Wine Industry in Transition: Adapting to Economic Shifts and Compliance Pressures

Wineries face rising pressures on wages, a buyer’s market for grapes and the looming cost of wastewater compliance  By Laurie Wachter   A strong finish to a late harvest was […]

Sonoma State University’s (SSU) Wine Business Institute (WBI) announces the launch of A Report on the Wine Industry Today, offering a fresh perspective on the current landscape, the opportunities and the challenges facing wine industry leaders in 2023. Faculty contributors to the inaugural issue include Economics Professors Chong Kim and Rob Eyler along with Wine Business Professor InHaeng Jung. Contributing Board Members include Jay Johnson, President, RNDC West Region at Republic National Distributing Company, Ed Adams, Vice President, Capital Markets Group at American AgCredit and Gary Heck, President & Chairman of Korbel Champagne Cellars. “While this year has been a challenging one for the wine industry, there are bright spots and companies who are exploiting opportunities; our approach is to highlight success,” noted Ray Johnson, Executive Director of the Wine Business Institute. Johnson added, “The length of each issue will be deliberately brief,

Financial Markets, Bulk Wine & Grape Markets, and  New Winery General Order The WIN Expo Business Strategy & Leadership conference track will host three "State of the Industry" sessions covering the Economic & Financial markets, the Bulk Wine & Grape market, and the New Winery General Order. Read more below: State of Industry Economic Pressures and Financial Markets Dr. Eyler provides a forecast of the U.S. economy, with headwinds and tailwinds for the wine industry from vineyards to retail. How will a slower economy, which is predicted through at least 2024, impact winery and vineyard profitability? More importantly, Dr. Eyler provides insights as to what you need to do to position your business in this downturn and be ready to strike at new opportunities as they arise - LEARN MORE about this session. State of Bulk Wine and Grape Markets Staying in step with the Bulk Wine and Grape market trends is akin to having a roadmap for success in a dynamic

An Uncertain Economic Vintage: Wineries Navigate Consumer Demand Challenges Amid Recession Concerns

Three industry experts discuss the effects of economic uncertainty at a pivotal point for the wine industry  By Laurie Wachter   As the American economy teeters on the edge of […]

After several years of record-breaking fire events, experts predicted 2020 to be the “year of recovery” for the California wine industry.  However, with the outbreak of a global pandemic came shutdowns disrupting business early in the year in a way never seen before. Just as consumers were starting to visit wine country again, the fires returned with a vengeance in what some might call a disaster inside of a disaster. Not only did it cripple tourism in the region, but the financial impact on the grape and wine market is also still being assessed. To add to these already unstable conditions, the country faced an incredibly acrimonious Presidential race leading to even more economic uncertainty – an uncertainty that many wineries continue to wrestle with. This year-end virtual conference will take a close look at the 2020 impact on the California wine industry, beginning with an economic overview, both nationally and regionally, followed by an up to date repor

Rohnert Park, CALIFORNIA – The Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University has issued a new report estimating that the California economy will experience a loss of nearly $10 billion from a decline in revenues to the state’s vintners and growers because of COVID-19. California’s wine industry is projected to lose $4.22 billion in revenues in 2020, based on significant decreases in on-premise, tasting room, and direct sales, according to an analysis by Jon Moramarco of bw166 released in April. That analysis estimated a $5.9 billion revenue loss for the entire U.S. wine industry this year.  California wine’s role in the travel and hospitality sectors across the state creates economic connections to hundreds of other businesses, according to the SSU report, which measured lost business revenue based on direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts. In addition to forecasting a contraction of $9.6 billion in the California economy, the Sonoma State re