March 13, 2026 (Novato, CA) — Following the release of the Preliminary 2025 California Grape Crush Report, Turrentine Brokerage, the largest California grape and bulk wine brokerage company, has issued a market assessment characterizing the 2025 vintage as one of the most challenging for the wine...

Beyond the Peak of Excess by Steve Fredricks As we turned the calendars to 2026, the landscape felt familiar: excess inventories, a scarcity of buyers, and a relentless stream of negative headlines that keep the wine markets entrenched in a perception of "peak of excess." While it is true that some...

Perfect Storm by Steve Fredricks We are nearing a wrap to harvest for one of the most difficult years for the wine industry since Prohibition. Grape and bulk wine buying activity at the end of the season continues to be generally low statewide, with only a few opportunistic plays in the North Coast...

A WINERY GUIDE TO AVAILABLE RESEARCH You know what’s better than spending ten grand on a focus group where Jan from accounting tells you your wine label “feels aggressive”? Doing your homework first. And no, we don’t mean journaling your feelings over a glass of Pinot. We mean secondary...

In today’s challenging business climate, many small winery owners are cutting back wherever they can. But when it comes to marketing, the stakes are high: cut too much, and you risk losing momentum. Spend without a plan, and you may as well be tossing cash into the vineyard wind. Too often, I see...

Navigating Uncertainty by Steve Fredricks "Uncertain" is the word most people are using to describe the current wine market. This sentiment applies to everything from the long-term outlook for wine consumption and vineyard acreage, to the projected size of the 2025 harvest and the immediate future...

A second consecutive lighter-than-average harvest across the state has further solidified the tightening of bulk wine actively for sale. There are currently fewer lots available than we ever have listed in mid-January, and the last time we had as few gallons available at this time of year was in...

by Steve Fredricks Last month I was impatiently waiting for my favorite Philly Cheesesteak as I overheard another sandwich lover describing the success of his investment in Dogecoin to his friend. He was touting Dogecoin as a “sure investment” based on his study of the price trend, and was looking...

Things Certainly Can Change in One Year by Steve Fredricks Last year at this time, mere weeks before the United States shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were in an excess phase of the cycle for nearly every variety in California. Now, less than two months into 2021, the situation is...

Harvest & Bulk Update By Steve Fredricks The Dog Days of summer have given way to fall, and while there was some uncertainty whether California's hottest summer on record would accelerate the crop or cause vines to shut down and delay harvest, the answer has been resoundingly in favor of...