Sparkling wine was the Pacman eating white still wine’s share last year, Drizly said, while beer maintained its position.
On Drizly, white wine comprised 29% of wine share over the past 12 months, a slight drop from 31% of share over the 12 months prior. These two percentage points have largely been captured by sparkling wine, which has gained share; red wine has maintained a consistent 40% of wine share, Drizly said.
“White wine sales have proven to be quite seasonal, gaining share and peaking in spring and summer months, then dropping off in the fall,” says Liz Paquette, Drizly’s head of consumer insights. As sparkling wine sales soar during the holiday season, the lowest share for white wine comes in December—21% in December 2020—before rebounding in January and February as consumers reach for lighter drinks (it held 27% of white wine share in January and February 2021).
The average unit price of white wine also tends to be lower than the average unit price of wine overall on Drizly—about 15% lower over the past 12 months. However, within Constellation Brands’ portfolio, high-end wines drove more than half of white wine category growth amidst the pandemic, with super-premium wines being the highest contributor.
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio—make up 90% of all white wine sold on Drizly. However, Sauvignon Blanc holds the top spot, representing 40% of white wine share, followed by Chardonnay at 30% and Pinot Grigio at 22%.
American wines comprise 50.3% of white wine sales over the past 12 months. New Zealand held the No. 2 spot with 24.5% of share, largely driven by the popularity of its Sauvignon Blancs, and Italy came in at No. 3.
Two boxed wines—Bota Box Pinot Grigio and Bota Box Sauvignon Blanc—also ranked among the 10 best-selling white wine SKUs on Drizly over the past 12 months, though they each dropped a few spots from the year prior (from No. 5 and No. 7, respectively, to No. 7 and No. 8).
Drizly suggests retailers have “a healthy stock of white wines chilled for consumers to purchase both in-store and online. Chilled products are especially important for smaller packaging formats, like cans. Additionally, price points tend to be higher for chilled wines, according to a Numerator survey conducted in 2020.
Drizly’s Best-Selling White Wine SKUs, Past 12 Months
- Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
- Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
- Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio DOC
- Matua Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
- Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay
- Cavit Pinot Grigio
- Bota Box Pinot Grigio
- Bota Box Sauvignon Blanc
- Josh Cellars Chardonnay
- Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc