BMO 2026 Wine Market Report

BMO bank's commercial sector keeps an eye on the state of the booze business. Some highlights from this year's wine report.

News on 2025's Napa Pickett Fire

The August 2025 Pickett Fire started in a remote area of rugged terrain outside of Calistoga in Napa Valley. There had been a party on the Hundred Acre Winery property. The fire took two weeks to contain. Homes were lost, wineries and vineyards were damaged, people, including firefighters were injured.

American Gewurztraminer, It's Hard to Find

Gewurztraminer grown in the U.S. gets no respect, or maybe people are afraid to try to pronounce it. Saying geh-wurts is fine, btw. The previous blog post was on the lack on interest in West Coast Riesling. You'll find these two grapes similar in characteristics and U.S. popularity. Both grapes do best in a cool climate, can be made in a dry to very sweet style, rely on aromatics for much of their character, and they pair with similar foods. 

West Coast Riesling: It's Pretty Good, Does Anyone Care?

There are Chardonnay lovers, Sauvignon Blanc people, and Pinot Grigio drinkers galore, but Riesling gets no love. There seems to be no respect for premium Riesling from the West Coast.

Napa's Oldest Continuously Operating Winery

Charles Krug is the oldest commercial winery in Napa, opening in 1861. Beringer Vineyards, est. 1876, is the oldest continuously operating winery. It's Beringer's 150th anniversary.

The oldest commercial wineries in Sonoma County are in the town of Sonoma. Buena Vista opened in 1857, and Gundlach Bundschu in 1858. Buena Vista is the oldest commercial winery in the state, but it has not been continuous. Wente Vineyards, founded 1883 in Livermore, is the longest continuously operating family winery.

Gnarly Old Vines (pictures)

Following are a few photos of beautiful old vines, mostly zinfandel, that I've taken over the past few years. I'll identify where the vines are as best I can. Mostly wintertime pictures because you can see the vine structure better. 

The Concerned Wine Drinker

The Wine Market Council surveys the U.S. consumer for insights on what they're thinking about wine. This data is from a survey in wellness and health as related to wine. 

Where is the Non-Alcoholic Wine Market Headed?

Non-alcoholic wine is a recent trend. It gets lots of press about how growth is going to explode. You may or may not have heard this before with other trends. I have.

Wineries Per State

A couple of graphs taken from Vine Pair showing the total number of wineries and the number per capita.

The New Claret

Claret is a centuries old term for French red Bordeaux used by England. A Bordeaux is a blend that contains some of the following: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. France wants to market a new style of Bordeaux to go with changing tastes in wine.

A Facebook Tidbit You May Not Know

In January 2026, Facebook changed the way their algorithm works for recommendations. They are restricting alcohol-related businesses, like wineries and wine retailers.You can still see the pages if you search them out, but FB will no longer proactively suggest them under "Pages you may like," for instance.

Alcohol is bad, though apparently not bad enough to implement this on Instagram. FB offered no explanation or no rule changes.

I suppose this goes along with the genius move of being able to only see about five of your 200 FB friends. 

The Wine You Buy Tells Your Age

We like to compare generations in many way, so why not wine consumption?