In 2022, Wine Industry Advisor continued its mission to provide you — our broad audience of professionals and enthusiasts — the latest, most important information about key topics facing our industry.
As this year comes to a close, we’ve taken a look back on 2022’s most-read articles. Topics span the spectrum, from science and politics to viticultural developments, winemaking concerns and data technology. It’s a fair reflection of both the breadth of information WIA strives to deliver, as well as the curiosity and informational savvy of our readers.
Wine Industry Advisor would like to thank its dedicated readership for another year of enthusiasm and support. We look forward to boosting our editorial effort even more in 2023. Happy holidays and Happy New Year from our WIA family to yours. —Alexandra Russell, WIA Managing Editor
Top 10 Stories from 2022
How Automation Is Transforming Our 8,000-Year-Old Industry
By Keith Chambers
For generations, winemakers around the world have used the same processes to harvest, crush, ferment, clarify, age and bottle their wine. While variations and deviations can be seen between popular wine destinations such as Napa, Sonoma, Tuscany and others, the traditional and somewhat rigid process behind winemaking has largely remained steadfast for more than 8,000 years. Now, thanks to the power of automation, this is all about to change. READ MORE…
![Histamine rendering [iStock]](https://win-advisor-media-library.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/10015545/istockphoto-476272281-612x612-1-e1654376809139-300x300.jpg)
Biogenic Amine Toxicity: A Reality for Histamine-Sensitive Consumers
By Deborah Parker Wong
Most informed wine consumers have accepted the fact that sulfur isn’t the root cause of wine headaches, but the misconception that sulfur dioxide (SO2) causes adverse reactions to wine consumption is still often perpetuated by the media and can persist among casual consumers. Instead, what’s been identified as a source of adverse reactions to no- and low-sulfur red wines, particularly by histamine-sensitive consumers, are biogenic amines (BA). READ MORE…
The Changing Face of the Beverage Alcohol Industry
By Maria Pearman
The beverage alcohol industry is in a state of vast disruption, and wine is no exception. Forces at play come from many angles, including changing consumer preferences, tightened opportunities for distribution and a reactive retail environment. Here are a few ways we are seeing disruption in the wine industry today. READ MORE…
By Tara Good
Any business that plays music for its patrons must pay for the privilege to do so. This includes having a musician or band play live, having a TV on playing music videos or performances, or simply using a streaming service in public areas. But who to pay, how to pay — and how much — can be confusing. WineAmerica is working to help wineries navigate these murky waters. READ MORE…
Napa Changes Its Rules to Allow Microwineries
By Barbara Barrielle
On, April 5, 2022 the Napa County Board of Supervisors adopted a new Microwinery Ordinance, amending Napa County Code to let farmers obtain a use permit for a microwinery via approval by the zoning administrator, instead of the planning commission. This change lets applicants avoid public hearings, potentially reducing costs of acquiring a use permit. READ MORE…
Taking the Reins: The Next Generation Is Putting Their Mark on These
Family-Owned Wineries
By Paul Vigna
In an industry where a majority of the businesses nationally are owned and operated by families, meet three next gen owners who all tell a similar story of wanting to make their own mark while respecting the past. More importantly, they provide each winery’s bridge to the future. READ MORE…
Vineyard Automation Will Help Growers Survive Ongoing Labor Shortages
By Jeff Siegel
Grape growing is a traditional business, parts of which haven’t changed in thousands of years. Picking grapes by hand is still picking grapes by hand. The lore of the grape runs deep. So why have California growers enthusiastically embraced robotics in the vineyard? READ MORE…
Where DTC Sales Are Slowing to a Trickle, Where They’re Surging — and Why
By Kathleen Willcox
Sales growth “slowed noticeably” in the second quarter of this year compared with the first quarter, according to the Q2 2022 DTC Report from Enolytics and Wine Direct, which crunched wine sales and shipping data from 2,000+ wineries in three countries. This was especially true for sales online and in tasting rooms year-over-year. READ MORE…
Counterfeiting Is a Lingering Stain on the Wine Industry
By Melanie Young
Counterfeit wines and spirits cost the global industry $3.18 billion in direct sales, and the impact can be felt at many levels. A European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) report estimates that illicit trade in wine and spirit results in a 7 percent reduction of legitimate products, the loss of over 7,000 jobs across the beverage alcohol industry, and costs the government $2.61 billion in tax revenues. And yet, this malpractice continues to run rampant in the beverage alcohol sector. READ MORE…
Beyond the (Standard) Bottle: Wineries Are Embracing Greener Packaging
By Kathleen Willcox
Growing and making wine can be done sustainably. According to Grand View Research, the production of organic wine is projected to grow 10.2 percent between 2022 and 2030, and the space devoted to organic growing has increased in France alone by 249 percent in the past decade. While hard numbers are difficult to come by, renewable energy — generally in the form of solar power — fuels many wine production facilities across the globe. The problem arises when attention turns to packaging that wine. READ MORE…
10 More Stories for Good Measure
- Wine Closures—An Open Discussion
- Staying Ahead of the Supply Struggle Curve
- Evaluating the Wine Industry’s Economic Engine in 2022 and Beyond
- The Next Varietal Trend—Analysts Weigh In
- Wine’s Most Inspiring People: Alex Ryan—CEO, The Duckhorn Portfolio
- PET Bottles—The Future of Wine Packaging
- You’ve Been Served: TTB Sued Over Wine Ingredient Labels
- Leveraging QR Codes to Increase Wine Sales
- Up from Down Under: NZ Tech Is Improving Wine Quality and Vineyard Management
- Wine Industry Needs to Ramp Up Recruitment in Competitive Job Market
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The Wine Industry Advisor is an online industry publication dedicated to editorial content relevant to the wine industry.
Our mission is to be the go-to resource for wine businesses and wine professionals by providing free access to our articles, industry press releases, and daily news coverage.
We aim to produce content that is most relevant to our industry in an easy and convenient format for our readers: monitoring marketing trends, identifying opportunities for and threats to our industry, and evaluating new products and technology that advances grape growing, wine production, as well as sales and marketing efforts.
Our goal is to speak to and connect with North American wine professionals across the country, foster constructive conversation, and feature fresh innovation and the people and personalities beyond the bottle. Find out more about Wine Industry Network’s Wine Industry Advisor. Contact us at publisher@wineindustryadvisor.com.
