Muscat eclipses Sauvignon Blanc in overall sales

Napa Valley Register / 2-16-2012

Recently pinot grigio displaced sauvignon blanc as the second most popular white wine variety in the United States, and now fast-growing muscat wines has overtaken it, too.

SNIP

Research company SymphonyIRI reports that volume sales of muscats, which are mostly labeled moscato in deference to elegant Moscato d’Asti and other Italian versions, totaled 2.8 million 9-liter case equivalents in the year ending Jan 22. For that period, sauvignon blanc sales were 2.77 million cases, statistics say.

Muscat sales grew at 70 percent, while sauvignon blanc grew at only 7 percent, about the same as the overall market; total table wine volume was about 84 million cases, and total table wine sales were $6 billion during the period, according to Symphony IRI.

The most popular wines are inexpensive, low in alcohol, frizzante (mildly bubbly) and slightly sweet, with the characteristic floral “grapeiness” of muscat grapes.

MORE: http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/wine/columnists/paul-franson/muscat-pushing-sauvignon-off-third-place/article_e7402700-5910-11e1-884f-001871e3ce6c.html

Chardonnay remains the best selling variety, white or red.

A well-made Moscato is delightful.