Vibes more positive, not yet the hard facts and figures An unseasonably warm start to spring in California has accelerated vine development in the growing areas to a marked extent: This month’s report relays the latest news from the vineyards – and how it may, or may not, affect the bulk wine and grape markets – and delves deep into the California Department of Food & Agriculture’s Preliminary Grape Crush Report for 2025, published last month. The state’s smallest winegrape harvest in 26 years, combined with some improved mood music regarding case-good sales – if lacking hard figures to support it – has helped create a feeling that the wine industry is headed in the right direction. Before the sunlit uplands are reached, however, more painful rightsizing must occur, and we continue to see vineyards removed and mothballed, crush and storage capacity taken offline, and companies shrinking, merging, or shuttering altogether. In the shorter te

The later-than-usual release of the Grape Crush Report had everyone doing what this industry does best: guessing. And when the number finally dropped, it landed somewhere between “not great” and “not nearly low enough to matter.” At approximately 2.6 million tons, the 2025 crush came in higher than most had hoped, and, more importantly, higher than many believe the market actually needs. The Facts: What the Crush Report Tells Us Data released by the California Department of Food and Agriculture shows that the 2025 grape crush totaled approximately 2.6 million tons. That represents a decline of just over 8% from the prior year and marks the smallest crop since the late 1990s. On the surface, that’s a meaningful shift. After several years where production consistently exceeded 3 million tons, supply is clearly beginning to respond. But the details matter. Key premium varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir all declined, while certain

NAPA, Calif., (Nov. 26, 2025) – VA Filtration Services’ Scientific Approach, Innovative Solutions from Napa Valley At VA Filtration Services, our mission is to empower winemakers to produce wines of the highest sensory quality. One of the challenges in modern winemaking is managing undesirable levels of pyrazines, particularly methoxypyrazines, which can impart green, herbaceous aromas that mask fruit character and complexity. Winemakers are left with two options: cover up the pyrazine (and potentially other attributes) or remove it through advances in pyrazine remediation practices. The Problem: Pyrazines in Wine Methoxypyrazines are naturally occurring compounds in certain grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. While subtle concentrations can add a sought-after freshness, excessive amounts lead to pronounced bell pepper and grassy notes, often perceived as faults—especially in premium reds. Often pyrazines present in wine due to enviro

Meta Ads, Miracle Results If your holiday Meta ads felt like lighting money on fire in a festive candle, that’s not because social is dead. It’s because your targeting and flighting were built for wishful thinking, not gifting intent. The fix isn’t magic. It’s method. You can absolutely turn Meta into a gift-selling machine between Thanksgiving and New Year—if you understand what actually drives intent and how to spend wisely when every other brand on earth is screaming for attention. What follows is a ruthless, winery-specific playbook for the six-week window between Thanksgiving and New Year that prioritizes intent, protects margin, and leans on real benchmarks instead of folklore. First, reality: volume is there, but it clusters Holiday ecommerce keeps breaking records, with online spend hitting roughly $241.4B from Nov 1 to Dec 31 and mobile responsible for the majority of transactions. (Adobe Newsroom) Translation: your customers are buying on their

For vineyard owners, harvest season brings both excitement and anxiety. As grapes ripen and sugar levels climb, they become an irresistible target for birds, deer, raccoons, and other hungry visitors. A single flock of starlings or a few persistent deer can cause significant crop loss — not just in volume, but in quality. For growers working tirelessly all season long, these setbacks can be devastating. That’s why more and more vineyards are turning to physical deterrents like netting — a simple yet powerful solution that protects the fruit without compromising the vineyard’s aesthetic or farming practices. At Trident Fence, we’ve worked with growers across the country to provide vineyard netting that’s durable, easy to install, and incredibly effective. Whether you operate a boutique winery or manage acres of vines across varied terrain, netting may be the smartest step you take toward a more secure and profitable harvest. Why Netting Works fo

Bouchard Cooperages is very proud to represent Tonnellerie Damy, based in Meursault, one of the most prestigious cooperages in Burgundy. Tonnellerie Damy, and its French Sales Manager Étienne Martin, work exclusively with their neighbor and client Domaine Élodie Roy in Maranges. This important producer uses Damy barrels exclusively for its production of chardonnay, aligoté and pinot noir. For those interested, the same Damy barrels Élodie Roy uses for the production of these wines are currently available from stock inventory in California, Oregon, Washington, Virginia and Ontario. Tonnellerie Damy - Meursault, France Tonnellerie Damy was founded in 1946 and is managed by third generation Jérôme Damy who overseas the production of 18,000 barrels per year. The cooperage represents a state of the art facility located in Meursault, Burgundy. The majority of Damy's barrels are made from single origin French Oak, sourced from the most

Your Customers Check Texts Faster Than Emails, So Why Are You Still Only Relying on Inboxes? The typical American checks their phone 96 times a day, that's once every 10 minutes. While your carefully crafted email campaign sits unopened among dozens of others, text messages get read within minutes. The numbers don't lie: SMS messages have a 98% open rate compared to email's paltry 20-30%. Even more telling, 90% of text messages are read within the first three minutes of delivery. For wineries competing for attention in crowded digital spaces, this isn't just a nice-to-have channel, it's the most direct line to your customer's attention. Why SMS Works Specifically for Wine Brands Wine isn't software or fashion, it's experiential, emotional, and often enjoyed in specific moments. This unique position makes SMS particularly effective for wineries in ways other industries can't match. First, wine consumers are increasingly mobile-first. When planning wee

Precision irrigation automation has never been accessible for most viticulturists. Because it’s expensive and complicated, only the largest producers with sizable budgets could afford its benefits – until now. Since its inception, Verdi has thrown open the door to a high quality, affordable, user-installed irrigation automation system for wine grape growers at all levels of production. Verdi allows irrigation to be managed on multiple properties manually, remotely, with schedules, and by utilizing farm sensors that notify the system when crops require additional water. It also alerts them when there are problems, so they always know if their watering systems are functioning properly. “We installed Verdi on a couple of our properties, which historically had been difficult to manage as far as irrigation and immediately I noticed just the labor cost savings overall.” — Stephanie Adamson, Irrigation Technician, Quails Gate Winery The Verdi system solves anot

Sampling is in full swing on the Southern Hemisphere’s 2025 vintage and quality has been rated very positively. The great majority of sampling activity is being carried out by longstanding customers with established programmes and tenders; new buyers, and new programmes, are few. Only Chile and New Zealand experienced non-average crop sizes but in contrasting ways – Chile’s was as much as 25% short, New Zealand’s is expected to have been “very large” despite fruit going unpicked in response to generous carryover stocks.  The shortness of Chile’s crop triggered brisk early sampling by international buyers and the securing of batches by domestic buyers. Even in this context, however, the lack of new international business has been noticeable. In the Northern Hemisphere, meanwhile, bulk wine markets have been proceeding steadily, with activity largely consisting of incremental demand for small volumes on a just-in-time basis.  The persi

Sampling is in full swing on the Southern Hemisphere’s 2025 vintage and quality has been rated very positively. The great majority of sampling activity is being carried out by longstanding customers with established programmes and tenders; new buyers, and new programmes, are few. Only Chile and New Zealand experienced non-average crop sizes but in contrasting ways – Chile’s was as much as 25% short, New Zealand’s is expected to have been “very large” despite fruit going unpicked in response to generous carryover stocks.  The shortness of Chile’s crop triggered brisk early sampling by international buyers and the securing of batches by domestic buyers. Even in this context, however, the lack of new international business has been noticeable. In the Northern Hemisphere, meanwhile, bulk wine markets have been proceeding steadily, with activity largely consisting of incremental demand for small volumes on a just-in-time basis.  The persi