March 13, 2026 (Novato, CA) — Following the release of the Preliminary 2025 California Grape Crush Report, Turrentine Brokerage, the largest California grape and bulk wine brokerage company, has issued a market assessment characterizing the 2025 vintage as one of the most challenging for the wine industry since Prohibition. According to the new state data, the total tons crushed came in at 2.62 million tons, a figure that is above initial projections and well above what was felt by the industry. This statewide volume is 8% below 2024 and 23% below the 5-year average. Total red wine production declined by 9% and white wine production declined by 6%. “The decrease in tons is still very positive news for the industry overall,” said Steve Fredricks, President at Turrentine Brokerage. “The 2025 vintage highlights the industry’s directional shift of declining production and an overall restructure of the industry. 2025 represented continued challenges for grower

Winemaking Inventor Vijay Singh Has Revolutionized Small Wineries! Clark Smith explains how Vijay Singh has made his and other small winemakers' lives better: This master inventor has asked me to send you an email explaining his work. I am delighted to do so because he has eliminated from my life the three most annoying elements of small winery production. Annoyance #1: Nighttime punchdowns.  If I punch down my T-bin at 8PM, then eat, sleep, and punch down again at 8AM, a temperature differential of 20°F causes yeast to retool, resulting in H2S stinkiness. With GOfermentor's automatic punchdown feature, I can mix as often as I like. I can even leave town for a week and come back to perfect wine. Annoyance #2: Breakdown cooperage. How I hate those kegs and carboys that store partial barrels. Besides their fragility, they are always under foot, and frequently go to vinegar. With SmartBarrels, my partial barrels are stored in a bag-in-the-barrel alongsid

The Marketing Behind Come Over October Hopefully, by now, you’ve seen some wineries participate in Come Over October, a new program launched to benefit the wine industry. Our industry is facing a critical shift where the cultural narrative around wine is being scrutinized. At the same time, loneliness and isolation are now at epidemic levels, and the simple act of sharing wine, which has always been a catalyst for connection, seems to be losing its place. The goal of Come Over October, launched by wine journalist Karen MacNeil and PR veterans Gino Colangelo and Kimberly Noelle Charles, is to counter these trends. The idea is simple: encourage friends, family, and colleagues to “come over” in October to share a bottle and reconnect. It’s not about fancy wine pairings or breaking the bank—just using wine as a focus to celebrate being together in an increasingly disconnected world. The wine industry, as always, adapts to challenges, and this campaign is a re

Afternoon Brief, February 15th

Monster Beverage and Constellation Mergers Talks Are Progressing: Talks between Monster Beverage Corp., the maker of energy drinks, and Corona brewer Constellation Brands Inc. about a combination are progressing, according to people familiar with the matter...

This time of year is when the wine industry usually plans for peak holiday shipping season (“OND”). In the past, we’ve given some helpful advice to wineries wanting to make this busy season as smooth as possible, especially for their DTC shipments. But we probably aren’t the first to tell you: 2020 is going to be a little different. That’s not to imply that the usual OND shipping season advice does not apply. It simply means that as you strategize you need to take into account current trends and news stories. Here’s our updated recipe for success: COVID amplified online buying, so get your digital marketing together. During COVID quarantines, people got VERY used to online shopping. eCommerce experts agree that the majority of shopping during the holiday season will happen online, so make sure you are getting ready for all of the potential digital traffic headed your way. But remember, too, that traffic does not happen by magic. You