Vibes more positive, not yet the hard facts and figures An unseasonably warm start to spring in California has accelerated vine development in the growing areas to a marked extent: This month’s report relays the latest news from the vineyards – and how it may, or may not, affect the bulk wine and grape markets – and delves deep into the California Department of Food & Agriculture’s Preliminary Grape Crush Report for 2025, published last month. The state’s smallest winegrape harvest in 26 years, combined with some improved mood music regarding case-good sales – if lacking hard figures to support it – has helped create a feeling that the wine industry is headed in the right direction. Before the sunlit uplands are reached, however, more painful rightsizing must occur, and we continue to see vineyards removed and mothballed, crush and storage capacity taken offline, and companies shrinking, merging, or shuttering altogether. In the shorter te

Ontario growers gain local access to affordable, retrofit irrigation automation backed by more than 70 years of irrigation expertise. Verdi, the leading global provider of easy and affordable irrigation automation, today announced a new partnership with Vanden Bussche Irrigation, Ontario’s leading provider of irrigation solutions. Verdi currently supports more than 20,000 acres across North America, works with some of the world’s largest food producers, and helped farms save over 1 billion liters of water last year. Through this partnership, Ontario growers will now have local access to Verdi’s automation platform, delivered with design, installation, and ongoing support from the Vanden Bussche team. For growers managing labor constraints, rising water costs, and increasing pressure to protect yield and quality, the partnership brings together Verdi’s retrofit automation platform and Vanden Bussche’s long-standing irrigation expertise. Expanding Access

For decades, cylindrical tanks have dominated winery cellars. But as producers look for smarter ways to maximize space, control costs, and improve wine quality, alternative tank designs are entering the conversation. Square tanks are emerging as a compelling solution — offering measurable gains in efficiency, sustainability, and production capacity without requiring expansion of existing facilities. Rapid Return on Investment La Garde Inox tanks stand out for their ability to generate a return on investment in record time, often in less than a year and a half. Their optimized design allows for an increase in bottle production of up to 83% compared to round tanks, thus offering an opportunity to maximize the profitability of each liter of wine produced. By reducing operating costs, whether in terms of maintenance, energy management, or human resources, these tanks become an essential financial asset for winemakers seeking to improve their cash flow and maximize their short-term p

Stop reacting to cancellations. A proactive strategy for spotting and saving at-risk wine club members before they leave. vinSUITE Blog Wine Club Retention Strategy: What to Do With At-Risk Members  Wine club churn rarely starts with a cancellation. It starts earlier with small moments that don’t look urgent on a report: a skipped shipment, a failed card update that lingers, a pickup that keeps getting missed, a shipping issue that takes too long to resolve, or a member who goes quiet. This post shares a proactive strategy for spotting risk early and responding with the right action—without turning retention into a constant scramble. In this post, you’ll learn: What “at-risk” looks like before a cancellation A 4-step framework to stabilize and save members Exactly what to send (templates included) The “Save Before They Cancel” Framework (quick preview) Proactive retention works because it fixes friction before it becomes frustratio

2025 in review; looking ahead to 2026 This month’s California Report looks back at 2025 on the bulk wine and grape markets and ahead to what we might expect to see in 2026. Bulk inventory charts for a number of 12-month ranges – and updated for January – are included, so too SipSource US wholesaler depletions data that takes in the opening two months of the important OND sales period, and the first packaging bulletin of the year from our friends at Saxco. A Q&A with Ciatti broker Chris Welch, discussing the current wine consumption and bulk market situation, will be published in the coming days. It is fair to say 2025 – like 2023 and 2024 before it – was not an easy year for California’s wine industry, nor was it for the wine industry globally. Evolving consumer preferences as the Baby Boomer generation shrinks, persisting post-pandemic inflationary tailwinds, and economic and political uncertainty, have been eroding sales in most major wine-con

A Story of Leadership, Innovation, Hard Work, and Inclusion In an industry dominated by large-scale manufacturers and long-established corporations, National Storage Tank (NST) stands out not only as a leader in engineered water storage systems but also as a certified woman-owned business driving change through innovation, diversity, and community impact. Led by CEO Nicole Oblad, NST has become a powerhouse in the design and delivery of bolted steel, stainless steel, fiberglass, and underground water storage tanks, serving industries ranging from hospitals and data centers to agriculture and manufacturing. Yet, what truly sets NST apart isn’t just the scale of its operations, but the values that fuel its success. Breaking Barriers in a Male-Dominated Industry The water storage and construction industries have traditionally been male-dominated, but NST’s leadership has rewritten that narrative. Under Nicole Oblad’s guidance, NST has become one of

Supply-demand alignment: Signs of progress? “All will be hoping 2025 is the year sales stabilization finally arrives,” the California Report stated in January. Unfortunately, those hopes were not realized, and case-good sales have continued to be fragile. As a consequence, California’s bulk wine market has remained lackluster even after a 2025 harvest widely expected to have been smaller than last year’s twenty-year low of 2.88 million tons. This month’s report relays what wines have been receiving buyer interest and at what pricing, and considers whether – after two consecutive very light crops and widespread vineyard removals – some bulk supplies are finally becoming better aligned with demand. As every month, the Ciatti bulk inventory charts by total volume and by varietal are updated, and the report carries some of the latest consumption indicators from our friends at SipSource. We suggest that now could be considered a “strategicall

The packaging supply chain is sending mixed signals this month – not quite cause for alarm, but enough yellow lights to keep procurement teams on their toes. Let’s start with the good news: fuel costs edged down from July's $3.779 to $3.744 per gallon in August. But before we celebrate, some context is needed. At $3.74+, we're still hovering near the year’s second-highest diesel levels. Think of it as taking your foot slightly off the accelerator while still speeding – technically slowing down, but hardly cruising speed. Fuel remains a critical watch point as we head into Q4 planning cycles. Transportation continues to be our bright spot. For the second straight month, we're seeing no peak season surcharges – a welcome relief that’s providing both cost predictability and operational flexibility at a time when the industry needs both. Port operations remain stable with no meaningful congestion on key inbound lanes. The anticipated summer i

Your Customers Check Texts Faster Than Emails, So Why Are You Still Only Relying on Inboxes? The typical American checks their phone 96 times a day, that's once every 10 minutes. While your carefully crafted email campaign sits unopened among dozens of others, text messages get read within minutes. The numbers don't lie: SMS messages have a 98% open rate compared to email's paltry 20-30%. Even more telling, 90% of text messages are read within the first three minutes of delivery. For wineries competing for attention in crowded digital spaces, this isn't just a nice-to-have channel, it's the most direct line to your customer's attention. Why SMS Works Specifically for Wine Brands Wine isn't software or fashion, it's experiential, emotional, and often enjoyed in specific moments. This unique position makes SMS particularly effective for wineries in ways other industries can't match. First, wine consumers are increasingly mobile-first. When planning wee

WINE INDUSTRY CPE PRESENTS: OCTOBER WINE BUSINESS CPE CLASS What: Wine Inventory Cost Accounting When: Tuesday, October 21, 2025 | 8 AM - 1 PM PST Where: AWG Santa Rosa Office or Online Speaker: Timothy Allen, CPA, MS Taxation & Principal of AWG Wine Advisors Credits Earnable: 5 Hours of AICPA CPE We invite you to deepen and expand your knowledge of wine industry finance, accounting, and best practices by attending one of our educational courses. Explore our current and upcoming offerings to make new industry connections, learn about the latest value-added processes and procedures, and acquire the tools and knowledge necessary for success. This education series is designed for professionals at ALL LEVELS, from newcomers to the wine industry to seasoned executives. Whether you’re a winery accountant aiming for your next promotion, an experienced CFO looking to benchmark your expertise, or a banker, attorney, or CPA seeking deeper industry insights, this series provi