While Yellow Tail has long held the crown as America’s top-imported wine brand, another fan-favorite has officially dethroned the Australian wine brand.
Stella Rosa is now the top-imported brand in the United States, according to the American Association of Wine Enthusiasts (AAWE). In the period between 2019 and 2021, a massive jump in Stella Rosa’s sales skyrocketed the brand to No. 1, bypassing the long-reining Yellow Tail.
For the first time in almost 20 years, Yellow Tail is not the #1 import brand anymore — Stella Rosa is the new #1. Since its inception in 2001, 1.3 billion liters of Yellow Tail have been sold. – Note the persistence of Cavit, Riunite and Concha y Toro, and the rise of 19 Crimes pic.twitter.com/FQFArO2jTv
— AAWE (@wineecon) January 31, 2023
While Stella Rosa experienced a major pandemic-era jump, it hasn’t been a top player for long. The sweet vinos are produced in Italy and, since its inception, the brand has sold 22.5 million nine-liter cases up until 2021.
While 2022 data isn’t yet available, initial reports from Stella Rosa seem to indicate that sales slowed in the past year, according to Shanken News Daily.
Yellow Tail, meanwhile, has been America’s wine import leader since 2002, maintaining a significant lead over brands such as Cavit, Concha y Toro, Riunite, and Lindemans. In the years since the brand’s 2001 founding, it has sold some 1.3 billion liters worth of Australian wine. Its inclusive and easygoing approach seems to be working — it’s one of the most well-known brands in the under-$10 category and currently No. 2 in U.S. imports.
Stella Rosa offers a line of sweet wines heralded for their drinkability and budget-conscious price tags. Fruit-forward flavors such as Stella Berry seem to especially captivate U.S. drinkers. In 2022, it debuted several premium offerings — including three flavored brandies that retail for nearly $30 each.
As the AAWE notes, 19 Crimes has also emerged as a rising brand in the past ten years. The label, which emerged in 2012, is especially known for its swanky celebrity collaborations; Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart have famously partnered with 19 Crimes for past releases.
Which brand will come out on top this year? Only time will tell.
