Sparkling rosé ‘breakout winner’ of US Valentine’s Day 2019

Sales of pink fizz were the big ‘break-out’ winner of Valentine’s Day last year, according to data from Nielsen, as new stats reveal sparkling wine’s growth bucked the overall dip in US wine consumption.

The retail analysts described sparkling rosé as the “breakout winner for Valentine’s Day” last year, with value sales of the pink fizz up 40.1% higher during the week ending 16 February 2019 than the previous before.

Table rosé wines also received a boost from the romantic holiday, with dollar sales up 17.8% higher during Valentine’s week 2019, compared to the previous week, it said.

US sales of sparkling wine saw a big boost overall during Valentine’s Day week last year, with dollar sales rising 27.6% higher during the week on the back of the romantic holiday.  French champagne also received a major boost last year, with dollar sales up 50.9% higher during Valentine’s week compared the previous ‘normal’ week (ending 2/9/19)

Within the on-trade, across the US, around a third of consumers, (33%) choose to drink table wine when out-of-home during Valentine’s Day, marginally less than  those who chose cocktails (34%).

Around 45% of fine diners choose wine with dinner regardless of time of year, Nielsen said.

Growth of sparkling expected

Meanwhile sparkling wine posted a 3.8% volume boost in the US during 2019, according to preliminary figures from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, with sales tipped to continue at around 3.5% compound annual growth rate 2018-2023, despite the overall wine market seeing a slight dip in 2019.

Sparkling wine represents about 8% of the total wine market in the US, according to the IWSR, with compound annual growth of 5.2% between 2014 to 2019, proving to be the ‘bright spot’ in the wine market.

Brandy Rand, COO of the Americas at IWSR Drinks Market Analysis said sparkling wine’s year-over-year growth was partly due to increased excitement for spritz cocktails as well as the rise of more affordable sparkling options like prosecco.

“Though sparkling wine marketers have done a very good job reinforcing that these products aren’t only for celebratory or special occasions, Valentine’s Day is when consumers like to splurge on higher-priced sparkling options like Champagne,” he added.