Midwest Wine and Cider: Top Products and Export Markets
Midwest wineries and cideries have established a strong foothold in the national beverage alcohol market, with distinctive varietals gaining popularity across the country. This analysis examines the top-selling wine and cider products from Midwest producers and identifies the key non-Midwest markets where these products are finding success.
Top-Selling Varietals from Midwest Wineries
The following table ranks the most popular wine and cider products from Midwest wineries by unit sales, with comparative pricing and ranking data between 2023 and 2024:
Top Non-Midwest Markets for Midwest Products
The table below shows the top 25 cities outside the Midwest region that are purchasing wine and cider products from Midwest wineries, ranked by 2024 unit sales:
Key Insights
Varietal Performance
Apple Cider maintains its position as the top-selling product by volume, with a moderate 4% price increase from $8.73 to $9.10 per liter.
Red and White Blends continue to dominate the wine category, holding steady at the #2 and #3 positions respectively, with minimal price increases.
Rosé has shown momentum, climbing from 5th to 4th place, accompanied by a substantial 9% price increase.
Marquette, a cold-climate red varietal, developed at the University of Minnesota, and particularly well-suited to the Midwest region, has made progress, jumping from 9th to 6th place with a 6% price increase.
White Sparkling wine entered the top 10, moving from 13th to 10th place with a 7% price increase, reflecting a growing trend toward sparkling wine consumption nationwide.
Export Market Dynamics
The distribution of Midwest products to non-Midwest markets shows several notable patterns:
Louisville, Kentucky maintains its position as the top market for Midwest products.
Major urban centers like New York, Washington DC, and Denver represent significant markets, with New York climbing from 5th to 2nd place.
Texas shows growth with both Houston and Austin in the top 10, moving up from 10th to 5th and 22nd to 8th respectively.
Pittsburgh has experienced the most dramatic improvement, jumping from 30th to 7th place.
Western cities including Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, and Colorado Springs all appear in the top 10, suggesting broad national distribution and acceptance of Midwest products.
Data Parameters
This analysis defines the Midwest region as comprising twelve states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Sales data covers transactions from producers within these states.