With no and low-alcohol categories on the rise and the sober-curious boogeyman around every corner, we needn’t wait for rock bottom to take a hard look at our sales strategy and make a change today.  While much of the wine & spirits industry points the finger at Gen Z & Millennials, the World Health Organization or the Surgeon General, the truth is there’s only one entity responsible for the trajectory of our revenue.  According to Navy SEALs Jocko Willink and Leif Babin in Extreme Ownership, when “problems feel overwhelming and insurmountable . . . it’s our human nature to shift blame, find excuses, and avoid consequences. But taking ownership over what went wrong and accepting the reality of the situation gives you complete control over how you can solve these challenges.” Trying to sell alcohol in 2025 is tough. Plain and simple, no way around it. With that acknowledged, let’s explore what we can do about it.   A Sign of

Dr. Laura Catena, a fourth-generation Argentine vintner, medical doctor and graduate of Stanford Medical School, will navigate the complex relationship between wine consumption and health in our next Pro Virtual Event, Monday, September 30, at Noon Central on Zoom. Dr. Catena is the Managing Director of Bodega Catena Zapata and Luca Winery. During the past 25 years, she has been a practicing part-time physician of Emergency Medicine in San Francisco. Her discussion will cover the pending update of the US dietary guidelines for alcohol against the backdrop of a recent WHO statement that 'no amount of alcohol is safe.’  Drawing on her extensive background in both medicine and winemaking, Dr. Catena will critically examine the WHO's claim, emphasizing the importance of moderation and the cultural aspects of wine drinking.  Join us for this nuanced, research-based exploration of alcohol's effects on health which advocates for informed individual decision-making

Staying True: Wine Brands Preserve Heritage Without Their Legacy Becoming Stale

The values that heritage wine brands have held from the beginning are embedded into the way they do things — but they can evolve. By Fabio Molinaro   The wine […]

Afternoon Brief, May 1st

Millennials and Gen X Want a Wine Vacation, Not an Education: Research commissioned by a marketing firm may yield new insight into the issue and how to modernize the wine industry for a younger crowd...

Afternoon Brief, April 10th

Scientists Launch Wine Bottle Washing Project in Finger Lakes, New York: Glass scientists in New York State are studying ways to wash and reuse wine bottles in order to mitigate rising costs for Finger Lakes producers...