The Vineyard to Market Workshop Series launches this spring as a three-part program designed to support Lake County growers in navigating today’s market landscape. Each session will focus on a critical piece of the grower-to-buyer relationship, from understanding winery expectations to refining how vineyards are positioned and communicated, to gaining clarity around contracts and negotiations. Workshop 1 | April 29, 2026, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Buyer Perspectives: What Wineries Are Looking for From Growers An inside look at how wineries evaluate vineyard partners, including current market conditions, quality expectations, and key factors influencing purchasing decisions. Speakers:  Ben Byczynski, Director of Vineyard Operations, Draxton Wines Ryan Decker, Owner, DeckerVIT Workshop 2 | May 20, 2026, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Vineyard Branding & Messaging: Communicating the Value of Your Vineyard A practical session focused on how to clearly position and communicate vineyard value. To

Papapietro Perry Winery and Four Roses Bourbon Take Top Honors (March 6, 2026) — Winners have been announced in the fifth annual Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge. A pinot noir from Papapietro Perry (Sonoma County, Calif.) and a small batch bourbon from Four Roses Distillery (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) topped their fields to be named Best of the Best. The competition was established in 2022, in conjunction with Los Angeles-based beverage professionals (representing both the on- and off-premise channels), to highlight the best of the best wine and spirits producers in the world, and to introduce those producers to the largest market of consumers in the United States. Judging took place February 18-19, 2026. Competition this year was stellar, says event producer Debra Del Fiorentino of Wine Competitions Management & Production: “Year after year, our judges continue to be impressed with the depth in each category. The quality of product was fantastic!” Wh

From Midnight Mocktails to Croatian Coasts: The Top Travel Trends Stealing Wine Country's Thunder As travelers eagerly plan their next getaways, the tourism landscape is shifting—fast. Driven by changing values, advancing tech, and global events, how we explore the world in 2025 looks very different than it did just a few years ago. From AI-crafted itineraries to wellness retreats designed around your sleep cycle, travel today is more curated, personal, and purpose-driven than ever. But while adventurers chase hot springs in Iceland and food tours in Tokyo, one classic destination is quietly slipping from the spotlight: wine country. Once a top choice for weekend getaways and special occasions, winery visits are on the decline. And for the wine industry, that’s more than just a hospitality hiccup—it’s a missed opportunity to turn curious sippers into lifelong fans. Understanding this season’s top travel trends isn’t just about keeping up. It&rsq

February 9, 2024 – Novato, CA – The California Department of Food and Agriculture Preliminary Grape Crush Report, containing tons crushed and prices of wine grapes sold during the 2023 harvest, has been released. The Crush Report provides growers and wineries insight into the inventory position of the California wine business as a whole and influences market dynamics for the current bulk wine market and grape market.  The 2023 Crush Report, coming in at a total of 3.6 million tons, fails to capture the full story of the 2023 harvest. The crop would have been considerably larger if not for soft demand and disease pressure that caused some acres to go unharvested. Despite the size of the overall crop, most wineries found themselves with an excess supply amid challenging conditions in consumer sales.  For specific details on 2023 harvest, see below: Key Insights by Region   Tons Crushed 2023 Tons Crushed 2022 Net Gain/Loss Equivalent Gallons

In many ways, the long-term visibility in the wine industry is cloudy at the moment. Retail sales trends are declining and difficult to interpret due to the upheaval of sales channels in recent years, increasing costs and unreliability of sourcing dry goods, many businesses are bracing for the potential of a recession, inflation, and all the while Covid still looms in the background. It is in times like this that a trusted broker can be one of the most valuable tools at your disposal since we have a clear picture of what is occurring in the grape and bulk wine markets. Following is a grape market and crop update by region from the brokers based upon their vineyard visits with clients, Turrentine’s historical market data, and extensive conversations with clients. - by Steve Fredricks North Coast Christian Klierby Christian Klier Buying and selling grapes throughout the North Coast has been similar to last year with the highest quality grapes contracted early. Many buyers are still

May 6th – Burdett, New York – Internationally renowned winemaker Paul Hobbs launches his newest winery, Hillick & Hobbs Estate, to the U.S. market this spring. Named after his parents, Joan Hillick and Edward Hobbs, the project brings Paul back to upstate New York near his childhood home to craft world-class Riesling from the emerging […] The post Paul Hobbs Releases Inaugural Vintage from Hillick & Hobbs Estate in Seneca Lake, New York appeared first on Wine Industry Advisor. Url:https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2021/05/06/paul-hobbs-releases-inaugural-vintage-hillick-hobbs-estate?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=paul-hobbs-releases-inaugural-vintage-hillick-hobbs-estate Published Date:Thu, 06 May 2021 17:48:20 +0000 

RNDC: Winery Success in 2021 Requires Sales Channel Understanding and Flexibility: Philana Bouvier, VP Fine Wine, Supplier Business Development at Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), a world class distributor of fine wine and spirits in North America, has some advice for 2021... The post Afternoon Brief, December 30th appeared first on Wine Industry Advisor. Url:https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2020/12/30/afternoon-brief-1769?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=afternoon-brief-1769 Published Date:Wed, 30 Dec 2020 22:51:35 +0000