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

Andy Schweiger  Some may say Andy Schweiger has his head in the clouds. His winery, is, after all, 2,000 feet off the valley floor on the top of Spring Mountain. With such lofty fruit, one can imagine Andy has top-level quality goals for all his suppliers. Indeed, Andy admits to working with many different cork suppliers for years to establish his own meticulous list of criteria, service expectations, and quality control standards. “Other companies would nod at my requirements and gave me lip service,” recalls Andy, “but MAS actually listened and took my requests to heart.” Since that first meeting, M. A. Silva has endured at Schweiger by striving for increasingly high quality in all Andy’s cork deliveries. By periodically announcing new technological innovations like the Dynavox system and SARA Advanced process, the supplier continues to methodically test and improve so they can deliver the highest level of quality cork for every order. Andy cites M.

Afternoon Brief, August 4th

Rising Temperatures Could Impact Quality of Grapes Used to Make Wine in Napa Valley, Researchers Say: Rising temperatures are shifting the growing season in Napa Valley’s wine country, which could impact grape growth and alter the types of wine that originate from the region, according to new research and wine experts...

Afternoon Brief, June 12th

Shafer Acquires ‘World Class’ Napa Vineyard: California’s Shafer Vineyards has supercharged its Cabernet Sauvignon offering with its latest purchase, a vineyard in Napa’s Atlas Peak AVA...

The 2022 harvest has finally come to an end. During the growing season it was predicted to be an early start and end to this harvest, but the end-date was delayed for two reasons. First, heat waves in late-August and early-September shut down the vines’ ability to continue to ripen the crop during high temperatures in many cases. Secondly, the heat was followed by a significantly cooler period and rains. Yields, in general, are down from last year, and in many cases are likely to be down from a five-year average. A smaller 2022 crop has kept the grape market supply closer to balance, or shortage, depending on the variety and appellation. Additionally, it means the grape market is positioned similarly entering 2023; however, the outcome of 2023 will be largely determined by consumers sales over the holidays, the health of the economy, as well as early 2023 crop estimates, a combination that can swing the grape market in either direction. Each winegrowing region of California has i