The more they stay the same. Or so it appears… somewhat.

Always anticipated, Restaurant Wine, a formidable on-premise publication driven and written by MS/MW Ronn Wiegand, has come out with its annual ‘Top 100’ on-premise wines and brands served. While there is some news… well, it looks pretty much the same, at least as far as who is in the rankings. Ronn takes on this ample project annually and in so doing ranks wines and brands based on total 9-liter cases consumed across the entire spectrum of American restaurants licensed to serve wine, from the casual segment to fine dining restaurants and from bars and lounges to hotel banquet departments.

According to Ronn, the sales of the Top 100 Wines in US restaurants in 2008 were off 3.5 percent in volume, but significantly less than the total on-premise wine market (down 5.5 percent). Yet a telling stat is that even as the overall market declined, the Top 100 Wines gained market share, rising from 23.9 percent of the total on-premise wine market in the USA (by volume sold) to 24.4 percent in 2008. Given that many of these wines come from larger companies who can support and invest in this segment of the market, it’s not really all that surprising.

As in previous years, varietal wines dominated the list, accounting for 83 of the 100 slots, and 83.7 percent of the total wine volume sold. Overall, white wines and rose (White Zinfandel) declined modestly on this list; red wines increased. While most all categories are apparently flat or off, the one category that showed significant growth was Riesling, up 16.7 percent in Top 100 volume sales in USA restaurants in 2008. Based on what I have seen and the increased anecdotal support for the overall category of ‘aromatic whites’, a category that includes Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Vermentino etc. alongside of Riesling, I am again not surprised. They are lower in alcohol, not overwhelmed by oak, and pair nicely with so many types of cuisine. Before you get too excited about the numbers, do note that the base of Riesling sales is far smaller than that of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc so double digit growth is a bit deceiving.

The single most interesting finding in 2008 was/is that for the first time ever, Kendall-Jackson became the most popular wine brand in USA restaurants, outpacing–bottle for bottle–every other brand on the Top 100 Brand list. Given the price points of KJ being higher than many of its peers in these brackets and the focus on the off trade that has been increasing on their part over the past few years, this is a little bit unexpected. That said when people are stressed and in need of comfort, they gravitate towards things they know- roast chicken, meatloaf, and (apparently) KJ wines!

You can learn more about this survey at Top 100 Wine Brands & Top 100 Individual Wines in USA Restaurants in 2007 Unveiled by Restaurant Wine Magazine.