U.S. retail wine sales fell 3.3% in the four weeks through Oct. 17

U.S. retail wine sales fell in both dollar value and volume in the four weeks ended October 17, according to NielsenIQ data released Tuesday, October 27, as continuing weakness in still wine outweighed gains in sparkling and nonalcoholic products.

NielsenIQ said total wine sales, excluding wine-based cocktails, declined 3.3% in dollar terms from the equivalent four-week period in 2025. Sales volume fell 4.9% over the same period. The figures come from NielsenIQ’s retail measurement data and reflect only the measured retail channels, not the full U.S. market.

The data showed that the category’s weakness remained concentrated in still wine, the largest part of the business. Still wine sales fell 4.0% in dollar terms and 5.3% in volume in the four-week period. By contrast, sparkling wine posted a 1.1% increase in dollar sales, although its volume slipped 0.3%. Nonalcoholic wine, a much smaller segment, continued to grow faster than the rest of the category, with dollar sales up 19.2% and volume up 16.0%.

NielsenIQ said a small improvement in the most recent week did not reverse the broader decline. Weekly wine sales reached $368.6 million, up 0.2% from the prior week. Even with that increase, the longer four-week comparison remained negative.

The research group said weaker consumer engagement was the largest factor behind the category’s losses, accounting for 47% of the decline in the period. Reduced product availability accounted for 31%, while underperforming promotions represented 22%, a larger share than in the previous week.

The gap between the drop in dollar sales and the larger decline in volume suggests that the category’s average revenue per unit held up better than case movement, but the data do not isolate pricing effects. NielsenIQ’s figures are reported in nominal dollars, and the difference between value and volume does not measure price changes alone.

Among manufacturers, Gallo remained the largest by dollar sales, though its sales fell 1.2% and its case volume dropped by 64,400 cases in the period. The Wine Group ranked second and posted a 9.0% decline in dollar sales, with volume down by 247,900 cases. Deutsch Family was the third-largest manufacturer and one of the few major suppliers to post growth, with dollar sales up 3.5% and volume up by 9,000 cases. Trinchero Family and Delicato Family Wines rounded out the top five, and both recorded 4.2% declines in dollar sales.

Among the companies with the fastest dollar growth, NielsenIQ identified Deutsch Family, Kobrand, Delegat USA, Vineyard Brands and Wagner Family Wines. Delegat USA and Vineyard Brands each posted 7.3% dollar growth, while Kobrand rose 7.0%. Wagner Family Wines increased 3.5%.

At the brand level, Josh ranked first by dollar sales and rose 7.8%, with volume up by 35,400 cases. Barefoot was second and increased 1.2%, adding 38,000 cases. Bota fell 3.4%, and Sutter Home declined 4.1%. La Marca, the fifth-largest brand by dollar sales in the period, rose 14.7% and added 21,900 cases.

Some smaller brands posted much sharper growth rates from lower bases. Whitehaven increased 23.3% in dollar sales, while Art of the Cooper rose 299.9%. Made by James showed a 1,046.0% increase in dollar sales and added 9,200 cases.

The NielsenIQ report covers measured retail sales and excludes wine-based cocktails, so it does not represent all wine consumption in the United States, including sales through channels outside its retail panel. Still, the data point to a category that remained under pressure through mid-October, with gains in sparkling and nonalcoholic wine not large enough to offset the declines in still wine.