March 4, 2025 – Today Wine Market Council announced that registration for the 2025 Wine Market Council (WMC) Annual Research Conference is now open to the public.
The conference will be held at Copia in Napa, California, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., followed by an optional lunch from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. The theme of the conference this year is “Connecting with new and current wine consumers.”
TO REGISTER for the conference, please click HERE. The conference program can be found HERE.
This year’s program will feature and exciting round-up of speakers and relevant, timely topics. It will commence with a ‘U.S. Wine Market Overview’ by Danny Brager, Wine Industry business analyst, and former SVP of NielsenIQ’s Beverage Alcohol Practice. This will be followed by a joint presentation with Christian Miller, WMC Research Director and Liz Thach, WMC President, highlighting important “Clues to Connect With Wine Consumers” – derived from WMC’s recent young adult and multicultural wine consumer research, as well as their eco-friendly wine study.
A highlight of the conference will be a special panel entitled ‘How to Sell More Wine in Multiple Channels: Suggestions from Retailers & DTC Experts. ‘ This engaging and powerful panel will feature industry experts who will share tips and techniques for succeeding in today’s evolving wine market. Panel speakers include Curtis Mann, MW, with Albertson’s/Safeway, Alex Joerger with Wine.com, Michael Gonzales with Cole’s Chop House, Laura Webb with Cakebread in Napa Valley, and Jeremy Trettevik with Jeremy Wine Co. in Lodi, CA.
Another highlight is luncheon keynote speaker, Francis Creighton, CEO of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA). His presentation, entitled “Creating Opportunities Together: Partnering with Wholesalers in a Dynamic Market,” will not only focus on how to obtain a distributor and work with them successfully, but also WSWA’s position on dietary guidelines, cannabis, tariffs, and other hot topics. At this smaller intimate lunch, participants will have an opportunity to participate in a Q&A with Francis and network with other members of the wine industry.
Conference Costs & Registration
The registration fee is $125 per person. This includes the morning conference sessions (8:00 – 12:15), along with a complimentary continental breakfast and coffee break. The conference is complimentary for WMC members – up to 3 employees per member organization.
The 3-course lunch with special keynote speaker, Francis Creighton, CEO of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) is $75 per person. It includes a family style meal of salad, main course, and dessert, along with a choice of of ice tea, lemonade, water, coffee, tea or wine. Attendance is limited.
About Wine Market Council
Established in 1996, Wine Market Council (WMC), is a non-profit organization, supported by members with an interest in advancing the U.S. wine market and industry. The mission of WMC is “to conduct forward-looking market research on U.S. wine consumer buying habits, attitudes, and trends.’
Each year WMC conducts 3 to 4 national research studies on the U.S. wine consumer, tapping into motivations for wine in their lives. The information is shared with members to develop successful wine marketing strategies. WMC’s database of research, spanning over 27 years, is one of the deepest and richest in the nation regarding motivations of U.S. wine consumers.
In addition to access to research study reports, members also benefit by receiving invitations to member-only webinars, complimentary attendance to the annual research conference, quarterly newsletters, and networking opportunities. Members include wineries, distributors, growers, importers, regional, national, and international trade associations, and affiliates. Membership dues start as low as $400 per year depending on the size of the organization. For more information on membership and costs, please see https://winemarketcouncil.com/join/.
