There ’ s another prosecco that has also seen solid growth : Mionetto , which is up about 13 %. “ We ’ ve been riding the positive trend of prosecco ,” says Enore Ceola , CEO and managing director of Mionetto USA . Ceola also says the company has been marketing its products aggressively , especially its Prestige tier .

Both La Marca and Mionetto are outpacing the overall category . The Prosecco DOC Consortium reports that exports to the U . S . grew about 4 % in 2017 . The smaller Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Consortium says exports grew more than 7 %, although that increase is on a much smaller base .

At the Wine House in Los Angeles , the growth in bubbly sales has been “ prosecco , more than anything ,” according to General Manager J . B . Severin .

Prosecco has gotten so popular that some consumers are starting to use the word as a generic term for sparkling wine — as many do with Champagne . Scott Crestodina , owner of Independent Spirits in Chicago , said customers often ask for prosecco when they just want something with bubbles . ( Interestingly , he says , “ we don ’ t sell a ton of prosecco .”)

CHAMPAGNE ALSO SPARKLES The Champagne Bureau , USA , reports that shipments in 2017 were up almost 6 % over 2016 , marking the fifth consecutive year of growth . Jennifer Hall , the bureau ’ s director , says Champagne is benefiting from the overall interest in sparkling wine , especially as people trade up .

The No . 1 Champagne brand in the U . S . is Veuve Clicquot , best known for its non-vintage brut bottling , Yellow Label . According to the Beverage Information and Insights Group , imports of all bottlings of Veuve Clicquot in 2017 were up more than 8 % over the previous year . That slightly outpaced Veuve ’ s sister brand , Moët & Chandon ( both are owned by Moët Hennessy ).

Champagne consumers , says Aygline Pechdo , vice president of Veuve Clicquot , “ are going after brands they trust .”

One Champagne brand that ’ s been on fire is Piper Heidsieck ,

“ WE BUILT OUR BUSINESS BY PUSHING THE SALES OUTSIDE THE HOLIDAYS .”

– Enore Ceola , CEO and Managing director of Mionetto USA

SALES BEYOND WINTER HOLIDAYS Sales of all sparkling wines spike in November and December . But nearly everyone agrees that prosecco paved the way for consumers to drink more bubbly in the non-holiday months . Its generally modest price made sparkling wine affordable enough for every day . Luca Giavi , director of the Prosecco DOC Consortium , says producers “ traditionally see an increase in consumption during the summer , particularly during the start of the traditional wedding season .” “ We built our business by pushing the sales outside the holidays ,” Mionetto ’ s Ceola says . He estimates that about one-quarter of sales are in spring and summer , when consumers are looking for something light and refreshing . Instead of , say , a glass of pinot grigio , prosecco “ makes everything more exciting .” Gelb of Total Wine also cites the

Pinot Grigio comparison . People can buy good prosecco for $ 10 or $ 11 a bottle , about the same price as many Pinot Grigios . “ It ’ s an easy tradeoff ,” he says .

Inevitably this has increased non-holiday sales of other types of bubbly . “ Prosecco made sparkling wine something people are more comfortable with year-round ,” says Terlato ’ s Lane . “ Champagne was the beneficiary .”

Pechdo of Veuve Clicquot adds that Valentine ’ s Day and Father ’ s Day are becoming “ Champagne holidays .” In that vein , sister brand Moët & Chandon launched a campaign about celebrating memorable moments – “ the small , special moments throughout the year ,” as Renaud Butel , vice president of Moët & Chandon USA , puts it .

One winery that does heavy promotion throughout the year

www . beveragedynamics . com November / Decemeber 2018 • Beverage Dynamics 17