On February 20, 2026, in a victory for American beer, wine, and spirits importers, the Supreme Court in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, 607 US ____, Slip Op., February 20, 2026 (“Learning Resources”) struck down President Trump’s imposition of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”). The Trump administration had used IEEPA to justify certain tariffs imposed on imported goods from various countries in 2025, including beer, wine and spirits. Despite the decision in the importers’ favor, no one is popping the Champagne quite yet. First, while the Court’s opinion invalidated the Trump administration’s IEEPA tariffs, it has no effect on the administrations’ ability to rely on other statutes to impose tariffs. Second, on the same day that the Supreme Court issued its decision, the President issued a proclamation imposing a 10% worldwide tariff under a different federal law (discussed in more detail belo

The Group has acquired Vinventions’ Mexico-based screwcap manufacturing operations, establishing a dedicated production hub for the U.S. alcoholic beverage industry. February 23, 2026 (Milan, Italy) — Guala Closures, a global leader in specialty beverage and pharmaceutical closure solutions, has acquired Vinventions’ screwcap production business located in Rosarito, Mexico, expanding its manufacturing footprint in North America and strengthening its supply capabilities for the U.S. wine and spirits market. Established in 2024, the Rosarito plant is a state-of-the-art facility specializing in the production of high-quality 30×60 aluminium closures, with a total installed capacity exceeding 200 million units per year and the potential for further expansion. Due to its strategic location and access to the North American market, the acquisition will provide Guala Closures with additional capacity to support growing demand from its U.S. wine and spirits customers, en

Alcohol beverage importers may finally get their answer from the United States Supreme Court this week on the validity of the Trump Administration’s tariffs issued pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).[1] Recent news reports suggest that the Court’s answer may come as early as this Friday, when the Court is scheduled to issue opinions on pending cases. Based on the questions posed by both liberal and conservative justices during oral argument, many commentators expect the Court to conclude that the president exceeded his authority by invoking IEEPA to issue those tariffs.   There are, however, a lot of open questions beyond just the validity of the tariffs. Most importantly, if the Court finds the tariffs are invalid, will importers that have already paid the tariffs be entitled to refunds and what will the process be for getting those refunds. Questions also remain as to whether the case will be remanded to a lower court to determine the

How confident are you that your production plans are aligned with your sales goals? In a market defined by shifting consumer trends, climate variability, and cost pressures, winery leaders are rethinking how to balance what they make with what they can sell. In a new framework developed by winery operations consultant Andrea Savaiano, wineries can follow a clear, repeatable 6-step process to bring supply and demand back into balance. This practical approach helps winery teams: Forecast more accurately and confidently Map inventory against sales velocity Identify long or short SKUs before it’s too late Make smarter production and sales planning decisions Why It Matters Supply and demand misalignment is one of the biggest sources of wasted resources and lost revenue in the wine industry. This 6-step framework helps wineries turn reactive decision-making into a proactive strategy and ultimately connect production planning to financial health. 👉🏼 See the full framework here

Join us tomorrow for eCELLAR's The Pulse Presents:  AI in Action – Tools, Tips, and What’s Next with Andreas Mueller-Schubert Event Date: 10/01/2025 @ 9AM Location: Zoom webinar RSVP Discover practical AI tips and tools for everyday business success with Andreas Mueller-Schubert AI is not just coming - it’s already here, reshaping how we all work and make decisions. In this practical and conversational eCELLAR's The Pulse session, AI expert Andreas Mueller-Schubert will explore how AI is transforming businesses of all sizes, especially in areas like marketing, operations, and team productivity. We’ll talk about the opportunities (and challenges), tools that are actually useful today, and what it means to stay competitive in a world where the edge goes to those who use AI well. No jargon, no hype, just a real conversation with someone who’s helping businesses make AI work for them. Andreas Mueller-Schubert is Managing Partner at WSI Next Gen

Discover practical AI tips and tools for everyday business success with Andreas Mueller-Schubert AI is not just coming - it’s already here, reshaping how we all work and make decisions. In this practical and conversational eCELLAR's The Pulse session, AI expert Andreas Mueller-Schubert will explore how AI is transforming businesses of all sizes, especially in areas like marketing, operations, and team productivity. We’ll talk about the opportunities (and challenges), tools that are actually useful today, and what it means to stay competitive in a world where the edge goes to those who use AI well. No jargon, no hype, just a real conversation with someone who’s helping businesses make AI work for them. Andreas Mueller-Schubert is Managing Partner at WSI Next Gen Marketing, a Napa-based digital agency that works closely with many local wineries and small businesses. With past leadership roles at Microsoft and Siemens, Andreas brings a strong background in global te

The Annual SVB Videocast is next Tuesday, June 17th.  Why should you listen? Prescience. Read below, please. The following is the blog post I made on April 28th, 2019, before the DTC videocast. There hasn't been a single edit. The underscored part is exactly as written 6 years ago. The wine business is far more complex than people think. It's a maze of complexities with different models, varying paths to the consumer, pressure from federal, local, and state regulations, a lack of good information, controlling power in a small numbers of hands and changing consumer demand. Oftentime decisions are made with the love of the product in mind, versus a business decision being made with financial returns in mind. Perhaps the greatest risk we should all be most worried about is our tendency to continue on on a path that's successful. If it works, we keep riding the trend as far as we can, until the strategy fails. In an industry that takes 5 years to get a fully mature y

Please join us on Tuesday, June 17, 9:00 am - 10:30am PST for a live, virtual event to review findings and predictions from our 2025 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Report. Our panel of wine industry leaders will review the findings from our latest DtC wine survey and share their thoughts on the evolution of the market. During the event, you’ll hear today’s wine sales and marketing trends, examine industry growth strategies and participate in our panel’s Q&A session. A few of the topics we plan to address are:  Market trends that show glimmers of hopeful news as we progress through the current business cycle. Personalized, community- and experienced-based marketing strategies that are being used to successfully engage with younger consumers. Making sense of the ever-fluctuating wine club, tasting room and wholesale channel sales percentages. The potential benefits of piloting variable, traffic-based tasting fees. Our exclusive panel of wine industry innovators will i