It’s no secret that people are drinking less. The consistent, downward trends in alcohol consumption are presenting significant challenges to the wine industry, which is already having to operate in a complex, competitive marketplace. In order to dissect what is happening in the world of wine and figure out how to make adjustments, industry leaders need solid information on which to base their current business practices and future projections. Fortunately, the industry has Terrain, a group of experts providing exclusive insights and forecasting to customers of American AgCredit and other participating Farm Credit associations in order to promote a more vigorous agricultural economy. Chris Bitter, Ph.D., a senior wine and grape analyst with Terrain and American AgCredit, has recently written two comprehensive articles for "Winescape", a publication that delves into current wine sales data and explores what those show about trending topics such as overall alcohol consump

Price-sensitive consumers have kept a lid on wine sales this year, while grape sales are likely to remain slow. As for the moderation movement, a range of factors are contributing. It was a disappointing first half of the year for U.S. wine sales as a shaky economic backdrop quashed the signs of progress that were evident in late 2024. Nonetheless, there has been modest improvement in some areas since spring.  Retail wine sales fell across price segments in the first half but declined at a slower pace in the second quarter than in the first (see Page 3). Following a bleak first five months of 2025, direct-to-consumer sales, while still down, firmed in June and July. Alternatively, exports deteriorated markedly in the second quarter as shipments to Canada collapsed.  Unfortunately, I am not expecting much improvement in the near term.  The economic outlook remains murky, but the Terrain team believes that slow economic growth, a gradually eroding labor market, and sticky

66° Beverage Company Releases the First-to-Market, Dealcoholized CBD Wine Beverages, Fusing Everyone’s Love for Wine and Cannabis

[August 10, 2022, New York] It’s a great day for cannabis enthusiasts and wine connoisseurs! Wellness and development company, Health Advance Inc. (trade symbol OTC: HADV) is spearheading the production […]

Increase in competition for consumer products—from wine, craft beer, and spirits to supplements and cannabis products—is making a product’s label ever-more important to helping it stand out and prevent copycats.  Premium brands need to look great on shelves (and online) and help assure customers that they’re purchasing the real deal. Achieving this with your packaging while also making it stand out from the crowd means you need to add extra creativity. Holographic labels might be just the fine touch you were looking for. WHAT ARE HOLOGRAPHIC LABELS? Holographic labels, holograms, or holographic stickers are labels that can be infused with 2D or 3D images. Creating these effects is a highly technical process: you need to duplicate and engrave the image with a laser beam on the sticker surface. Typically, that surface is a foil or modified paper. You can add any design to your holographic label: numbers, images, texts, logos, photographs, and more.  If y

Designing and printing a custom label takes time. It’s not an easy feat to find the perfect match that fits your product’s container perfectly and can showcase it to its true value. Dozens of tiny decisions have led to your label’s final form: digital or flexo printing, what kind of material, what about the varnishes, are the colors just right? Naturally, after this hurdle, you want to make sure that you don’t run out of labels just when your product starts to gain popularity. But here’s the thing: it’s not always easy to estimate how many custom labels you will need. So, how can you be sure that you won’t run out of labels? The first answer that springs to mind is to print a lot of them. But that’s not really budget-friendly, is it? There are options to ensure a steady flow of labels without causing a major budget hole. THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AFFECT THE LABEL INDUSTRY I’m sure you already know that the current supply c

Supply chain problems are rippling through most industries, largely brought on by the pandemic. The shortages in the semiconductor industry have been front and center because they affect the most prolific industry, technology, namely consumer electronics. However, supply chain shortages affect many other industries. Wine, spirits, and beer manufacturers have been feeling the supply issues recently—and, as is the case with semiconductors, there is no clear end in sight. For beverage, cannabis, health and beauty, nutraceutical, and other producers, the shortages aren’t just about the materials that go into the products. The problems are far more complex and extend to the materials the products go into. GREAT BEVERAGES, BUT NO BOTTLES Wineries and spirit producers have suddenly found themselves in a perfect storm. The wine is ready to be bottled and shipped out to the customers, but there are no bottles available.  The glass shortage has almost paralyzed the alc

BevZero, known previously as ConeTech and PolarClad, provides same services and equipment as well as new innovations.  For over 30 years, suppliers around the globe have turned to ConeTech to provide alcohol adjustment and dealcoholization services, as well as PolarClad for their tank insulation and mixer needs. But as the industry moves into a new era for low- and no- alcohol beverages, ConeTech, PolarClad, and Advanced Beverage Technologies have consolidated under the BevZero name to streamline its resources and continue to bring innovative equipment and services to its customers. As BevZero steps into this new role, it is supported by a global team, including recent hires designed to offer customers a powerhouse roster of winemakers, brewers, distillers and scientists. This exceptional team is in place to offer their expertise in an array of advisory services, including formulating, consulting across the supply chain, large scale dealcoholization services and specialized bevera

Thirty years ago a company called ConeTech perfected a process known as alcohol removal using thin film vacuum distillation to assist wineries with alcohol level management for tax purposes and “sweet spotting.” Today, ConeTech has morphed into BevZero, an international leader for low, non-alcoholic and infused beverage innovations across the entire spectrum of the wine, beer, cider and spirits industry to address growing consumer preferences in the drinks business. “There is a global movement towards the reduction in daily alcohol consumption, as a result of lifestyle changes, governmental regulations and continued medical warnings, and consumers are responding,” confirms Debbie Novograd, BevZero’s CEO. “BevZero was created in 2018 to provide product development, base product sourcing and advisory services to our clients in recognition of this critical trend.” BevZero has recently announced the consolidation of its services, service locations

Leading alcohol and flavor management services company ConeTech, Advanced Beverage Technologies (ABT) and its family of companies realign under BevZero. SANTA ROSA, Calif., September 1, 2021: Leading alcohol and flavor management services company ConeTech, who in 1991 pioneered the use of vacuum distillation for alcohol removal in wine, along with Advanced Beverage Technologies (ABT) and its family of companies, will merge with and under the brand name BevZero.  BevZero Holdings includes BevZero Services and BevZero Equipment. BevZero Equipment comprises PolarClad, Vinfoil mixers and GoLo dealcoholization technologies. BevZero will be the beverage industry advisory, service and equipment provider leading the future of beverage innovation.  For over 30 years, ConeTech has made the removal of excessive alcohol from traditional alcoholic beverages possible without the slightest loss of aroma or flavor. As lower alcohol and no alcohol beverages reach new heights, includ

We started the conversation on Cannabis Beverages with the 2020 webinar, "Where Cannabis and Wine Meet" with panelists from House of Saka, Vertosa, and BevZero. (Watch it: ) Join us in person at the Wine & Weed Symposium as we continue to talk about "The Rise of Cannabis Beverages and What it Means for Wine". www.wine-weed.com