Coffee with Rob: Macro Trends & How  Top-Performing Wineries Are Responding This session is all about stepping back and looking at the bigger picture. Rob will dig into the macro trends impacting the wine industry, drawing from the 2026 SVB State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report along with additional slides from his presentation deck that help put the data into context. Rather than focusing on day-to-day tactics, the conversation will center on what’s happening at a market level and what the data shows about how top-performing wineries are navigating today’s environment. We’ll start with Rob’s take on the data, followed by a moderated Q&A with questions submitted in advance by the eCELLAR community. DATE: Tuesday, February 24th, 2026 , 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM WHO: Rob McMillan, EVP & Principal Brand Strategist, Wine Silicon Valley Bank, a Division of First Citizens Bank LOCATION: Virtual Event RSVP ABOUT THE SPEAKER Rob McMillan, EVP & Pr

Demand decline improving with stabilization on the horizon Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, today released its 2026 State of the US Wine Industry Report. Widely regarded as the leading source of market trends in the premium wine sector, SVB’s 25th annual report provides an analysis of current market conditions, success strategies, and forecasts for the year ahead. The 2026 report estimates the following industry sales totals for 2025: Total volume of ~329 million cases (down from 335.9 million in 2024) Total value of ~$74.3 billion (down from $75.5 billion in 2024). The wine industry is moving through a multi-year demand correction, largely driven by value wines at the under $12 price point. Industry sales in 2025 declined 2.0% (by cases) and 1.6% (by dollars), yet both represent improvements compared to 2024. The industry ended the year with both profit margin compression and higher levels of inventory. The premium industry will likely experience its

Verallia inaugurates a new oxy-combustion furnace with HeatOx™ technology at its Campo Bom in Brazil, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and local development. Verallia, the European leader and world's third-largest producer of glass packaging for beverages and food products, has inaugurated a new oxy-combustion furnace equipped with HeatOx™ technology, an innovative solution owned by Air Liquide, at its Campo Bom plant in Rio Grande do Sul. This €111 million investment marks a major milestone in Verallia’s growth strategy in Brazil, reflecting the Group’s long-term vision and commitment to sustainable innovation.  For Patrice Lucas, CEO of Verallia Group “The commissioning of the Campo Bom furnace is a significant step in Verallia’s journey to decarbonize its production processes and accelerate innovation across our markets. This project embodies our ambition to invest in sustainable technologies, strengthen our presence in stra

There is a lot of talk and a lot of questions right now about the new administration’s policies and statements on immigration. ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) is the Federal enforcement agency that focuses on immigrant status. They have recently been assisted by the FBI, DHS and other law enforcement agencies when they conduct “raids” to locate and detain suspected offenders. California employers face additional legal requirements due to state laws passed between 2017 and 2021. Employers must, for example, notify employees within 72 hours of receiving an audit notice. Employers are also prohibited from voluntarily allowing ICE to enter non-public areas unless the agent shows an appropriate warrant that authorizes access. Employers and employees are legitimately concerned about their rights and responsibilities. In this article, we will attempt to address some of these concerns. There are two different occasions when an employer might be required to interac

Afternoon Brief, April 12th

New Survey Reveals America’s Favorite Wine: A new survey from YouGov analyzing the wine drinking habits of U.S. citizens has revealed more about America’s wine culture. The study examined both the frequency that Americans enjoy wine as well as their specific preferences...

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, today released its 2024 State of the US Wine Industry Report. Widely regarded as the leading source for market trends in the premium wine sector, the annual report provides an assessment of the industry, analysis of current market conditions and forecasts for the year ahead. The report is based on proprietary research and survey data collected from more than 500 wineries across the US. "Now more than ever, changing market dynamics favor wineries that adapt to a changing demand environment," said Rob McMillan, Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division founder and author of the report. "Solutions to changing demand should include collaboration across the industry, but absent that, finding increased efficiencies in marketing and sales will become critical for success. Future demand improvement will rely on the industry's ability to attract new and younger consumers, take market share from oth

The deadline to switch to the new 08/01/23 edition of Form I-9 is fast approaching. Recently, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification with several key changes to reflect the end of temporary COVID-19 flexibilities. Starting on November 1, 2023, this new edition will be the only version of Form I-9 that will be accepted by the federal government. What happens if you use the old Form I-9? From November 1st onward, employers who fail to use the new 08/01/23 edition of Form I-9 may be subject to all applicable penalties under Section 274A of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1324a, as enforced by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). How to switch to the new Form I-9 You can download the new edition of Form I-9 on the USCIS website, in addition to learning more about the revisions that have been made. If you’re still using paper for your Onboarding process, contact us to streamline and improve you

On 11.10.2023., the renovated sports play ground in the town of Pliska was opened. The renovation of the site was announced as Herti's social project in connection with the celebration of the company's 30th anniversary. Nearly BGN 100,000 have been invested in the site, and about 30 Herti’s partners supported the cause. Today the CEO of the company Zahari Zahariev officially opened the sports facility. The sports play-ground can be used for several sports, including football, basketball and handball. The flooring has a polymer coating. New sports facilities have been installed as well as seating areas. A new fence was built, and the area around it was improved. "Thanks to everyone who accepted our cause and supported us. We hope that the children and citizens of Pliska will use the playground with responsibility and satisfaction, and develop the sport in the city", said Mr. Zahariev.

On Friday, July 21, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that an updated I-9 form will be available on August 1, and employers can begin using the form at that time.  The revised form has been streamlined and consolidated into one page, with instructions that are easier to understand. Employers may continue to use the older Form I-9 (Rev. 10/21/19) through October 31, 2023. After that date, employers will be subject to penalties if they use the older form. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) final rule allows for (but doesn’t require) a remote alternative to the physical examination of Form I-9 documentation. Employers may continue to conduct physical examinations. The revised form has a checkbox to indicate when an employee’s Form I-9 documentation was examined using a DHS-authorized alternative procedure. However, at this time, the final rule only allows employers using E-Verify to use alternative verification method. T

Take the SVB DtC Survey here Excerpt from Rob McMillan's Blog, SVB on Wine: Without greater participation this last week, there will be no SVB Direct to Consumer Report produced this year. It's always difficult to get survey participants. This year the effort had a higher degree of difficulty because the bank failed. I'm sure you heard that news.  Three weeks later though, we were purchased by First Citizens Bank, and we are today operating as Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank.  During that dark period when we were being run by the FDIC, we literally had hundreds of people encouraging us to find a way to continue producing the gratis information we've done for more than 20 years. Because of that encouragement, with the ownership question behind, we decided to produce the Direct to Consumer survey and report, a month later than usual. It was the industry encouragement that was the deciding factor.  For those who may be unaware, here