Drizly’s latest ranking of the top 20 best-selling wines not only reveals the top categories, brands, and SKUs that consumers are buying most during the past 12 months; it also provides insights into continuing category trends. The data suggest that wine drinkers are buying more Champagne — especially at the higher end — and reaching for white table wines more frequently. Read on for five key takeaways to consider when making wine decisions in the coming months. 

Drizly’s Top 20 Best-Selling Wines

1. Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne
2. La Marca Prosecco
3. Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
4. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 
5. Whispering Angel Rosé
6. Oyster Bay New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 
7. Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut Champagne
8. Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne
9. Meiomi Pinot Noir 
10. Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
11. Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon
12. Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc
13. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio DOC
14. Cavit Pinot Grigio
15. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Gift Box Champagne
16. Matua Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
17. Mionetto Prosecco Brut Sparkling
18. Josh Cellars Chardonnay
19. La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
20. Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay

Five Key Takeaways

1. High-End Bubbles Are Rising

The Champagne and sparkling wine subcategory accounted for a 24 percent share of wine category sales on Drizly during the past 12 months. It also landed six SKUs in Drizly’s ranking of best-selling wines, comprising an impressive 30 percent of the top 20.

“The sparkling wine and Champagne category did very well overall,” says Drizly’s head of consumer insights Liz Paquette, adding that higher-end Champagne offerings were especially popular. “Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label moved into the No. 1 spot from No. 6 previously. Möet and Dom Pérignon made the list this year when they were not previously among the top 20 best sellers.” 

More affordable Prosecco sparklers from La Marca and Mionetto also made Drizly’s top 20.

“Sparkling wine is becoming increasingly mainstream in the U.S., with the drinking population growing, frequency of consumption up, and sparkling wine seen as more suitable for informal occasions,” notes Richard Halstead, the COO of consumer insights at IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. 

Women aged 21 to 34 years have the highest awareness for sparkling rosé, he adds, with the gender split between male and female sparkling wine consumers at 50-50. 

2. Consumers Favoring White Wines 

White wine is gaining share on Drizly. The category currently accounts for 29 percent of the wine category’s overall sales, up from 27 percent during the same time period in 2022. The category landed eight entries in the top 20, representing 40 percent of the year’s top-selling wines.

White wines from New Zealand have become especially hot on Drizly, with share increasing from 24 to 25 percent year-to-date in 2023. Four of the year’s top sellers, including Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc, and Matua Sauvignon Blanc, all hail from New Zealand. 

Italian Pinot Grigio and California Chardonnay were also popular with Drizly customers with two entries each in the Top 20. 

3. Red Wine Share Is Declining

As the white wine and Champagne/sparkling wine categories rise in the ranks, red wine is seeing a decline. Drizly’s top 20 ranking includes just five red wine SKUs compared to eight during the previous 12 months. 

Nielsen IQ (NIQ) data also shows a decline in red wine dollar sales in off-premise channels. In the 52 weeks ending March 5, 2023, red wine dipped four percent while white wine sales remained flat. White wine outsold red wine overall at $7.93 billion compared to $7.89 billion for the red wine category.

Cabernet Sauvignon remains Drizly’s most popular red varietal wine, with the Josh Cellars, Caymus, and Decoy brands ranking as top sellers. Two Pinot Noir wines, from Meiomi and La Crema, also made the list. 

4. Wine Consumers Are Still Trading Up

The average unit price for wine on Drizly during the past 12 months was $19.70 — up from $18.90 during the previous 12 months. In the Champagne/sparkling wine subcategory, the average unit price increased more than seven percent, from $16.31 to $17.53. 

Wines priced under $11.99 saw sales declines during the past 12 months, according to NIQ figures, while those in the $19 to $19.99 category saw the greatest dollar sales gains at six percent. The average per-unit price for both the red wine and white wine categories increased three percent in NIQ-tracked channels. 

The wines in Drizly’s top 20 that are priced in the desirable $15 to $25 range include La Marca Prosecco, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Whispering Angel Rosé, Meiomi Pinot Noir, Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon, Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc, and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio.

5. Wine Sales Skew Female

In the past 12 months, wine skewed female among Drizly shoppers at 60 percent women and 40 percent men. Women purchased the majority of Champagne and sparkling wine at 63 percent, as well as more white wine at 65 percent, more red wine at 59 percent, and a large majority of rosé wine at 68 percent. 

In keeping with Drizly’s demographic findings, the 2021-22 Wine Market Council Benchmark Segmentation Survey, which included input from more than 5,700 U.S. consumers, estimated the current breakdown of U.S. wine consumers at 59 percent female and 41 percent male. This represents a decline in male wine drinkers from 45 percent less than a decade ago, confirming that U.S. wine buyers are increasingly female. This presents opportunities for retailers to target and engage female customers in their wine promotions and inventory selections.