U.S. retail wine sales remained below year-ago levels in the four weeks ending September 26, 2026, despite growth in sparkling and non-alcoholic wine, according to NielsenIQ’s latest Retail Measurement report.

Wine dollar sales, excluding wine-based cocktails, declined 1.4% compared with the same period a year earlier, while volume fell 3.4%. However, sales for the latest individual week reached $364.6 million, an increase of 1.3% over the previous week. That weekly improvement does not yet establish a sustained recovery.

Sparkling wine delivered growth in both value and volume during the four-week period. Dollar sales increased 3.4% year over year, while volume rose 2.5%. Non-alcoholic wine recorded stronger percentage gains, with dollar sales increasing 21.5% and volume growing 18.6%.

Still wine remained under pressure. NIQ’s Wine Pulse summary reported a 2.2% decline in dollar sales and a 4.0% decrease in volume. Growth in the smaller sparkling and non-alcoholic segments was insufficient to offset those losses across the wine category.

The accompanying spreadsheet puts the size of the growing segments into perspective. Four-week sparkling wine sales totaled approximately $174.9 million, while non-alcoholic wine sales reached approximately $9.6 million across NIQ’s measured off-premise channels. The figures show why strong percentage growth in non-alcoholic wine has a limited effect on overall category performance.

Top 5 Manufacturers by Dollars

- No. 1 Gallo (−0.4% dollars, −51.2K cases)
- No. 2 The Wine Group (−8.6% dollars, −230.0K cases)
- No. 3 Deutsch Family (+4.8% dollars, +16.7K cases)
- No. 4 Trinchero Family (−0.9% dollars, −7.6K cases)
- No. 5 Delicato Family Wines (−7.2% dollars, −53.3K cases)

Top 5 Manufacturers by Dollar Growth

- No. 1 Deutsch Family (+4.8% dollars, +16.7K cases)
- No. 2 Moët Hennessy USA (+4.5% dollars, +3.4K cases)
- No. 3 Duckhorn Wine Company (+5.2% dollars, +5.5K cases)
- No. 4 Constellation (+3.6% dollars, +8.6K cases)
- No. 5 Delegat USA (+10.2% dollars, +4.4K cases)

Top 5 Brands by Dollars

- No. 1 Josh (+9.1% dollars, +39.3K cases)
- No. 2 Barefoot (+1.6% dollars, +42.8K cases)
- No. 3 Sutter Home (−2.1% dollars, −10.6K cases)
- No. 4 Bota (−3.5% dollars, −24.8K cases)
- No. 5 LaMarca (+17.9% dollars, +28.2K cases)

Top 5 Brands by Dollar Growth

- No. 1 LaMarca (+17.9% dollars, +28.2K cases)
- No. 2 Josh (+9.1% dollars, +39.3K cases)
- No. 3 Whitehaven (+24.2% dollars, +9.3K cases)
- No. 4 Kim Crawford (+9.2% dollars, +8.2K cases)
- No. 5 Matua (+14.4% dollars, +7.0K cases)

Wine-based cocktails, reported separately from the headline wine figures, also grew. Dollar sales increased 8.6%, and volume rose 6.0% year over year during the same four-week period.

[[relatedPurchasesItems-70]]

Across beverage alcohol more broadly, four-week dollar sales totaled $8.4 billion, down 0.5% from a year earlier, while case volume declined 2.5%. Prepared cocktails—which NIQ defines to include spirits-based prepared cocktails, wine-based cocktails, flavored malt beverages and seltzers—posted dollar growth of 4.8% and volume growth of 0.7%.

For sommeliers and beverage directors, the findings provide context for monitoring sparkling, non-alcoholic wine and wine-based cocktail offerings. The data measures retail off-premise performance; it does not establish sales trends in restaurants or bars. Decisions about wine lists and service should therefore be informed by each venue’s own guest demand and sales results.

Source and reporting scope: NielsenIQ Retail Measurement, Total Alcohol Executive Summary, Weekly Report, week ending September 26, 2026, and the accompanying NIQ Beverage Alcohol Weekly Report for Publication. 

Total Alcohol_Executive Summary_Weekly Report w.e. September 26, 2026

NIQ BevAl Weekly Report_EXCL RTD - WE 09.26.2026_for Publication

Header Image: Showing top winners of the growing category from the Sommeliers Choice Awards.

Also Read:
U.S. Wine Shows Early Signs of Improvement as Premium Spirits Remain Under Pressure
Sommeliers Choice Awards Expands Its 2027 Program to Recognize Single-Serve Wines
America’s Leading Sommeliers and Wine Buyers Join the 2027 Sommeliers Choice Awards Judging Panel