November 12, 2025 (Manhattan, NY) — The Wine Market Council (WMC) is proud to announce a collaborative industry seminar with Wine Enthusiast titled, “Inside the U.S. Wine Consumer: What’s Driving Demand in 2026?” Taking place the day after the 26th annual Wine Enthusiast Wine Stars Award gala, this engaging two-hour session will explore the latest consumer insights, sales data, and innovative strategies shaping the future of wine in the U.S.—the world’s largest wine-consuming and purchasing nation.
The global wine industry continues to navigate a period of turbulence marked by fluctuating sales and increased competition. This seminar aims to equip attendees with actionable knowledge and strategies to strengthen engagement, boost sales, and adapt to emerging consumer trends.
Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Location: NY Sofitel, Manhattan
Registration Opens: Dec 1, 2025; Please check the WMC website for registration link.
Expert Panelists and Topics of Discussion
The seminar features a lineup of leading voices from across the wine sector who will share exclusive data, market intelligence, and hands-on strategies:
- Liz Thach, MW (Wine Market Council, President): Overview of the U.S. Wine Consumer, featuring findings from the new Benchmark Study and other recent research. Strategic insights and tactics for connecting with evolving consumer segments.
- Zachary Poelma (SGWS, Senior Vice President – Commercial Intelligence) Analysis of U.S. Wine Market sales trends and distributor perspectives on how producers can sell more effectively within the three-tier system.
- Dan Kleinman (Deutsch Family, Chief Brand Officer): What it takes to succeed in today’s market as an importer and producer, with a focus on innovation and adaptive business practices.
- Alexandra O’Gorman (Foley Family Wines, Vice President of Community Relations): Success strategies for selling wine in on-premise and direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels.
- Ben Aneff (Tribeca Wine Merchants, Owner): Retail perspectives on shifting demand and purchasing behaviors, and suggestions for wineries to sell wine more effectively in retail settings.
Agenda
- 8:30 – 9:15 a.m. – Registration & Continental Breakfast
- 9:15 – 9:45 a.m. – Inside the U.S. Wine Consumer – Dr. Liz Thach, MW
- 9:45 – 11:00 a.m. – Panel with Q&A: What’s Driving Demand in 2026? – Zachary Poelma, Dan Kleinman, Alexandra O’Gorman and Ben Aneff
Who Should Attend
This seminar is designed for WMC members, wineries, importers, distributors, media and wine business professionals attending the Wine Stars Awards gala or based in the New York area.
Cost: $39 per person, including continental breakfast.
Complimentary for WMC members, Wine Stars Awards guests, and media.
Registration Opens: Dec 1, 2025; Please check the WMC website for registration link.
About the Wine Market Council
The Wine Market Council (WMC) is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the U.S. wine industry through research, education, and actionable consumer insights. WMC conducts annual studies and provides valuable resources to help members understand shifting consumer behavior and market dynamics.
Membership benefits include access to cutting-edge research on the U.S. wine consumer, along with member webinars, newsletters, access to data files and statistics, and complimentary attendance at our annual research conference. Membership starts as low as $400 per year for access to webinars and reports, and as low as $1000 per year including data files – depending on the size of your organization. Members include wineries, distributors, growers, importers, regional, national, and international trade associations, and affiliates. For more information on membership and costs, please see https://winemarketcouncil.com/join/.
