to increase, he adds; now a glass of wine in a restaurant is more than twice as expensive as spirits. Devaluing wine by the glass is “not the best formula to stimulate wine demand in restaurants,” he writes. A depletion problem Depletion—the amount of a beverage sold from distributors to retailers—has been on a downward swing ever since business normalized after the pandemic. While wine depletion has seen negative growth for several years, it’s not the only beverage industry suffering slower sales at the corner liquor store—the spirits industry began a downward trend beginning in 2022 and its depletion has fallen about 13% since. “It’s become clear that the depletion problem in wine is really a depletion problem with beverage alcohol,” writes McMillan. Unfortunately, falling depletion is currently coupled with a big oversupply. Coming out of COVID, alcohol producers “got busy making more” but overestimated subsequent demand, says McMillan. “Until demand improves for your brand, conservative sales
forecasts should be the norm for all wineries selling into grocery and restaurants,” concludes the report.
hhhhh
In reflecting upon the litany of challenges faced by wine businesses, McMillan asks if the industry should go it alone, collaborate or “try something else”—and borrows a quote from Jeremy Rifkin in his book, The Empathetic Civilization : “Darwin came to believe that survival of the fittest is as much about cooperation, symbiosis and reciprocity as it is about individual competition and that the most fit are just as likely to enter in cooperative bonds with their fellows.” Competition within a group or species is a net zero- sum game, asserts McMillan—”I win. You lose.” However, successful adaptation “is more likely to occur when the challenged group works together to find solutions.” The question, McMillan ultimately poses, is: “Will we?” g
Please email comments to jwalsh@NorthBaybiz.com
C USTOM R EPRINTS Tell your story, not only to your current customers, but future prospects as well.
SPECIAL WINE ISSUE
HARVEST 2 0 2 2
Inside: A Really Goode Job · Hook & Ladder Manzana · Meet the Vintner: Marimar Torres Winemaking: Is it Art or Science? · Vine Wise
PERFECT FOR : • direct mail pieces
SPECIAL WINE ISSUE 2022 Unlocking Wines $4.95
To take advantage of this cost-effective marketing opportunity, call 707-284-9175 or e-mail Jodi Pasquini at jodipasquini@mysonomamedia.com . • promotional material at trade shows • sales presentations and leave-behinds
Picayune—it’s bigger than you think— and an allegory to Claire Ducrocq Weinkauf’s approach to life.
By Tim Carl M eaning “a little bit” in old French dialect, Claire Ducrocq Weinkauf pays homage to her roots with her wine brand, Picayune. More than a label, it also serves as an allegory for her approach to life. While seeking balance in all things, she feeds from her many travels and flux of eclectic input. “Wine is an important part of my story, but it’s only one part,” she says. “Family, community, friends and connection with nature and pursuing my dreams are all intertwined.”
Claire Ducrocq Weinkauf, owner, Picayune. [All photos courtesy of Tim Carl Photography]
Special Wine Issue 2022_Reprint Special Wine Issue 2022 _Reprint
NorthBay biz 3 NorthBay biz 3
2 NorthBay biz
Special Wine Issue 2022 _Reprint
24 NorthBaybiz
March 2024
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator