Sonoma State Students Take the Classroom to Wine Country and Find a Gap in How Wineries Manage the Customer Experience

Field visits to seven Napa, Sonoma and Carneros wineries shaped a Winery Customer Experience Management framework, adapting a discipline hotels, airlines and tourism companies have used for decades...

What could the 2026 midterm results mean for wine business decision-making?

Dr. Dave McCuan, our own political scientist whose election analysis attracts national and international media attention, will help make sense of the political landscape and what the midterm results may signal.

Dr. Rob Eyler, the North Bay’s most recognizable economist, will bring the economic picture into focus. He’ll begin by setting out the conditions facing wine businesses before the election, then return with his outlook in the session’s final section to consider how the results may affect the road ahead. Together, McCuan and Eyler will explore the potential peaks and valleys for the wine industry, and the emerging opportunities business leaders should watch as they plan under a new normal.

Register here.

Foursight Wines owner Joe Webb explains what it has taken for a small, little-known wine brand to grow when the wider market has been moving in the opposite direction.

The Excellence Trap: When Wine Prestige Doesn't Pay

Michelin stars, DOCG status, organic seals, no-alcohol wine—all bets on differentiation. But achieving excellence and monetizing it are two very different problems.

Success and Failure in Wine Country: Why Some Wine Companies Succeed While Others Fail in the Era of Super AI

This article asks which wine companies will be on the right side of that consolidation — and it answers by revisiting a question I studied nearly two decades ago in a very different setting: Bay Area restaurants.

How can wine brands connect with Gen Z at a time when traditional rules of discovery, loyalty, and brand authority are rapidly changing? In this conversation, Whiny Baby founder Jess Druey joins Stephanie Gallo to explore how a brand built around approachability, authenticity, and a clear understanding of younger consumers found traction as the wider wine market became more challenging.

The industry’s challenges are well documented. This series asks what is working. Across the wine industry, businesses are finding new ways to reach consumers, demonstrate value, manage change, adopt technology, and build resilience. The Wine Business Innovation Series brings those ideas forward so others can learn from them.

The first session, "From Intimidation to Invitation: Making Whiny Wines Relevant for the Next Generation of wine consumers", ask the question - How can wine brands connect with Gen Z at a time when traditional rules of discovery, loyalty, and brand authority are rapidly changing?

Join Whiny Baby founder Jess Druey and Stephanie Gallo to explore how a brand built around approachability, authenticity, and a clear understanding of younger consumers found traction as the wider wine market became more challenging.

Register Here.

You are invited to participate in a research study examining how tariff and trade policy changes shape business strategy in the U.S. wine industry. This study is being conducted by Dr. InHaeng Jung, Assistant Professor at Sonoma State University. The purpose of this study is to better understand how U.S. wineries respond to tariffs and trade policy changes, and what strategies they use to protect their operations and manage costs.

For more information and to take the survey, click here.

Great Wine Capitals Announces 2025-2026 International Research Grant Recipients

September 16, 2025 (Bordeaux, France) -- The Great Wine Capitals Global Network (GWC) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025/2026 International

Are you interested in an undergraduate or graduate Business degree with a Wine Business Concentration? 

You may be eligible to receive a Wine Business Institute (WBI) Inclusive Excellence Scholarship! These scholarships aim to foster diversity by supporting women and individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups who are interested in the wine industry. 

Applications are open for the 2025-2026 academic year for both current and incoming Sonoma State students.

To apply, complete the WBI Scholarship Online Form by March 30, 2025. 

Awards will be announced April 8, 2025.

Apply here: sonoma.education/WBI-Scholarship 

Email stb@sonoma.edu with questions