Recent-vintage stocks growing tighter The 2026 harvests in the Southern Hemisphere are in full swing – a number are ahead of a typical schedule, in fact – and this month’s Global Market Report provides the latest on conditions, grape quality, and crop-size expectations. With one exception, the bulk...

The word “brand” is notoriously difficult to define in marketing. If we were talking about a ranch brand—the kind seared onto livestock to signify ownership—that’s easy to understand. But in marketing, a brand is not a physical thing. It’s a symbolic construct. It’s not the label on the bottle or...

After 30 years of moving up and to the right, the American wine industry hit a wall. Not a temporary slowdown or a soft patch. A structural shift that requires a fundamentally different marketing playbook. 2025 was the reality check. 2026 is the year wineries either adapt or watch their customer...

A pause in the fever dream of instability October arrived not with fanfare but with something rarer: Quiet. After a year of collective anticipation for more and more problems, what occurred was a respite. The tariffs are stalled, and the early indications from the Supreme Court suggest they are...

"In the dark": Wine industry crying out for certainty October rainfall complicated harvest at the end of an already challenging growing season, characterized by cooler-than-normal weather and slower ripening. Growers held on for as long as possible in an attempt to attain requisite Brix levels, and...

Why Less Visitation to Wine Country is Everyone's Problem Wineries with tasting rooms know all too well that foot traffic is shrinking. But it was our clients without a hospitality arm who got us thinking: how important is the on-site channel to the wine industry as a whole? Maybe we’re just...

The wine industry is facing unprecedented challenges. With many wineries and related businesses feeling the pressure from rising costs and declining sales, it might seem like the only option is to cut back or even shutter operations. But as history shows, downturns are often the perfect time to...

Shorter harvests fail to stir uncertain bulk market The Northern Hemisphere harvests are in full swing and this month’s report relays the latest news from the vineyards on crop size and grape quality. Only one of California, France, Spain and Italy appears on course for a crop size in line with its...