Restaurant Wine, Issue 101 (May/June 2004)

Top 100 Wine Brands On-Premise for 2004 Issue

Exclusive Report
Restaurant Wine Top 100 Wine Brands Sold in USA Restaurants, 2003. Our second report lists the most popular wines sold in USA restaurants, ranking them based on estimated case sales in 2002.

Key findings of our research: Wines from Italy and Australia increased their share of the Top 100 market in restaurants in 2003, while France’s share tumbled. So-called “animal” or “fun” brands more than doubled their presence in the Top 100 between 2002 and 2003. All 100 brands, and their estimated case sales and share of market, are included here.

Operation Profile
This leading Latin American restaurant in Coral Gables introduced a sommelier on the floor of its restaurant a few months after opening, and saw wine sales per cover more than double. Moreover, they are still rising, as customers embrace the evolving wine program.

Wine Recommendations
142 out of more than 500 tasted are recommended here, including more than a dozen top value California Chardonnays; outstanding white Rhone varietals (from California); and a range of Sauvignon Blancs, Rieslings, roses, Cabernets, Merlots, Petite Sirahs, Zinfandels, Zinfandels, and Syrahs from the USA. On the imported scene, we highlight top red wines from Argentina; white and red wines from Australia; reds from Chile; white and red wines from Italy; sparkling, white, and red wines from New Zealand; and several top value reds from Spain.