This is women’s history month. It’s also the most chaotic economic environment in decades. At the Central Coast Insights Conference held in Paso Robles earlier this week, members of the wine community heard from industry experts about the state of the wine business and the impact of the current tantrum of tariffs. In a word: dreadful.
Chaos leads to uncertainty and quite possibly a recession. Preferences and consumption patterns are changing generationally, as they always do. A growing multitude of choices in the beverage space, combined with the increasing popularity of cannabis, are driving unprecedently profound change. The no- and low-alcohol category is hot now, but it might just be a fad. The quantity of bulk wine available is at an all-time high, led by cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and chardonnay, in that order. Big wineries that generally buy up bulk are themselves trying to sell excess.
Sauvignon blanc sales alone continue upward. In fact, whites are stronger than reds, and while drinking less, consumers are spending more per bottle. Foreign tourism to California was down across the board due to the strong dollar before the tariffs, and now Canadians are boycotting not just American wine and whiskey but travel. Ugly.
There are more winery properties on the market than ever: Jenny Heintzen with Vineyard Professional Real Estate in Paso has 22 vineyard parcels for sale: normally, she has less than a dozen. Good news for buyers, as long as interest rates don’t rise.So, with all this uncertainty, what’s to be done? Visit wine country; it’s everywhere.
Wine events
Among the more compelling events on the horizon is “Inspiring Women to Harvest Their Passion,” March 23, 1-4 p.m., at the Neon Exchange in Gilroy. Nine of the Santa Clara Valley’s top women winemakers will share their stories, along with food and wine pairings. A panel discussion led by Melissa Santos, a local nonprofit leader and executive coach, will include stories from Kim Engelhardt (Lion Ranch Vineyards and Winery), Sandy Moller (Satori Cellars), Sofia Fedotova (Lightpost Winery) and Denise Russell (Cottage Creek Vineyard). All are currently making wine in the Santa Clara Valley. Tickets are $79.22 at https://events.humanitix.com/inspire2025.
On International Women’s Day, March 8, I was judging the 34th annual Monterey Wine Competition in King City, where the Morgan 2023 Off Dry Riesling from the organic Double L Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands was declared Best of Monterey. The 2023 Navarro Sauvignon Blanc from Anderson Valley was named Best White, and Best Red went to 2023 Eberle Cotes du Robles GSM blend, Paso Robles. Local Platinum winners included the 2021 Integrity Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia’s Tondre Grapefield and the 2021 Perucci Family Vineyard Syrah from Los Gatos. The insanely aromatic 2021 Perucci merlot caught my attention.
We need more good merlot, and one local stalwart making it is Burrell School Vineyards. Their new series, “Seasons in the Vineyard,” kicks off Saturday, March 22, 1-4pm. Bud break is the theme for spring, and will take place in the rose garden and gazebo area. Tickets are $40 per person, or $30 for wine club members, at burrellschool.com.
J.Lohr will hold a Spring Equinox Wine Dinner on March 22 at 6 p.m. at the San Jose tasting room, with host Lawrence Lohr and cuisine by Chef Rodney Baca. Tickets are $175, or $145 for wine club members, at https://bit.ly/4iX2URW.
Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill kicks off its 100th anniversary on March 22 with a “Night In Old Italy” winemaker dinner. Tickets are $125, or $115 for wine club members, at https://guglielmowinery.com.
Wine futures from some of the 20 wineries in the Livermore Valley are being offered at a Barrel Tasting Weekend March 22-23, when many wineries will be pouring examples of their newly declared signature wines—cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc. The event also features live music, barrel furniture and art, and local food trucks. Tickets are $15-$30 per person at each winery. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4kKmByi
“Women Who Crush It,” an evening of wine tasting with the Women’s Wine Collective of Livermore Valley, is set for March 26 at 6 p.m. at The Bankhead. Tickets are $45 at https://bit.ly/4bwu2VD and $50 at the door.