside a less energy-intensive, wasteful and less costly to produce package.
“Today, you need to resonate and be relevant to an audience who has zero attention span and doesn’t really need your origin story,” Bertone says. “If the brand looks sharp and the features and benefits are easily understood and your product tastes of quality then I think you will be rewarded with growth.”
Bertone notes that Alileo is made and marketed in a way generally more associated with craft beer.
“We worked on a non-traditional product collaboration with Roberta’s,” he explains. “They are a high end, edgy pizza restaurant with multiple locations, and they appeal to a younger, cooler audience. We made custom boxes incorporating their Jolly Roger character onto our boxes. The reaction and sales have been amazing, and now they’re not only selling our wines by the glass, but by the box as well.”
Alternative formats sell
In addition to actively seeking out wines that are farmed responsibly, consumers want wines that are produced sustainably. And because these “zero attention span” enthusiasts may not have the time and inclination to do a deep dive into a brand’s carbon footprint, often the easiest tell is the package it comes in.
More than half (59%) of Gen Z drinkers value boxed wine simply for its eco-friendly merits, but they also love the convenience of it. According to a study from Ocado, the world’s largest online supermarket, 66% of younger consumers think boxed wine is more convenient for social occasions.
Zach Poelma, senior vice president of supplier strategy and insights at beverage distributor Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, notes that brands that are seeing the biggest gains in the canned and boxed wine space are packaged sleekly.
“The rise in boxed wine is being fueled by a combination of convenience, sustainability concerns and shifting consumer behavior, particularly among younger drinkers,” Poelma says. “Today’s consumers are looking for formats that align with their specific lifestyles: portable, eco-conscious and suitable for casual, everyday occasions. Premium canned wine
sales are currently growing at high double digit rates, and significantly faster than some
lower-priced canned wines.”
Marian Leitner-Waldman, CEO and founder of Archer Roose Wines, which is branded as low-intervention, luxury wine in a can, says that last year, they exceeded 100,000 9-litre cases sold—a record. Year-over-year, their velocity has increased 45%, according to wine sales data firm IRI, and they’ve seen a 26% increase in depletions.
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To Leigner-Waldman, their success is based on their ability to deliver on the new “less is more, and make it better” paradigm.
“Drinking habits are shifting, with younger generations drinking frequently, but in less volume, and the industry has largely missed the mark on supplying a product that caters to moderation,” she notes. “Archer Roose Wines was made for moderation in a single serve format, so you can enjoy a luxury glass of wine without having to open a full bottle.”
Plus, they meet the thirst for low-intervention, no sugar added, vegan, gluten-free and sustainably sourced wine. Jen Pelka, co-founder and CEO of Une Femme Wines, echoes Leigner-Waldman sentiments.
Une Femme is projected to sell 300,000 cases this year. Through June, the brand’s case depletion growth is 122% year-over-year.
“For our customers, canned wine isn’t a compromise,” Pelka says. “It’s an upgrade in convenience, sustainability and fun. They’re also more versatile, and perfect for settingswhere glass isn’t welcome: concerts, beaches, pools, rooftops and sporting events.”
Une Femme consciously markets to people who want great wine at any time, in a single serving—and who care about how their choices impact the planet.
Leaning into wine as a lifestyle
Wineries, whether they’re serving their wine in cans or bottles, are finding enormous success when they actively pair their brand with fun, often through cross-collaborations with other business.
At Rivaura Estate Vineyard and Winery in Juliaetta, ID, co-winemaker Lane Hewett has managed to slowly scale up their production to 5,000 cases in recent years, and sell out consistently, through a partnership with American Cruise Lines.
“For the past three years, the partnership has brought in between 15 and 60 visitors three times a week,” Hewett says. “Either Vince [Hewett, Lane’s cousin and co-winemaker] will give a one-hour presentation. We charge per person for the excursion, the cruise line takes six cases back with them on every visit. Plus we sell one-three or more cases of wine per tour.”
Some cruisers end up signing up for the wine club, and Hewett admits that relying on such a steady stream of sales between May and November allows the small team the freedom and time to focus on the winemaking, and other opportunities.
“We want to make it fun for people, whether they’re coming here for an hour from the cruise ship, or coming to spend the day,” he says. “For us, that entails offering more than wine. We started a nanobrewery downstairs so we always have four housemade beers on tap. We have a food truck parked outside. And we’re about to open a beachside tasting
experience.”
The tasting room, on the banks of the Clearwater River, will offer a lounge seating area and the opportunity to swim. “We opened a second tasting room two years ago, and we recently started broadcasting drone footage from our vineyard and tasting room here, and since then the foot traffic up here has been insane,” Hewett says. “People don’t just come here for the wine. They come to spend the day, hang out with friends, eat food, drink beer. It’s a whole thing.”
At 3100 Cellars in Eagle, Idaho, founder Hailey Minder says they doubled sales year over year, through a concerted effort to make strategic partnerships with local businesses in Boise and by opening a by-appointment tasting room for the first time since launching in 2017.
“We partnered with our local high-end steakhouse, Chandlers, on a sparkling wine class, and they started offering our wine on their menu by the glass,” Minder says. “We market to our local area, and we focus on sparkling wines. I believe that being Idaho’s only sparkling winery is a huge pull for customers. It also helps us hone one style and make better day-to-day decisions so we can make world class sparkling, we can pass.”
While selling exclusively direct-to-consumer may not be as romantic as knowing your wines are found in Boise, Berlin and Baku, Hewett wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Our sales are great,” Hewett says. “People have great experiences here, and they go home to wherever they are, whether that’s in Idaho or across the country, and they associate our wines with those experiences. I just got a call from a guy who came here a year ago across the country and had a great time. He told me he was ready for another big order. And that sort of thing happens all the time.”
Partnerships with key businesses and joyful, community-focused experiences are also key to the sales of a very different model of winery: Archer Roose.
“We researched how and where our consumer is spending her time, and we show up at those places and occasions,” says Leitner-Waldman. “It’s music and sports venues, places like Dave & Buster’s and Regal Cinemas. On the mountain during ski vacations, in the air on trips with JetBlue.”
Archer Roose’s business is driven on-premise, with Regal Cinemas as their second-largest account nationally, and a 64% increase in sales year-to-date on JetBlue. Other strategic accounts include Atrium Hospitality hotels and Buffalo Wild Wings locations nationwide.
Une Femme has a similar route to market, focused on building up national accounts in what they consider to be the creme de la creme of hospitality, travel and entertainment. Une Femme is served on Delta, Virgin Voyages cruises, at Hilton properties across the country and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“Our strongest growth is coming from places where wine meets lifestyle,” Pelka says. “Travel and hospitality partners are huge for us, because they align perfectly with how people want to experience wine today.”
Large, small, exclusively DTC, primarily on- and off-prem brands that are finding success right now all have values they are ready to share, a story to tell, and most importantly, a sense of joy and delight that they are ready to impart.
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