VinQuest 2019
Consumer Direct Wine Sales Report

Slower DTC Sales Growth Predicted in 2019

Top performers use sales training & high frequency marketing beat the competition

Windsor, CA – May 15, 2019 – After years of double-digit sales gains, winery owners and managers are forecasting slower sales growth this year, according to the latest VinQuest 2019 U.S. Consumer Direct Wine Sales Report.

Declining tasting room traffic and increased competition for wine country visitors, wineries participating in this year’s survey report DTC sales growth will average 7% in 2019, sharply down from the 13% reported in 2018.

This year’s report features an exclusive new DTC Sales Performance Index that identifies best practices by rating 46 DTC sales and marketing tactics according to their relative impact on U.S. tasting room, wine club and online sales growth

Top-performing wineries in this year’s survey relied on intensive sales training programs and high frequency outbound marketing to post DTC sales growth rates double the industry average.

Key findings of this year’s research reveal:

Wine Club share of 2019 DTC Sales: 43%
Tasting Room share of 2019 DTC Sales: 34%
Ecommerce share of 2019 DTC Sales: 7%
2019 Wine Club Growth: 8.8%
2019 Tasting Room Growth: 5.9%
2019 Ecommerce Growth Rate: 9.1%

"With more competition for visitors between wineries, microbreweries, distilleries, and cannabis-themed businesses, most wineries surveyed are expecting lower DTC sales growth this year. But by doubling-down on sales training and customer outreach, growth-oriented wineries have discovered new opportunities to expand their wine sales in 2019,” according to VinterActive CEO, Bryan St. Amant.

About VinQuest 2019
The VinQuest 2019 online survey was conducted by VinterActive LLC in partnership with the Wine Industry Network from December 2018 through February 2019, to measure industry averages, identify best practices and provide insight that can help wineries better manage their tasting room, wine club, and online sales.

Now in its twelfth year, VinQuest research has produced one of the largest and most widely used sources of consumer direct sales data in the U.S. wine industry.

Participating winery associations include Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association, Lake County Winery Association, Mendocino Winegrowers, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Garden State Wine Growers, Oregon Wine, Sonoma Vintners, Temecula Valley Winegrowers, Texas Wine & Grape Growers, Wine Road Sonoma County, and Wine America. Initial guidance and support were provided by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

To Learn More
A 10-page research summary – including a detailed comparison of tasting room, wine club and online sales results at wineries of all sizes – was distributed to survey participants and is available to purchase here.