In the Fall 2025 issue of Winescape, Dr. Chris Bitter, Senior Wine and Grape Analyst at Terrain, dives into the data behind the decline in alcohol consumption to find its root causes. In this episode of Expert Perspectives, he outlines the five major factors and what he thinks is the biggest driver.

Economic uncertainty continues to dampen consumer confidence and wine demand, with no apparent threats to an abundant grape crop. Wine sales are off to a slow start in 2025 and the glimmers of progress evident in the second half of 2024 have mostly dissipated. I had initially expected to see...

Flexibility and focus will be key this year, as the economic backdrop for wine sales has become murkier, and the grape market still looks long despite a short harvest in 2024. The 2024 numbers are in, and they confirm that off-premise wine sales have not bottomed yet. They are descending at a...

The most pressing topic for the California wine industry is the state of the market. This issue provides a detailed outlook for the wine market in 2025 and beyond. This issue of “Winescape” focuses entirely on the state of the market. As the fruits of the recent harvest are now being converted into...

The Winescape summer issue is now available for download. In this issue:: Analyzes early-2024 data for key economic indicators and the wine and grape markets Reveals attributes and factors that will serve as advantages for vineyards and wineries in a slower growth environment Provides insights into...

A tumultuous 2025 economy likely depressed wine sales. In 2026, the higher-end segments should continue to outperform, and the grape market should be less oversupplied when harvest begins. REPORT SNAPSHOT Situation: Wine sales softened across the board in 2025, and prices stagnated as a result of...

An exceptionally small 2025 grape harvest would help balance wine inventories and potentially stimulate grape demand next year There wasn’t much change in the complexion of the wine market in the third quarter. Sales continued to decline across channels and price points, though at varying rates....

It’s no secret that people are drinking less. The consistent, downward trends in alcohol consumption are presenting significant challenges to the wine industry, which is already having to operate in a complex, competitive marketplace. In order to dissect what is happening in the world of wine and...

Price-sensitive consumers have kept a lid on wine sales this year, while grape sales are likely to remain slow. As for the moderation movement, a range of factors are contributing. It was a disappointing first half of the year for U.S. wine sales as a shaky economic backdrop quashed the signs of...

State of the Industry; The Wine Market and Consumer Are Evolving – So Should You In this data-driven session, Dr. Chris Bitter, Senior Wine and Grape Analyst for Terrain / American AgCredit, will break down the key trends shaping both retail and direct-to-consumer wine sales. He’ll examine the...