Last week’s Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, following a Covid-induced hiatus the past couple years, felt almost like a rebirth of our industry, and the excitement was palpable.
Sponsored and organized by the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) and the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV), this year’s 29th edition of “Unified” was the largest ever. This massive convention and trade show, drawing well over 10,000 people, is also a magnet for other organizations to have their meetings, like we did at the National Grape and Research Alliance. In addition, the Winegrape Growers of America’s Leadership Luncheon included a panel discussion on “The Gentle Power of Collaboration” and presentation of the Rich Smith Award of Excellence to Marty Clubb, Owner of L’Ecole No. 41 in Walla Walla, Washington.
Current information is also a key draw, especially from the annual State of the Industry session with presentations from experts in economics, marketing, and worldwide grape trends. As in most years, there is both good and bad news, and many reminders that “wine” is not just one monolithic industry, but many variations of different locations, sizes, products, marketing strategies, and outlooks.
Most often repeated was the need for our industry to “extend the off ramps and build more on ramps”, in the words of Danny Brager, and particularly to continue serving the older generations while courting younger, multicultural consumers by making wine more fun, casual, and convenient. Authenticity, transparency, and information will also be key pieces of the market-building puzzle.
Dr. Liz Thach, MW, of Santa Rosa Junior College, reiterated those points and added several others: global warming is changing the mix of grape varieties among regions; sustainability is increasingly important to wine consumers; people who currently favor no/low alcohol beverages should not be written off; creating new purchasing experiences with new technology can increase sales; and smart, environmentally responsible packaging is a big plus among younger consumers.
Cheers!
Jim Trezise, President of WineAmerica
