Moscato “Eats up” the Category

excerpted from Wine & Spirits Daily (subscribe here)

February 28, 2012–Unless you are entirely new to the wine industry, then you are quite aware that Moscato is on fire. But those words don’t really mean anything unless you dig deep into the trend and take a look at the numbers. You may think that Moscato is a small category but it’s not . It is the fourth largest white wine varietal in terms of dollar sales in the 13-weeks ending February 4 behind Chardonnay ($539.2 million), Pinot Grigio ($212.8 million) and Sauvignon Blanc ($112.2 million), based on Nielsen scans. But it is nipping at Sauvignon Blanc’s heels with over eight times the growth. Moscato is just slightly behind Sauvignon Blanc with net sales of $111.16 million, but sales climbed a whopping +54.6%, while Sauvignon Blanc grew only +6.7%. Moscato also far outgrew Chardonnay (+0.7%) and Pinot Grigio (+5.1%), but has a ways to go before catching up with those varietals.

In terms of volume, Moscato is the third largest category at over 1.5 million cases behind Chardonnay (6.9 million cases) and Pinot Grigio (2.65 million). Sauvignon Blanc comes in fourth at 1.1 million cases. As with dollar sales, Moscato’s volumes are the fastest growing, up +53.7%. Chardonnay, meanwhile, declined -0.2%, while Pinot Grigio grew +8.2% and Sauvignon Blanc grew +3.9%.

“I think Moscato is absolutely eating up the category. It’s destined right now to be the third largest white wine. At current trends it would overtake Sauvignon Blanc by value. It has already overtaken it by volume. So it has still a ways to go before it is the size of Pinot Grigio, but it is certainly growing way ahead of the category,” Stephen Brauer, managing director of Beringer for Treasury Wine Estates, told WSD.

Moscato was the biggest share gainer by far among varietals, taking +1.4 dollar share points and +1.5 volume share points. That in turn is benefitting the total white wine category, which is taking share away from red wine despite the growing popularity of red blends. Case in point: white wine took +0.7 dollar share points in the 13-weeks, while red wine lost -0.1 share points and blush lost -0.6 points. In terms of volume, white wine gained even more share – +1.1 points.

With trends that big wineries are of course trying to get in on the action. Brands that have recently added a Moscato extension is too long to list in entirety, but Rex Goliath, Beringer, Lindeman’s, Yellow Tail, Barefoot, Sutter Home, Menage a Trois, Robert Mondavi, Flip Flop, Cupcake, St. Supery and Woodbridge are just a few. Moscato alone has helped to turnaround a number of those brands, including Beringer, Yellow Tail and Lindeman’s.

THE “WHY” FACTOR: So now you have the facts on just how big Moscato is, but why is it growing? The experts say that it’s new drinkers – both millennials and older generations – coming into the category looking for easy-to-drink, sweeter wines. It also looks as though White Zinfandel and Riesling is losing consumers to Moscato . The White Zinfandel category has been suffering for several years now, and perhaps the emergence of Moscato has heightened its decline. White Zinfandel sales fell -9.9%, while volumes declined -8.2% in the 13-weeks.

But don’t forget that there was a period in the not-so-distant past that Riesling was doing pretty well. However, that’s not the case anymore. Dollar sales of Riesling declined -7.3% in the 13-weeks, losing -0.3 share points. Volumes fell -8.3%, losing -0.2 share points.

Besides Moscato’s obvious popularity, pricing is likely a factor as well. Sauvignon Blanc raised average prices by +23 cents to $8.43 a bottle. Riesling is also more expensive, with average prices up +9 cents to $7.95. Moscato, meanwhile, tends to sell at a lower price, with average prices up +3 cents to $6.02.

Still, Moscato isn’t posting this level of growth just because of pricing. “Riesling does seem to be softening, both in volume and value. It sort of makes sense because Moscato is chillable, it’s sweet, it’s delicious and it provides much of the same sensory satisfaction that, say, Riesling does for entry-level consumers,” said Stephen. “But [Moscato] has got that hip factor . It’s a cool varietal, and it’s delicious…. It’s just easy to drink, and I think that is exactly why consumers are buying more and more of it.”

That’s why we’re seeing a mad rush by California growers to meet this huge demand. Moscato starting picking up about 3 years ago, and just look at how much it has grown in that short time. It “could be a leading indicator of what is to come,” Jon Fredrikson’s (of Gomgerg, Fredrikson & Associates) recently said. “There is a big portion of the population who doesn’t like sour wines.” So it will be interesting to see how Moscato changes the wine category in the next few years.

Brewery Vivant featured for Energy Awareness

Brewery Vivant, a fledgling but rapidly growing brewery in Grand Rapids, was featured in Crain’s Michigan Business for their partnership with Consumers Energy Co. The energy giant in launching an ambitious program in Michigan that moves more than 2 million business and residential customers onto a system where the utility can read and control its meters remotely and provide 2 day old data online to customers about their consumption.

“I think it’s definitely something that may become important to people, particularly when new ways to analyze the data are developed,” said Jason Spaulding of Brewery Vivant.  In the six months the brewery was part of the program, the smart meter raised awareness of energy usage in their facility.  The microbrewery and restaurant in East Hills opened just over a year ago, and with a capacity to brew about 5.000 barrels of beer annually, Brewery Vivant also operates a packaging line that fills 16 ounce cans with its specialty brews.

“The biggest thing we found was when our brewing schedule overlaps a busy day in the restaurants, t creates big energy spikes.” Spaulding said.  “So now we schedule brewing and packaging days for slower days at the restaurant.” Spaulding conceded that Brewery Vivant didn’t get a change to change its behavior based on energy us much, because it was involved in the test for only six months and he was busy launching new businesses.  But he believes that this tool will dramatically benefit small business.

A Match Made In Heaven

Article contributed by IB staff writer Matthew J. Scott

Food is art.  At Imperial Beverage, we couldn’t agree more! Through exploration, this art is constantly transforming, as food lovers everywhere are continuously looking for new ways to blend ingredients and discover new tastes. Historically, the best way to accent a meal has been to pair the dish with a complementary beverage. Until recently, that pairing of choice was always wine, but in the midst of the craft beer movement a shift is occurring.  No matter your choice, the following offers a guide for pairing your favorite foods with a delicious, complimentary beverage.

When pairing wine or beer with food the possibilities are vast and everyone’s palate is different. However, we submit the following suggestions:

• Don’t overpower a light meal with a strong libation or vice versa. (match strength with strength)
• Acidic wine pairs well with acidic food.
• Try to match characteristics such as a similar scent or a smoky flavor. (find harmonies)
• Contrast or compliment, don’t settle in-between.
• Match origins, they have been drinking those beverages with that food for centuries for a reason.
• Tannic wines pair well with fatty dishes.
• When pairing beers with food, study the seasonality of the ingredients of each.  Stick to a single season.
• Consider sweetness, bitterness, carbonation, heat, richness, and texture. There are more elements at play than strictly taste.

The following websites may further your understanding of the pairing process.

Wine Beer

Pairing with Wine

Food and wine should stay balanced, but this doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with it. Rather than matching flavors, try to contrast flavors as to counteract one another and create contradicting harmony. For example, think of a sauce such as mango habanero. Although the flavors are wildly different, the outcome is well balanced and very interesting. This same concept can work with wine, a spicy dish with a sweeter wine, or a dessert with a bold Port.

Pairing with Beer

Wine can definitely make a meal, but if you are looking for complete customization, craft beer is a choice option. Though there are plenty of grape varietals and blends out there, the endless possibilities of unique and even wacky craft beers opens up the door for some really specific, sometimes off the wall pairing options.

When pairing beer with food it is important to have fun, experiment, and realize people like what they like. If someone hates porters it doesn’t matter how well it is matched, it will not be appreciated.

Whether to pair with wine or beer is a labyrinth of thoughts that can leave you baffled. The best way to go is work with what you have and again it all depends on preference. If you’re interested in a true challenge, why not try both a craft beer and wine pairing with a dish and decide for yourself which you prefer.

Can’t decide? Here is yet another reference.

Although this querry of wine versus beer will never be resolved, it creates a great opportunity to use the debate to stir things up. A new craze in the world of fine dining is wine vs. beer dinners. These pre-planned displays of culinary expertise provide several courses that are paired with both a hand selected wine and beer that they feel best compliments the dish. The customers are then asked to decide which beverage they prefer and a tally is kept throughout the night. Simply enough, the beverage with the most votes wins.

Ask this writer, and I’d say everyone wins, gourmet food paired with exceptional wine and craft beer. Sign me up! Imperial Beverage has teamed up with many restaurants around the mitten recently to make this happen, and the outcome is nothing short of success.

Using Beer and Wine as Ingredients to enhance the Pairing

Cooking with beer and wine can add another element to food that takes it from superb to stellar. Both beer and wine can be used in sauces, as baste, a marinade, an injection, a reduction sauce, or simply poured overtop a dish. When cooking with beer or wine choose carefully and understand the characteristics of the beverage are going to change due to the cooking process. Be careful when using hoppy bitter beers such as IPA’s when cooking because it brings out the bitterness while undermining the malts, and can result in an overly bitter and unpleasant result. This same affect can occur with the smokiness of porters and the creaminess of Belgian style ales.

Examples of cooking with beer

Now that the road is paved, use this information to come up with your own unique pairings or dishes prepared with beer and wine and feel free to share them with us here at Imperial Beverage!  We always love your feedback and comments on our blog entries.  Speak up!

ADDED TO POST: 2.22.12
Just found: a fun video featuring Wolfgang Puck on this topic.  Check it out!

Homebrewer’s Association Experiences Gains

The American Homebrewers Association’s membership has recently hit 30,000 members.  At Imperial Beverage, we can think of no greater thing to celebrate than the American Craft Brewer (nearly all of whom started brewing in their basement, garage, or–dare we say–spare bedroom), except perhaps the craft beer drinker.

The AHA, an official organization for hobbyists established in 1978  after President Jimmy Carter signed the bill that legalized homebrewing, offers support, networking and other benefits to its membership.

Read what the Brewer’s Association has to say on the topic.

Imperial Beverage Honored with Economic Catalyst Award

Imperial Beverage, the state-wide beverage distributor of beer wine and nonalcoholic beverages headquartered in Kalamazoo, MI, has recently been recognized as a catalyst for economic growth.  The Catalyst Awards, bestowed by Southwest Michigan First, are given annual to those companies to honor those that have been identified as “catalysts for economic success,” contributing to the region’s economic development efforts.

Announced January 24, 2012, these honors recognized the investment and reinvestment that Imperial Beverage has made in the area and in the state.  Of the recognition, Imperial President Joe Cekola said, “Kalamazoo is our home.  Imperial Beverage continues to grow within the city, as evidenced by our recent building acquisition and increasing staff.  We can’t imagine basing our business anywhere but here.”  Further, Cekola’s business was named among  other notable local companies.  “To be named among other tremendous businesses like Styker Corporation, Schupan and Sons, Mann+Hummel USA and others is such an honor.  It’s energizing to be part of such a group; one with such a spirit for growth and community connectedness.”

Kooky Craft Concoctions

Contributed By IB Staff Writer: Matthew J. Scott

An eccentric atmosphere paves way to pleasantly bizarre brews when entering one of the most unique craft breweries in operation, Odd Side Ales. A cozy place tucked away in downtown Grand Haven, Odd Side Ales, offers an off the wall selection of craft brews ranging from Pineapple IPA, to Peanut Butter Cup Stout, and the taps change perpetually. Visionary, Brewer, and Co-Owner Chris Michner transforms his passion into beer using a small brewing operation housed in the historic Story & Clark Piano Factory of Downtown Grand Haven. The result is then offered to the public through Odd Side’s inviting brew pub.

A former accountant and the Assistant Dean at Hope College seems an “odd” couple to start up a brewing operation, but gladly they did and our taste buds are the beneficiary! Chris and Alyson Michner started OSA about a year ago and are drawing a lot of much deserved attention. Their beer is exquisite and the brew pub is one of a kind. With a coffee house feel and laid back atmosphere, the brew pub offers a pleasant experience for beer drinkers from novice to connoisseur. The homemade bar is a work of art utilizing different grains to create obscure patterns that will keep your eyes busy for hours. For the regulars Odd Side teamed up with local Ceramic Café to initiate a Mug Club. Customers can purchase their own mug that they can personalize and keep as their own, hanging behind the bar on the coveted Mug Wall. Joining the Mug Club also offers perks such as reduced beer cost! With live music, a very knowledgeable staff, and an uncommon selection, the brew pub is a place to hang out, relax, and geek out on beer!

With over 50 varieties brewed and many more to come Odd Side’s portfolio is almost as vast as it is unique. Everyone knows it is quality over quantity but what about both? The people have spoken and the conclusion is clear! Receiving overall scores of 93 points, exceptional, on beeradvocate.com, and a 5 star world class rating on ratebeer.com, Odd Side Ales has earned a spot among the elite of the brewing industry, and at only a year old that’s pretty dang impressive.

The near future of this brewery is in plain sight as they are currently looking to lease more space to add more tanks and a bigger brew house. Currently only a few kegs are available for purchase including Morning Wood (Bourbon Barrel aged Dutch chocolate coffee stout) Colossal Oversight ( a 14% barely wine aged in Cognac barrels) One Bourbon, no scotch, one beer ( a bourbon barrel aged porter) and Lucid Dreams (a Belgian Dubble aged in red wine barrels). Hopefully soon these masterful barley treats will find homes in bottles and ultimately in stores state wide with a little help from Imperial Beverage.

Until then we will have to patiently wait, or take an occasional trip to Grand Haven to curve the craving for kooky beer concoctions. When you leave your old life behind to pursue a dream it is bound for greatness. Great beer is brewed for the brewer, others just reap the benefits. Chris says it best himself, “We like to Geek out on beer, it is our passion. We produce a variety of different beers with some truly unusual ingredients.” Implementing a business strategy based on great beer, a lot of variety, friendly bartenders, and a terrific atmosphere. I’d say they have the right idea!

Did you know? Imperial Lists Job Postings Online

Imperial Beverage, statewide beverage distributor in Michigan, is always looking for qualified candidates.  We are a rapidly growing company, with big plans for our future, and we need the right people to steer our ship!

Recently, Imperial updated our website to include public job postings. Visit for yourself, and see what’s available.  You may just parlay your love of beer and wine into an industry position!

Click here to view Imperial Beverage’s Job Postings.