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Senate select committee hears warnings on steep demand slide and rising costs for California wine industry
Summary
A Senate select committee in Napa heard experts and industry leaders describe a rapid fall in California wine demand, widespread vineyard removal and mounting cost pressures; panelists urged research investment, regulatory review and coordinated marketing to reach younger consumers.
The California State Senate’s Select Committee on the State of the Wine Industry convened in Napa to hear testimony from academics, industry groups and state regulators about a sharp downturn in demand and mounting cost pressures facing growers and wineries.
Chair Senator Christopher Caballon opened the hearing and framed it as a learning session rather than a venue for votes. He told attendees the committee sought "the real stories" from growers, researchers and local leaders about causes and possible policy responses.
Damien Wilson, faculty director of the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University, told the committee that the sector is in “profound structural change,” noting in his briefing memo that the local wine industry is “worth almost $80,000,000,000 to the Californian economy.” He urged a strategic pivot…
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