Should the U.S. Create a National Wine Checkoff Program?

The U.S. wine industry is facing no shortage of headwinds: changing consumer behavior, declining consumption, generational shifts, and increasing competition for attention and share of beverage.

So I’m asking a bigger industry question: Could this be the right moment to reconsider a national wine checkoff program?

Other agricultural categories have used checkoff programs to pool resources for research, education, promotion, and market development. Wine has explored the idea before—but today’s market conditions may warrant a fresh conversation.

In my latest blog, I look at what a wine checkoff could potentially accomplish, the legitimate challenges and objections it would face, and why now may be the right time to at least put the question back on the table.

This isn’t an argument that a checkoff is the answer. It’s an invitation to discuss whether the industry needs a more coordinated national approach to building wine relevance and demand.

What do you think: Is it time for the U.S. wine industry to revisit the idea?