dtc-wine-report-2023

The Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Report is an annual collaboration between Sovos ShipCompliant and WinesBusiness Analytics. It contains the most up-to-date and accurate representation of the American direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine shipping channel while providing the latest information and data on growth trends, changes in price per bottle shipped, regional demand, varietal trends and more.  

Download your complimentary copy here. 

The 2023 year in review reveals a channel still dealing with inflationary pressures and a drop in the number of visitors to wineries. The year witnessed a 6.5% decrease in year-over-year shipments, making it the first time since this report’s inception in 2010 that there has been a decline in shipments for two consecutive years. Similar to 2022, while there was a decrease in total shipments, average price per bottle shipped rose—in this case, 7.1% to $48.35—leading to a 0.1% value increase over 2022. 

The 2024 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Report explores these outcomes in greater detail, looking at current trends and what impact the economy is having on buying patterns and which wines and regions are most affected. Early indications suggest that 2023 represented a classic case of inflation, with its biggest impact felt by consumers of more modest means leading to a drop in shipments of lower priced wines, while higher-income consumers continued to avoid significant impact from rising prices and buying patterns of more expensive bottles remained on par. 

Report Highlights

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What does the 2024 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Report include?

This comprehensive report looks at U.S. DtC wine shipping data across a number of key areas: 

  • Total market value and composition by winery size
  • Volume growth
  • Month-by-month analysis of winery DtC shipments
  • Regional analysis spanning all parts of the United States
  • Analysis of shipments by winery size (production amounts)
  • Analysis by varietal
  • Analysis by destination of shipments
  • Changes in average price per bottle
  • Commentary, insights and forecasts for the year ahead

How is the report created?

The WinesBusiness Analytics team created an algorithm that uses a database of more than 11,000 U.S. wineries to extrapolate all DtC shipments from millions of anonymous transactions filtered through the Sovos ShipCompliant system in 2023. The model tracks DtC wine sales by winery region, annual winery production, destination of shipments, wine type (varietal) and price points.

Each DtC shipment is edited for submission for governmental tax and reporting requirements, and certain elements such as varietal are validated by standardized tables. The data is submitted to a proprietary model that applies weighting to assure that aggregated transactions evenly reflect winery size, location and average bottle price. This database is a near census of U.S. wineries (>99%). The model incorporates recognized statistical techniques to identify outliers and data anomalies. 

Why download the 2024 DtC Wine Shipping Report?

U.S. wine producers will find this report invaluable in informing data-based decisions for their businesses. For example:

  • Identify top shipment destination states to bolster planning for expansion into new ship-to states.
  • Understand what the evolving DtC wine shipping consumer base is looking for in terms of varietals, price thresholds and more.
  • Evaluate pricing and product mix in the DtC channel going forward.

Looking for more insights and analysis?

Download the full report