Wine.com Releases Annual 100 Top Wines of 2011

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Dec 7, 2011) - Today Wine.com, the nation's number one online wine retailer, announced the fifth annual Wine.com 100, the top bottles of wine sold nationally from the site in 2011. In its fifth year of publication, the Wine.com 100 -- the wine industry's only list compiled based solely on consumer purchasing data -- illustrates the movers and shakers in the wine business as well as definitive trends in online wine purchasing. Wine.com sells more than two million bottles of wine per year from an inventory of 13,000 different kinds and ships to 92% of consumers across the United States. The complete Wine.com 100 list for 2011 is available online at www.wine.com/100.

This year's list highlights several trends, including an increase in the price point consumers are spending on wine, the rise of a new popular region, and the continuing dominance of Cabernets and Napa, California-based wines. Additionally, for the first time ever, Wine.com has analyzed the list by age group, looking at purchases made by Generation Y, Generation X, Baby Boomers and the Greatest Generation:

• Was that an uptick in the economy? In 2011 the average price point per bottle rose to $30.01, a $1.50 increase from 2010. While affordable wines (between $15-20) are still the most popular, the number of bottles over $50 grew 70% this year from 10 to 17, and the lower priced $10-20 wines decreased measurably from 66 to only 44.
• Most popular varietal: Everyone loves a good cab. Cabernet Sauvignon continued to be the most popular varietal, with 32 bottles making it onto the list, compared to 25 in 2010; Pinot Noir came in a distant second, with 8 bottles on the list. Reds remain the dominant wine of choice, accounting for 80 percent of the list, while only 14 white wine bottles made the list.
• Bubbly remains a constant: The top 10 bottles included one Champagne and one sparkling wine, with the Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava holding the number two spot for the second consecutive year.
• Most popular region: Napa reigns. Overall, Napa Valley was the most popular region represented on the list, with nearly 23 of the bottles hailing from the famed California region, up from last year at 20.
• Washington on the rise: Wine from Washington State experienced a 200% rise in sales with six different wines from the region making it on to the list, including two in the top ten.
• Older folks are more brand conscious about California wines: Wines like Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 2007 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon, Caymus 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and La Crema 2009 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay rank much higher with Baby Boomers, Generation X and even the Greatest Generation, than with Generation Y.
• Younger folks are much more brand conscious when buying sparkling wines: Well known names like Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label and Dom Perignon 2002 are significantly more popular with Generation Y.

This year's bestseller, Tilia 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, is the first Argentinian wine to top the list, but follows the tradition of affordable red wines being the most sought after items on Wine.com. Rated 91 points by renowned wine publications, with a price tag of under $10, Tilia is a great representative of the many quality wines at affordable prices in the Wine.com inventory.

"Through our partnership with Wine.com, we've been able to offer our wines to wine lovers around the United States, making it easy to order and enjoy," said Laura Catena, Principal of Tilia Winery. "We're thrilled to see Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon as the number one seller on the Wine.com list this year. It is a great example of why the high altitude of Argentina's Mendoza wine growing region is so perfect for viticulture. The wine is rich and powerful, with delicious drinkability and we're happy to hear it's appreciated near and far."

The Wine.com 100 is led off with the 10 most popular sellers of the year:

1. Tilia 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
2. Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava
3. Chateau Ste. Michelle 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
4. Columbia Crest 2009 Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon
5. d'Arenberg 2008 Stump Jump Shiraz
6. Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label
7. Gloria Ferrer 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir
8. Conundrum 2009
9. Cakebread 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
10. Evodia 2009 Old Vine Grenache

Wines from California still dominate the list and consumers continue to enjoy quality Napa wines, even at higher price points; Cakebread 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ranks 9^th this year. "Cakebread Cellars is a family business and by working with Wine.com we've been able to make our handcrafted wines even more accessible nationwide," said Dennis Cakebread, Cakebread Cellars. "We've been creating Napa Valley wines for 38 years and we always like to hear that people are enjoying our wine, so we're very pleased that our 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon made the Top 10 list this year."

About Wine.com
Wine.com is the nation's #1 online wine retailer, offering thousands of wines, wine gifts, gift baskets and monthly wine clubs. Wine.com's mission is to be the ultimate resource for wine enthusiasts, whether shopping for themselves or a gift. Wine.com offers a combination of selection, value, service and detailed product information that is impossible to find in a brick and mortar store. Wine.com is the world's most visited wine website and also runs the wine flash sales site, WineShopper. Wine.com is majority owned by Baker Capital. For more information: visit www.wine.com, the Wine Notes Blog, Facebook page, Twitter, or download the iPad app. For WineShopper, visit www.wineshopper.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

About Baker Capital
Baker Capital, founded in 1995, is New York based private equity firm with $1.5 billion under management. Baker Capital invests globally in digital communications, media and technology companies at all stages of development. The partners of Baker Capital have extensive private equity and operational experience allowing the firm to provide its portfolio companies with not only capital, but also global strategic thinking and relationships.