Amid broader declines in the wine and beverage alcohol sectors, the direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine shipping channel is set to face another difficult year. According to the 2025 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Mid-Year Report from Sovos ShipCompliant and WineBusiness Analytics, both shipment value and volume in the U.S. DTC market have continued their slide downward, a trend that has persisted since 2022, it says. 

Nationwide, shipment volume declined by 12% for the January-June 2025 period, amounting to 2.7 million cases sold, while the overall value of these shipments decreased by 6%, totaling $1.7 billion. Average bottle price has experienced a steady increase over the last three years, with prices rising this year by 8%, reaching $52.68.  

“Evolving tastes and shifting consumer preferences are redefining the U.S. wine market — and the ripple effect is clear. The DTC wine shipping segment is poised for another year of contraction as these market-wide changes continue to take hold,” said Alex Koral, regulatory general counsel at Sovos ShipCompliant, in a statement. “Still, opportunity lies in connecting with emerging consumer segments, leaning into premiumization, and embracing innovative channels that meet buyers where they are.” 

 Andrew Adams who is an analyst and editor with WineBusiness Analytics, added: “It’s disappointing to say the least. Especially as increasing DTC sales was a goal for most U.S. wineries this year. The decline in shipment volume shows how challenging and competitive the DtC market has become.” 

The following are highlight from the report highlights:  

•    Destination states: California remains the leading destination for DTC wine shipments, although its volume share slipped to 28% from 29%. In total, eight states achieved positive value growth: Alaska (+93%), Arkansas (+7%), Idaho (+7%), Kentucky (+6%), Michigan (+3%) and Wyoming (+8%). 

•    Winery size: All winery size categories experienced declines in shipment volume, yet every segment reported an increase in average bottle price (ABP). Notably, very small wineries (1,000–4,999 cases annual production) were the only group to register an uptick in shipment value, driven by a remarkable 15% rise in ABP to $79.34, even as their volume slipped by 12%. 

•    Basket analysis: For the first time, the report analyzed the average number of bottles for each shipment, which edged upward from 9.5 in 2024 to 9.9 in 2025, a 5% increase. Alongside this, average order value also has seen significant growth, jumping from $463 to $521, which represents a 13% increase.  

“The increase in average bottle price underscores the stability in demand for higher-priced wines, but it also reflects significant increases in the cost of shipping wine and declining shipment volumes across all key regions,” Adams stated. “This new DTC market has compelled wineries to be more strategic and cost conscious in their management and expectations of direct sales.” 

The Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Mid-Year Report is an annual collaboration between Sovos ShipCompliant and WineBusiness Analytics, examining shipment trends from wineries to U.S. consumers. The proprietary data included is compiled from an algorithm measuring total DTC shipments based on millions of anonymous direct shipping transactions filtered through the ShipCompliant system and paired with WineBusiness Analytics’ comprehensive data on U.S. wineries.