The Washington Wine Shipment Report is a quarterly publication that provides analysis and metrics on shipments of packaged wines by Washington wineries as well as commentary on broader economic and market trends. Summary metrics are broken down by sales channel (in state, out of state and DTC) and winery size class. Individual metrics on total shipments are also provided for the state's 100 largest wineries.
The analytics and insights provided in the report enable subscribers to discern shifts in demand early on, track the quarterly performance of Washington’s leading wineries, and situate Washington trends within a broader market and economic perspective. Click the link to download a sample of the contents.
A few highlights from the 1Q report:
- Shipments of packaged wines by Washington wineries grew by 7% in the first quarter on a year-over-year basis – essentially offsetting an 8% volume decline during the final quarter of 2018.
- The stronger 1Q performance was driven primarily by a turnaround in Ste. Michelle’s out-of-state distributor sales.
- DTC sales also expanded at a solid pace but shipments to in-state distributors and retail licenses fell by 5%.
- Total shipments are now up by 3% over the past 12 months, however, the trailing 12-month total remains slightly below the prior peak in the third quarter of 2016.
- The industry’s recent expansion has mainly been driven by large wineries – though the collective shipments by small wineries have also grown at a healthy pace in percentage terms.
- Approximately two-thirds of the state’s 100 largest wineries recorded volume gains for the trailing 12-month period.
- U.S. wine sales remain stagnant with modest growth in value terms and flat volume – and global wine inventories are still elevated.
- The U.S. economy performed better than anticipated in the first quarter and the outlook for the remainder of the year has improved, a positive development for wine demand.
The report is offered as an annual subscription (subscribers receive four quarterly issues) – new issues are released approximately five weeks after the end of each quarter. The price is $550 ($450 for small businesses with total revenue of less than $5 million). Use the online store to purchase a copy by credit card or download the order form if you would prefer to pay by check.