California winery owner gives hottest take yet on why industry is dying

"A lot of people have a misconception that the Boomers are drinking less. This cannot be emphasized enough: It's not because the Boomers are drinking less, it's because there are less Boomers. These were the people that were really responsible for joining wine clubs and Gen X that came after Boomers just weren't really into wine to the same level that the Boomers were into wine."

"It's because my customers literally were dying. He says in conjunction with the declining Baby Boomer demand is less interest from younger generations like Gen Z and Millennials, who have slowly adopted wine. Other factors like tariffs and recent wildfires have hurt wine-growing and -producing operations, he added."

"Gen Z in particular hasn't matured enough to mesh perfectly with wine. I think it's just really just a timing and more [of] a maturity [thing]. They're not ready or they're slowly coming into it. For me, the curious thing will be, see what happens in five years."

Jon Phillips, owner of Inspiration Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma County, attributes the wine industry's recent downturn to demographic shifts rather than changing drinking habits. The Baby Boomer generation, historically the industry's primary consumer base and wine club participants, is declining in population. Gen X has not filled this consumption void at comparable levels. Phillips notes that his wine club struggled because customers were literally dying, not due to product quality or demand issues. Additional challenges include tariffs, wildfires, and negative alcohol messaging. Younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z are adopting wine more slowly, though Phillips suggests Gen Z may become more engaged as they mature into their thirties.

Read at California Post