2025 Wine Sales Symposium brings together brands and experts who are turning disruption into opportunity.
By Laurie Wachter
On-again / off-again tariffs and “Is this good news or bad news?” chatter have taken the wine industry’s uncertainty up another notch. Many brands are trying to determine what changes might produce the best results, while others are more successfully adapting to the shifting market to overcome each new challenge.
The upcoming Wine Sales Symposium (May 14 in Santa Rosa, Calif.) is designed to delve into the strategies these winning brands are using. Speakers will share their insights in interactive sessions that are designed to create the atmosphere of an industry-wide brainstorming session.
“If attendees can leave the conference with one or two good ideas, it could make a world of difference to their businesses,” says host George Christie, Wine Industry Network’s president and CEO. “Our goal is to highlight companies, wineries and brands that are succeeding and have them share what they’re doing differently to deal with the current situation.”
State of the Industry
WISS opens with Economist Chris Bitter, Ph.D., Terrain’s senior wine and grape analyst, getting right to the current pain points in his kick-off session, State of the Industry: The Wine Market and Consumer Are Evolving — So Should You. Bitter is planning to take the temperature of the room with interactive polls as he covers each of four core areas:
Key trends in the three-tier retail sales channel include the bifurcation of wine price points, shifting consumer preferences impacting varietal performance, low/no alcohol growth and market dynamics such as retailer destocking, import trends, on-premise sales and excess inventory at wineries and wholesalers.
Key trends at direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels incorporate decaying consumer sentiment, shifting travel patterns by Americans and foreign travelers and rising costs for wine, travel, tasting and shipping.
Bitter will also look at longer-term headwinds including changes in demographics, consumer confidence and attitudes toward alcohol consumption, which he expects will “have the greatest impact on the lower end of the market, although premium and luxury segments are not immune.”
Finally, he’ll outline opportunities for wineries in this environment. “There’s an opportunity to tell a better story about why wine might be the most sensible choice for people concerned with health and wellness,” he explains. ”But we have to change the way we speak about wine to consider the audience we’re trying to reach.”
Cracking the Code
International wine marketing strategist Barbara Fitzgerald agrees: “We know it’s not enough just to make good wine anymore. Success today is really about brand storytelling, cultural alignment, retail readiness and sustainability — not just in theory but in execution.”
Fitzgerald, owner of Apri La Creative Consulting, is hosting WISS’s closing session, Cracking the Code: Why Some Wine Brands Are Thriving Against the Odds.
“We’ll have a cross-section of the industry,” she says. “Everyone is feeling the pain in different ways, and this conversation will bridge those perspectives.”
Her panel includes Steve Lohr, the co-owner, president and CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, which Fitzgerald calls “a legacy brand that is navigating change. He can speak to balancing evolution with authenticity and how to keep that personal touch point at volume.”
Lohr adds: “Through 50 years of growing grapes and making wine, we have seen many industry cycles. None, however, have been as significant as the one that we are in today. By focusing on the core strengths of your winery, appellation and state, there are paths that may lead us back to prosperity, and that is what we will be gathering to discuss.”
Caine Thompson, head of sustainability at O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, will be a “strong sustainability voice who can talk about the impact-driven branding that is so important to consumers.”
The retail voice will come from Debbie Zachareas, owner and partner of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and Oxbow Wine & Cheese Merchant. “She will bring ground-level insights into shifting consumer behaviors, what’s moving on shelves and how she’s keeping people engaged.”
Finally, Jon Rhodes, vice president of trade development at Breakthru Beverage Group, will provide the wholesaler perspective on SKU consolidation, innovation and more.
WISS attendees will come away with insider perspectives on dealing with market realities from the presenters and their fellow participants and renewed energy to try something different.
For more information on these sessions and the full conference program, speaker line-up and event details, visit winesalessymposium.com.
Laurie Wachter
Laurie Wachter brings her expertise in consumer behavior, food & beverage marketing and direct-to-consumer sales to writing about innovation and challenges in the consumer packaged goods industry. She works with a global client base from her Northern California Wine Country home.
