The 2026 State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report, published by Silicon Valley Bank and authored by Rob McMillan, provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of current conditions in the U.S. wine market. Built on more than 25 years of industry research, the report combines results from SVB’s annual winery survey, its Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) survey, demographic and cohort consumption modeling, and a wide range of third-party wholesale, retail, and population datasets. The conclusion is clear: while the industry continues to face structural headwinds, wineries are not experiencing these conditions equally. A widening performance gap has emerged between those adapting to changing demand and those struggling to do so. 2025 Performance: A Difficult Year for Many By nearly every measure, 2025 was a challenging year for the U.S. wine industry. Roughly half of the surveyed wineries rated the year negatively, citing slowing demand, rising costs, margin pressure, and inventory ch

Many wineries understand the importance of protecting their brand names through trademark registration and enforcement in the market, but producers should not overlook protection that may be available under U.S. trademark law for distinctive elements of product packaging and design. Considering trade dress within your overall intellectual property enforcement strategy will allow you to protect the unique aspects of presentation that make your product stand out on crowded market shelves. Trade dress is a type of trademark encompassing elements of product packaging and design which, taken together or separately, indicate to consumers that a product or service originates from a particular source, and which distinguish goods of one producer from those of its competitors. It is the look and feel of a product or service in the marketplace, and may consist of elements like size, shape, color, imagery, and decorative aspects of packaging. Trade dress must either be inherently distinctive or ha

The Annual SVB Videocast is next Tuesday, June 17th.  Why should you listen? Prescience. Read below, please. The following is the blog post I made on April 28th, 2019, before the DTC videocast. There hasn't been a single edit. The underscored part is exactly as written 6 years ago. The wine business is far more complex than people think. It's a maze of complexities with different models, varying paths to the consumer, pressure from federal, local, and state regulations, a lack of good information, controlling power in a small numbers of hands and changing consumer demand. Oftentime decisions are made with the love of the product in mind, versus a business decision being made with financial returns in mind. Perhaps the greatest risk we should all be most worried about is our tendency to continue on on a path that's successful. If it works, we keep riding the trend as far as we can, until the strategy fails. In an industry that takes 5 years to get a fully mature y

In the ever-evolving world of wine, tasting rooms have long been sacred spaces for sampling vintages and educating consumers about winemaking. But recently, the definition of what belongs in a tasting room has expanded beyond the conventional pour. Enter the world of alternative beverages—non-alcoholic wines, wine-based cocktails like Frosé, and low-alcohol spritzers. These trends are carving out significant space, appealing to younger generations, health-conscious consumers, and a broader range of visitors. The rise of alternative beverages in tasting rooms isn’t just a fleeting fad—it’s a response to shifting consumer preferences and lifestyle trends. The adaptability of tasting rooms to these new offerings is a testament to the industry’s resilience. The question now isn’t whether tasting rooms should adapt, but how they can complement the core identity of wine while capturing the attention of a broader audience. Changing Consumer Preferen

With no and low-alcohol categories on the rise and the sober-curious boogeyman around every corner, we needn’t wait for rock bottom to take a hard look at our sales strategy and make a change today.  While much of the wine & spirits industry points the finger at Gen Z & Millennials, the World Health Organization or the Surgeon General, the truth is there’s only one entity responsible for the trajectory of our revenue.  According to Navy SEALs Jocko Willink and Leif Babin in Extreme Ownership, when “problems feel overwhelming and insurmountable . . . it’s our human nature to shift blame, find excuses, and avoid consequences. But taking ownership over what went wrong and accepting the reality of the situation gives you complete control over how you can solve these challenges.” Trying to sell alcohol in 2025 is tough. Plain and simple, no way around it. With that acknowledged, let’s explore what we can do about it.   A Sign of

When cyber and D&O insurance premiums soared, businesses may have felt it necessary to reduce coverage. Now, rates have declined, so it may be a good time to “top off” your cyber and D&O limits – especially because, unlike premiums, risks are not falling. Cyber and D&O Premium Trends Both cyber and D&O insurance have seen substantial swings in recent years. Cyber insurance premiums skyrocketed between 2020 and 2022. According to CIAB, rates were up 34.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021. After that, rate hikes began to moderate, although double-digit increases were still the norm for a while. By the second half of 2023, rate hikes were only up 3.6%. In the second quarter of 2024, CIAB says rates were actually down 1.7%. D&O insurance has shown a similar pattern. Rate increases started to climb around 2019 and 2020. CIAB says D&O insurance rates were up 16.8% in the second quarter of 2020 and 16.1% in the third quarter. However, the hard market di

The wine industry is in uncharted territory, but analysts' opinions of its current state vary. If the analyst views were music, they would range from Bob Marley's, 'Every Little Thing's gonna be Alright,' to Led Zeppelin's, 'When the Levee Breaks, I'll Have no Place to Stay.' Who are you going to believe? While instinct has a place, facts matter, and there are too many supporting facts to think everything is just fine. Finding the good news in the information has become challenging. It's not all bad. Some wineries continue to perform well, even though they are experiencing the same headwinds as your winery. Why is that? How will you respond to the headwinds? Where are there opportunities? SVB has been dissecting the wine business and offering the industry and regions fact-based guidance for nearly 30 years. The NY Times calls the SVB report "probably the most influential analysis of its kind." What do we owe that to?

Sell More Wine this Holiday Season with Compliant Text Messages Massive year-to-year growth of SMS wine messaging means thousands of DTC wineries are poised to profit this year by sending compliant text messages to their best customers.   With text messaging outperforming email 35-to-1 in the wine industry, alcohol merchants adding SMS marketing to their mix enjoy a decisive competitive advantage this holiday season. But before you press the “send” button, are you sure your text messages are compliant? Since text marketing is relatively new in the wine industry and compliance rules are still evolving, even experienced professionals have questions about the compliance rules U.S. wineries must follow. In our latest blog article, with the help of a world leader in alcohol messaging – SimpleTexting – we’ll demystify SMS wine marketing compliance so your business can delight customers and confidently profit from text messaging this holiday season. DISCLA

2024 Virtual Wine Club Symposium: Opening Insights on the State of the Industry Key Takeaways from Jason Curtis and Rob McMillan's Presentation The 2024 Virtual Wine Club Symposium kicked off with an insightful session on the current state of the wine club industry. Industry veterans Jason Curtis, President of vinSUITE, and Rob McMillan, EVP & Wine Division Founder at Silicon Valley Bank, shared valuable insights based on the latest SVB 2024 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey. Their presentation covered key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of wine clubs. 1. The Power of Consistent Communication Wineries that communicate with their club members bi-weekly or monthly are 127% more likely to experience growth. This statistic underscores the importance of maintaining consistent engagement with wine club members. Regular communication keeps your winery top-of-mind and fosters a sense of connection and loyalty among members. Implementation Strategies: Develop a

Industry Leaders Gather at vinSUITE's Virtual Wine Club Symposium 2024 Two-day free event features industry insights and data-driven strategies for wine club growth. Napa, CA – July 8, 2024 vinSUITE announces its 2nd Annual Virtual Wine Club Symposium, scheduled for July 16-17, 2024. Building on last year's success, this free, virtual two-day event offers wine club professionals cutting-edge insights on industry trends, AI applications, and data-driven strategies to boost member engagement and retention. Last year's inaugural event attracted over 200 registrations and received overwhelmingly positive reviews. This year, the symposium has already surpassed that total, indicating growing interest and the value it provides to the wine industry. "In today's rapidly evolving wine industry, staying ahead of the curve is crucial," said Jason Curtis, President of vinSUITE. "Our symposium brings together top experts to provide actionable strategies that wi