I've heard numerous perspectives on why wine sales are down and have my own take. No AI, no academia. Just my observations and gut. Recent syndicated data suggests wine sales are down ~6%, and I have yet to hear a perspective that tells us to look in the mirror. We on the supplier side, including me, are often the ones driving the bus and the first to blame GLP-1s, zebra striping, RTDs, cannabis beverages, tariffs…, but are these factors entirely responsible?
Wine marketers are often inexperienced and rotate out frequently.
- I have no idea what the average tenure is for a brand marketer, but I believe that in many companies it’s <3 years before they rotate out (let alone remain with the co.). It raises the question of how much marketing consistency is maintained from one manager to the next.
Most wine budgets are small, and marketing plans can end up as “checkbox marketing.”
- I believe the majority of wine brands’ A&P is <10% of revenue. What I’ve seen happen is brand managers want to execute media, PR, and competitions, then realize they also need funds for distributor incentives, POS, demos… and what ends up happening is a lot of nothing. Surface-level tactics that make no meaningful impact.
Too many brands (and audiences), not enough conviction.
- We spread resources thin across too many SKUs and call it a strategy. The result is predictable. Nothing gets the sustained investment required to break through, and we mistake activity for progress.
- The same lack of conviction shows up in how we approach key consumer segments, whether multicultural audiences or younger LDA consumers. We show up in moments, not consistently. Without sustained focus and investment, we’re not building loyalty. We're just renting attention ("check box" again).
Make wine approachable.
- Wine still carries too much ceremony. The glassware, the swirl, the serving rituals all imply you should know what you’re doing. Lower the barrier. Keep in mind the median retail price for a 750ml bottle is ~$13.
Speak like a human.
- Why do we continue to use descriptors like leather, oaky, and grassy when the audience we want has its own version of the English language? Do these words make wine sound enticing?
- The irony: descriptors are often created by marketers who are the target audience. Maybe the majority of the ~38% of U.S. households who drink wine talk like that (I doubt it), but walk down any wine aisle and read the shelf talkers or look at brand websites.
Modernize the format.
- Cans, smaller formats, alternative closures are already happening, but not fast enough. Corks, in many cases, are more tradition than value. Convenience matters, last I checked.
The role distributors and retailers play deserves its own discussion. That's for another time.
Maybe the problem isn’t out there. It's Us.
