What can be done to save the ailing wine industry?

"The wine trade is in trouble. With a combination of declining consumption, rotting fruit left on the vine, public health warnings, tariffs and the overarching crisis of climate change, most people would agree that wine faces challenges. The bigger question is how the wine industry should respond. What, if anything, should it do differently? Or should it wait things out and hope that this is a cyclical change?"

"On one extreme is the largest body of wine buyers. They are not interested in how it's produced, where it comes from, vintages or aesthetics. They mostly want an inexpensive alcohol delivery system that tastes good. They enjoy wine but are not wed to it. They might replace it with hard seltzer, premixed cocktails or cannabis if that were cheaper and just as enjoyable."

"On the other extreme is a smaller group, people who love wine and care deeply about all the geeky pleasures it offers. Like everybody else, they are sensitive to economic fluctuations. They may adjust their spending, but they continue to buy wine regularly and spend more per bottle than less-committed consumers. In between are many different shades of wine buyer. But generally, people either care about wine or see it as a means to an end."

Wine faces multiple simultaneous challenges including falling consumption, leftover rotting fruit, public health warnings, tariffs and climate change. The industry must decide whether to change strategies or wait for cyclical recovery. Consumer demand is divided: a large group prioritizes low-cost, palatable alcohol and will switch to alternatives, while a smaller, committed group continues to value wine and spends more per bottle. Producers range from diversified multinationals and large companies to numerous small family businesses, each with different interests and problems that require tailored responses and adaptation strategies.

Read at The Mercury News