• January 31 2025
• Category: Press Releases

SACRAMENTO, CA, JANUARY 30, 2025… Facing some of the most challenging economic times in decades, over 10,000 wine industry professionals gathered in Sacramento this week at the 31^st Unified Wine & Grape Symposium to consider strategies to help the industry recover. For three decades, the Unified Symposium has served as the industry’s informational clearinghouse, offering attendees from around the world a venue to discuss the latest information, data and trends.

Shrinking consumption, wine surpluses, inflation and anti-alcohol arguments were some of the reasons cited for the downturn in the wine market. Rather than surrendering to gloom, however, experts at Unified’s signature State of the Industry session provided perspective.

“It’s tough but it will get better,” said Glenn Proctor of the Ciatti Company, one of four expert panelists at Wednesday’s standing-room-only session. “The wine industry is not going anywhere but it does have to change.”  Fellow panelist and industry analyst Danny Brager added that while the headwinds facing the industry are very real, it shouldn’t be lost that over a third of America’s 500 largest brands are growing.

To address the structural changes the panelists say need to take place, the Unified Symposium offered 25 different sessions addressing everything from emerging vineyard technologies to adopting new marketing strategies aimed at younger consumers and ways to adapt to climate change. A general session moderated by New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov also explored effective strategies for communicating wine’s positive aspects. All of this was complemented by the largest trade show of its kind in the Americas, 200,000 square feet of exhibit space filled with nearly 900 exhibitors showcasing the latest technology, equipment and services for the wine and winegrape industry.

“Coming together, sharing information and providing a forum for discussions is the best way to keep our industry strong and competitive,” says Natalie Collins of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, which co-hosts the show along with the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. “The Unified Symposium provides a rare opportunity for the sharpest minds in our industry to share their insights and help growers, vintners and suppliers plan for the dynamic year ahead.”

The 2026 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium will take place on January 27-29 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento. Built with the joint input of growers, vintners, and allied industry members, the Unified Symposium will celebrate 32 years of serving as a clearinghouse of information important to wine and grape industry professionals, as well as hosting the industry’s largest trade show of its kind. For more information, visit www.unifiedsymposium.org.