California wine businesses are confronting lower demand, export losses and pressure to sell vineyards and winery assets. SFGATE reports that McManis Family Vineyards is listed for $77.95 million, while its exports to Canada fell sharply between July 2025 and July 2026. Industry experts cited in the report point to changing consumer habits and oversupply, even as some buyers see opportunities in lower-priced properties.
More than 100 sommeliers attended Coravin’s first symposium at London’s Savoy Hotel, where sessions covered wine-list economics, data, stock control, team leadership and career progression. Speakers described a difficult UK on-trade market but pointed to opportunities in premium experiences and low- and no-alcohol drinks, while stressing that sommeliers need commercial and management skills alongside wine knowledge.
Odette wine director Vincent Tan will join Singapore-based Park90 as group wine director on Oct. 19, ending a decade at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant. The sommelier-led business is preparing launches in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Tan plans to assess Park90’s existing list and team before making changes, while Odette’s succession process remains unresolved.
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Decanter’s annual report assessed 342 wines released between July 2025 and July 2026, finding producers divided over how to respond to climate pressures and define the region’s identity. The tasting highlighted work on old-vine genetics, strong value among Crianza wines and the small number of Gran Reservas submitted.
The Sommeliers Association of India says Jai Singh will represent the country at the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale’s world contest in Lisbon, scheduled for October 11–17, 2026. The association’s national competition and training programs are part of its effort to build routes for Indian sommeliers into international education and competition.
The Centre-Loire’s annual report describes a harvest shaped by early budburst, frost, hail and summer heat. Picking ran from 12 August to around 11 September. The Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins du Centre says fruit reached wineries in healthy condition, but yields varied widely; it reports fresh whites and concentrated, deeply coloured reds.
Growers across Monterey and Santa Cruz counties reported an unusually early 2026 harvest and reduced crops after warm winter weather was followed by cool, wet, breezy conditions during flowering. Losses varied sharply by site, with some mountain vineyards reporting severe reductions. Several winemakers described small berries and concentrated flavors, while Arroyo Seco growers reported yields closer to normal.
U.S. wine sales and grape production are under pressure as growers reduce acreage and some wineries struggle financially. California acreage in production fell to 510,000 acres in 2025, from 590,000, while its 2025 crush was the smallest since 1999, according to figures cited in The Food Institute’s report. Experts point to lower demand alongside rising production and operating challenges.
At a London seminar, vineyard consultant and winemaker Pedro Parra argued that heat and water stress are challenging established practices in Burgundy and other regions. He urged growers to map vineyard soils, track vine health and yields, and review whether rootstocks and winemaking methods suit changing conditions. Parra is also working on a winery project in Sussex.
The Korea Daily reports that California wineries are moving surplus wine through bulk sales and private labels, with examples including a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon listed by distributor Navigator Wine Collection at $29.99 against a stated $149 retail value. Grocery Outlet says winery bulk offers have grown to as many as 200,000 cases. Industry insiders cited by the paper expect the glut to persist another 12 to 24 months.
Moët Hennessy, Analog Devices and UC Davis say they have used a chemical-sensing and machine-learning platform to identify grape and wine samples at elevated risk of developing Fresh Mushroom Aroma before the defect would typically be detected. The partners are also exploring applications in vine disease detection, soil assessment and other quality risks.
South African wine researchers are producing valuable work despite limited resources, speakers said at an industry research event near Paarl. They called for broader funding, larger coordinated research programmes and producer involvement from project design through implementation. A panelist also linked changes in Wine Australia’s funding priorities to staff reductions at the Australian Wine Research Institute, a claim requiring editorial review.
Moldovan growers are contending with low grape procurement prices and higher operating and transport costs, despite a projected 10% to 15% rise in wine-grape output this season. Radio Moldova reports that indicative processing-grape prices are €0.34 to €0.41 per kilogram, while one grower estimates production costs of €3,250 to €3,500 per hectare.
Moët Hennessy, Analog Devices and UC Davis are collaborating on a sensing and machine-learning platform to analyze chemical signatures from grapevines, juice and wine. The companies say an initial system identified samples at elevated risk of Fresh Mushroom Aroma earlier than conventional detection. They are also researching possible applications in vine disease, soil assessment and other wine defects.
California winery McManis Family Vineyards has put its winery and associated vineyards on the market amid weaker conditions. The report says the company’s exports to Canada fell sharply between July 2025 and July 2026, while industry figures and analysts point to trade losses and changing consumption patterns as pressures on wineries and growers.