On Wednesday, August 16th, join us for a dynamic panel discussion about the 2023 SVB Annual Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey Report. This year’s survey results and insights help address what’s needed to drive consumer sales in the year ahead.  

Our lively panel of business leaders from the wine industry will answer your questions and address the industry topics including: 

• Digital strategies for customer acquisition
• Finding the sweet spot with wine clubs
• Regional, bottle price, and production metrics

Our survey results are based on input from wineries across the US and Canada, including all of the major AVA associations. Silicon Valley Bank has publicly researched the wine industry for over 20 years and spent more than a decade producing annual nationwide benchmarks for direct-to-consumer wine sales. 

REGISTER TODAY to join us for this much-anticipated virtual event via Zoom.

Please join us on Thursday, January 18 for a live, virtual event to review findings and predictions from our 2024 State of the US Wine Industry Report. 

Don’t miss an opportunity to discuss the emerging trends impacting the wine industry. Our panel of industry leaders will discuss their observations on the current business climate, offer their take on the evolution of the wine market and share insights on what is needed for continued success in the years to come. 

We plan on covering the following topics: 

• The continued growth of advanced analytics in our industry 
• The positive outlook for premium wine sales 
• A silver lining to the declines in tasting room visitations 
• Tactics to overcome an increasingly crowded marketplace 
• The root causes of the ongoing decline in total wine sales 

Our panel will include the following industry thought leaders:

• Rob McMillan, EVP & Founder, Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division 
• Jen Locke, CEO, Crimson Wine Group
• Paul Mabray, Industry Innovator
• Ed Thralls, SVP Professional Services at Enolytics 

Register today and join us for another highly anticipated virtual gathering.

The 2013 Tasting Room Survey is a compilation of responses from 500 winemakers from across the U.S. and Canada. The purpose of the survey was to determine trends in tasting room and wine club practices and procedures. In this interactive video discussion SVB's Rob McMillan will review survey results and interpret industry trends with our panel of experts including: Cyril Penn of Wine Business Monthly, Brian Baker of Chateau Montelena and Ahin Thomas of the Vintners' Alliance.

Topics include: 
• Direct sales through tasting rooms and revenue generated
• Fees and fee reimbursement
• Staff compensation and benefits
• CRM integration
• Detailed wine club metrics

In Celebration of 30 Years in Business, Company Kicks Off Series of Community Service Events Around the World

SANTA CLARA, Calif. –– July 11, 2013 — Silicon Valley Bank, financial partner to the innovation sector, its investors, and the wine industry, launched a global community service campaign in honor of the company’s 30th anniversary. Silicon Valley Bank’s 1,650 employees in more than 30 cities across the US and internationally, will participate in volunteer events for not-for-profit organizations in their local area throughout the remainder of the year.

“Our people are as driven to support meaningful causes as they are to support our clients, so it came as no surprise when we asked our employees how we should celebrate our 30th year in business, they said they wanted to give back,” said Greg Becker, President and CEO, Silicon Valley Bank. “We know that positive change starts with individuals. We’re looking forward to giving our employees an opportunity to engage our clients and collectively make an impact where they live and work.”

Silicon Valley Bank opened its doors in the heart of Silicon Valley in 1983 to lend startup capital to companies that other banks thought too risky to take on as clients. Today, SVB provides commercial banking services, industry knowledge and a vast global network of connections to companies of all sizes in the technology, life science, cleantech, venture capital, private equity and premium wine industries. 

The “30 Years |30 Causes” initiative was developed after the company crowd sourced ideas from its employees to celebrate its anniversary. The global series of events begins today at the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Entrepreneur House. SVB’s team based in Minnesota will contribute to a full house renovation in St. Paul. Our Northern Virginia/ DC team will upgrade and increase the dog kennels at the Commonwealth Humane Societyon July 19th and the Portland, OR-based team will be helping teens build and harvest vegetable gardens at theSupaFresh Youth Farm on August 16th. By year end, the company expects to complete 30 events in 15 states and five countries. 

Points of Light is assisting SVB with the development and execution of its events worldwide.

A listing of SVB’s 30 Years | 30 causes events, as well as photos, will be updated at svb.com/svb-30-years/  and www.facebook.com/SVBFinancialGroup . Follow @SVB_Financial’s community service initiatives on Twitter with #SVB30. 

About Silicon Valley Bank
Banking the world's most innovative companies and exclusive wineries, SVB's diverse financial services, knowledge, global network, and world class service increase our clients' probability of success. With $23 billion in assets and more than 1,600 employees, we provide commercial, international and private banking through 34 locations worldwide. Forbes Magazine ranks us among America's Best Banks and Fortune considered SVB one of the best places to work. (Nasdaq: SIVB) www.svb.com

Silicon Valley Bank is the California bank subsidiary and the commercial banking operation of SVB Financial Group. Banking services are provided by Silicon Valley Bank, a member of the FDIC and the Federal Reserve System. SVB Financial Group is also a member of the Federal Reserve System.

The 2014 Tasting Room Survey is a compilation of responses from 500 winemakers from across the U.S. and Canada. The purpose of the survey was to determine trends in tasting room and wine club practices and procedures.

In this interactive video discussion SVB's Rob McMillan reviews survey results and interprets industry trends with a panel of experts.

Some of the topics we cover: 

• Conversion rates of visitors to buyers
• Impact of venue choice on tasting room success
• Regional Tasting Room Comparisons
• Club Metrics
• Expert Panel Analysis

Download the 2014 Wine Survey Results Presentation (PDF)

The 2014 Tasting Room Survey is a compilation of responses from 500 winemakers from across the U.S. and Canada. The purpose of the survey was to determine trends in tasting room and wine club practices and procedures.

In this interactive video discussion SVB’s Rob McMillan reviews survey results and interprets industry trends with a panel of experts.

Some of the topics we cover: 

• Conversion rates of visitors to buyers
• Impact of venue choice on tasting room success
• Regional Tasting Room Comparisons
• Club Metrics
• Expert Panel Analysis

Download the 2014 Wine Survey Results Presentation (PDF)

Study by Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division Indicates 524* West Coast Wineries are Strongly Considering a Sale Within the Next Five Years

Silicon Valley Bank, a leading provider of commercial banking services to the innovation sector and the wine industry, released a new study, “Ownership Transitions in the Wine Industry,” today. Based on a survey of 646 West Coast wineries, the report finds that 31% of wineries from California, Oregon and Washington would consider selling under the right circumstances, and of those 10.5% are strongly considering a sale or are hopeful a sale will take place.

The study is a follow-up to a similar report released in 2008 by Silicon Valley Bank and Scion Advisors that predicted 50 percent of West Coast fine wine businesses would transition to new ownership by 2018.
 

“If you’re in the market for a winery as a commercial entity or a family business, there’s never been a better time,” said Rob McMillan, founder of Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division and author of the report. “The current pace of ownership transitions in the last - and next - few years is the highest the West Coast wine industry has ever seen. There are plenty of opportunities for strategic buyers to acquire labels and production capacity, and for high net worth individuals to find their own place in the fine wine business.”

Key findings from Ownership Transitions in the Wine Industry 2014: 

 • 10.5% of West Coast wineries are likely to sell in the next five years. Extrapolating from these results, 524 West Coast wineries are strongly considering a sale within the next five years*.
• The number of wineries considering a sale is roughly split between commercial wineries and lifestyle properties.
• Wineries in Washington State are more likely to be sold in the near term versus other regions.
• 31% of wineries are open to a sale under the right circumstances. Though that represents a record number of wineries, the percentage has dropped from 51% in a 2008 survey conducted by Silicon Valley Bank, indicating the industry is partially through the predicted transition.

Read the full report here:http://www.svb.com/Blogs/Rob_McMillan/Ownership_Transitions_in_the_Wine_Industry_2014/

To view Silicon Valley Bank’s recently released report, “Secrets of a Successful Tasting Room,” visithttp://www.svb.com/live-streaming/2014-wine-tasting/ for the report and an on-demand replay of a videocast.
 

To participate in Silicon Valley Bank’s annual Wine Conditions Survey in the future, and receive the full data set and restricted participant analysis, contact the author Rob McMillan at rmcmillan@svb.com or on Twitter @SVBWine.

*524 wineries strongly considering a sale in the next five years is an extrapolation of the 10.5% of survey respondents multiplied by the total number of West Coast Wineries: 4,989. Source: California Wine Institute (3,754), Oregon Wine Board (690), Washington State Wine Commission (545).
 

About Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division 
Silicon Valley Bank is the premier commercial bank for emerging, growth and mature companies in the technology, life science, private equity and premium wine industries. Its Wine Division specializes in commercial banking for premium wineries and vineyards and the industries that support them. Founded in 1994, SVB’s Wine Division has offices in Napa and Sonoma counties and serves clients in the fine wine producing regions of California, Oregon and Washington. By virtue of its dedication to the wine industry, Silicon Valley Bank is able to support its clients consistently through economic and growth cycles, and offer guidance on many aspects of their business, beyond traditional banking services. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group (Nasdaq: SIVB). More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com. 

Silicon Valley Bank is the California bank subsidiary and the commercial banking operation of SVB Financial Group. Banking services are provided by Silicon Valley Bank, a member of the FDIC and the Federal Reserve. SVB Financial Group is also a member of the Federal Reserve. 

Contact:
Carrie Merritt    
SVB Financial Group  
503.574.3705
cmerritt@svb.com  
@SVBCarrie

The 2018 Annual SVB Wine Industry Videocast was presented last Wednesday to a record audience both domestically and across the globe. You are welcome to replay and review the session above. 

I'm always happy when the videocast is over because it marks the end of 3+ months of writing and research, which is a marathon to begin with considering I have other job responsibilities and the research and report activities push through the Holiday Season. This year though, the process felt like running a half-marathon wearing ankle weights. 

SVB runs a Wine Conditions survey to support our report, but we had to cancel it this year because it was scheduled to go out October 12th; three days after the North Coast Fires started. With our offices closed and wineries scrambling in Napa and Sonoma, there was no way we could get the survey done. 

That will impact our trending efforts for years ahead of us because we'll have a gap year to deal with, but like everyone else we'll adjust. We will publish the Annual SVB Wine Report February 13th this year which is about 3 weeks later than normal, but hope you all anticipate the release and will read it, and engage in the dialogue of industry adaptation and evolution.

Read the full article here. 

Each year, about 600 wineries take part in our Annual Wine Conditions Survey from all regions. We hope you will consider participating this year. It will only take about five minutes of your time to respond. In exchange, we will send you the results of the complete survey, graphs, and some early analysis on wine industry conditions for your use in planning going into 2015.

View the analysis from last year here.

The survey has just 20 questions, four of which are identifiers such as the region where you produce wine. The 16 core survey questions are geared at understanding vintners’ challenges in the present operating environment. We will condense the comments and return the information in a non-identifiable manner so you can get a better feeling for what your peers see, and comments they have about the present business conditions.

Your answers will be strictly confidential. We promise not to add you to any marketing list, and we will send you the results of the survey at no cost in early December.

The survey will be open through the end of business Friday, October 24th.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at rmcmillan@svb.com or 707.967.1367.

Thanks for your cooperation, 
Rob McMillan EVP & Founder Premium Wine Division

Join Rob McMillan, EVP and founder of Silicon Valley Bank's Premium Wine Division, alongside a panel of experts as they discuss trends in the wine industry, including changes in consumer demand, the impact of cannabis, growth opportunities and threats, and much more. The panel includes Amy Hoopes, president of Wente Family Estates; Paul Mabray, CEO of Emetry; and Dale Stratton, vice president of commercial insights at Constellation Brands.

Title: 2019 SVB State of the Wine Industry Report

Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Time: 09:30 AM Pacific Standard Time

Duration: 1 hour

Register Here

82% of wineries reported overall financial health of "good" or better for 2014. This is up 7% over the previous year. This trend is expected to continue as the grapes from three strong harvests (2012,2013, and 2014) make their way into the market.

- Consensus view of 2014 shows 79% of respondents reporting having a good year or better. The Sierra Foothills, CA region reported the largest proportion of disappointment which correlates directly to issues felt during the California drought. Over 41% of respondents from that region reported feeling some issues from the drought.

- 60% of all wineries are projecting price increases per retail bottle with only 6% projecting a decrease in 2015. The majority of increases are expected to be small across all price points except the >$69 range. Wines with a price point >$69 are the most bullish with 45% reporting increases of moderate to strong.

To read the full report, CLICK HERE

Annual State of the Wine Industry Report Forecasts Growth in 2015:

• Increased Demand for Fine Wine Driven by an Improving Economy
• 14-18% Sales Growth
• Higher Bottle Prices

ST. HELENA, Calif. –– January 21, 2015 — Silicon Valley Bank, a leading provider of commercial banking services to the innovation sector and the wine industry, releases its Annual State of the Wine Industry Report in a live broadcast from the SVB TV studio today.

“We are seeing real strength in the U.S. economy going into 2015, which will increase demand for wine,” said Rob McMillan, founder of Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division and author of the report. “Declining oil prices are transferring wealth to oil-consuming countries, the employment picture is improving, the US dollar is strengthening and interest rates will move at a measured pace.  As long as the industrialized world economies can hold their own, the middle-income consumer will see improved prospects. We’ll be toasting to that.”

“We are especially positive on the year ahead,” McMillan said. “We expect the fine wine business will experience accelerating growth, achieving 14–18 percent sales growth in 2015. At the same time, the cellars are full with several consecutive years of very good vintages.”

Based on a survey of nearly 600 West Coast wineries, in-house expertise and ongoing research, SVB’s Annual State of the Wine Industry report covers trends and addresses current issues facing the US wine industry. The report offers unique data and observations that help wine business owners and managers think critically about their business strategies.

Key findings and predictions: 

• Supply: We expect to see the third consecutive harvest of heavy yield and great quality across most appellations.
• Sales Growth: After finishing the year at the top end of our predicted sales growth of 6% - 10% in 2014, we are predicting a breakout year of growth in the fine wine category in the 14%-18% range in 2015.

• Pricing: While the large supply of wines in the cellars should normally indicate continued depressed pricing, we believe 2015 will be a year of both volume and price increases in the fine wine segment, driven by an improving economy and higher demand.

• Demand: Wines priced below $7 a bottle performed poorly both on and off premise in 2014. This poor performance is likely to continue in 2015.

• Planting: Grape planting is shifting regionally. Oregon and Washington are showing strong growth in planting on a percentage basis and we expect that this will continue for the foreseeable future given favorable quality and price dynamics relative to the fine wine growing regions in California.

Read the full report.

McMillan is discussing the report and the state of the industry in a live broadcast with Paul Mabray of VinTank, Glenn Proctor of the Ciatti Company and Amy Hoopes of Wente Family Estates at an online event today at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time. A replay of the discussion will be available here later this week.

To participate in Silicon Valley Bank’s annual Wine Conditions Survey in the future contact the author Rob McMillan at rmcmillan@svb.com or on Twitter @SVBWine.

About Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division 
Banking the world's most innovative companies and exclusive wineries, SVB offers diverse financial services, knowledge, global networks, and world class service to increase our clients' probability of success. Our Wine Division specializes in commercial banking for premium wineries and vineyards and the industries that support them. SVB has the largest team of commercial bankers dedicated to the wine industry of any bank nationwide. Founded in 1994, SVB’s Wine Division has offices in Napa and Sonoma counties and serves clients in the fine wine producing regions of California, Oregon and Washington. By virtue of its dedication to the wine industry, SVB is able to support its clients consistently through economic and growth cycles, and offer guidance on many aspects of their business, beyond traditional banking services. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group (Nasdaq: SIVB). More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.  

Silicon Valley Bank is the California bank subsidiary and the commercial banking operation of SVB Financial Group. Banking services are provided by Silicon Valley Bank, a member of the FDIC and the Federal Reserve. SVB Financial Group is also a member of the Federal Reserve. 

On May 12, 2015, SVB’s wine division hosted an interactive video discussion of trends in tasting room and wine club practices. The discussion was led by Rob McMillan, founder of SVB’s wine practice, and featured industry experts Sonyia Grabski, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Sullivan Vineyards, Cyril Penn, Editor in Chief, Wine Business Monthly and Craig Root, Founder, Craig Root and Associates.

Join me on Wednesday January 17th at 9:30am Pacific Time for a live videocast and discussion of the findings from the release of the 2018 SVB Wine Industry Report. 

REGISTER HERE

Joining me on the panel this year will be:

• Gretchen Boock, Chief Executive Officer, Dobbes Family Estate / Wine By Joe
• Mary Jo Dale, Marketing Director, Americas, Vinventions / Nomacorc
• Paul Mabray, Wine Industry Digital Futurist and Director, Getemetry.com

It's going to be a great show but if you can't make the live videocast, please register to receive a link to the video replay and the complete 2018 Wine Report after the event.

Most of wineries have already developed their strategic plans for 2018 and are starting to execute. The plans had to be put together using history as a guide, laced with a hint of a best guess. That's just the way this family owned industry has to roll.

What would you say if I told you that growth in sales for 2017 which looked pretty good through mid-year ... hovering around 7%-9%, fell off the cliff in Q3 and came in for 9 months at 0.30%? That is zero-point-three-percent year to date for our benchmarks of Family Owned Wineries using financial statements. We'll be lucky to hit 4% growth for the year when factoring in what normally is a good October/November/December.

You might be saying, well that's just the average sized family winery, which is true - but the sales growth rate for larger wineries in distribution has also been dropping since the end of 2015.

What if I added that visitation to tasting rooms has been going through a decline for the past 5 years?

Don't you want to know what's happening?

The industry is pivoting and I can tell you for certain that winery owners need to take specific actions or be caught behind the change curve? I also believe 2018 will be a pretty good year for the industry as a whole.

Good analysis and information is hard to come by, so if you are now examining your plans for the year ahead, some questions you could already be asking might include:

• What's happening with winery visitation growth?
• What's happening with industry sales growth?
• When will millennials come to the rescue?
• Can wineries increase prices in 2017?
• Are we entering a vineyard real estate bubble?
• Will grape prices continue to rise?
• Can luxury brands increase price?
• How much can fine wine sales increase next year?
• What varietals are selling and who is buying?
• What role might bottled imports play?
• Which price points are moving or stalled? 

I started researching in late October, began writing the Annual Wine Report in middle November, augmented my findings in early December and completed writing by December 18th. I think I have a pretty good guess what the year ahead will be like and I want to share it with you!

Face it. Getting actionable information in the wine business is challenging. You can pay more than $2,000 for an annual report on the wine business and in return, get regurgitated information. I once did that myself.

Thinking I would check on the offering of a group putting out a comprehensive report on the wine business, I was disappointed to find it was closer to a college level report that consolidated information from primary research. In fact several places cited the Silicon Valley Bank Annual Wine Report to support their findings.

There are a few places where you can get good primary research on the trends facing the business. For the past decade we've led a survey and conducted research with more than 600 wineries and the major AVA's participating from across the country each year. Why are we so lucky to get such strong participation? 

I think there are a few reasons:

We deliver good and needed information to the business for free.

We keep the information anonymous and noone can back into responses to determine who responded.

We've earned the owner's trust that we aren't using your information to add you to a sales calling list.

We give back more than we take. Only survey participants receive the complete data set back and that helps everyone in planning for the year ahead.

So I hope you will consider taking the survey this year. It takes about 12 minutes and in exchange, we will send without cost, the complete survey results, dozens of relevant graphs, and our early analysis on wine industry conditions. [Last year's survey results].

The survey is scheduled to close next Friday so please don't wait. Your participation will pay itself back many times over.

Click here to take the survey now!