Although it isn’t breaking out actual sales, Wine.com is saying more about its frequent shoppers and their choice of wines. About 58% of the wine sold on Wine.com, No. 199 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, is imported. The sale of wine from France and Italy also rose by about 30% last year, the company says.
“Our customers are educated and affluent and they’re going for the imports in record numbers and spending over $20 per bottle,” says Wine.com founder and vice president of merchandising Mike Osborn. “By comparison, the U.S. market consumes less than 25% imports, with an average bottle price under $5.”
Wines using screw caps made up 17.5% of Wine.com’s sales for the 12-month period ending May 31, 2007. Sales were based on 52.6% white wine, 41% red and 6.4% Rosé and dessert wines, the company says. The top four wine regions include Australia, with 39%; California, 24%; New Zealand, 20%; and France 5%.
“The most exciting facet of our sales in the past 12 months is the growth of red wines under screw cap – they represent more than 41% of our total screw cap sales,” says Osborn. “Screw caps are growing increasingly popular among winemakers to avoid cork taint."
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