NVV initiative will take Napa Valley into key markets, encourage more occasions for wine and strengthen support for the trade
September 17, 2026 (Saint Helena, CA) — Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) is making a significant investment in a new marketing initiative designed to help its members engage consumers amid shifting wine consumption habits. It will also contribute to wider industry efforts to broaden the way consumers think about enjoying wine.
Over the last few months, a task force of a dozen winery leaders worked with NVV staff to formulate a plan. The task force leveraged existing research and heard from industry experts. They then met several times to develop strategies that built on NVV’s already extensive marketing efforts. This year alone, NVV has offered more than 200 marketing opportunities for its members.
At its September 10 meeting, the NVV Board of Directors voted unanimously to leverage organizational reserves to fund the new initiative and significantly expand NVV’s existing marketing efforts.
“Now is the time to double down on Napa Valley,” said Emma Swain, CEO of St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery and a member of the NVV board that helped champion the initiative. “Napa Valley has an opportunity to lead, and as vintners, we have always found acting collectively benefits everyone. This is the time in the cycle to step up, invest and do our part to create change and amplify Napa Valley while supporting our member’s engagement with wine lovers.”
The strategy will focus on three areas: expanding wine enjoyment, taking Napa Valley directly to consumers in key markets and strengthening the connections between wineries and trade partners who bring Napa Valley wines to consumers.
Creating more occasions for wine: NVV will introduce a new consumer campaign, “Tonight, It’s Napa”, encouraging consumers to think beyond traditional wine occasions and enjoy Napa Valley wines across more of life’s daily moments.
Taking Napa Valley to consumers: NVV will significantly expand its presence in key markets, bringing Napa Valley vintners and wines to places where consumers already gather through events, partnerships and experiences. Rather than relying on consumers to come to Napa Valley, the region will increasingly bring Napa Valley to them.
Mobilizing wineries and the trade: new and expanded programs will give NVV member wineries more opportunities to connect with trade professionals who recommend, sell and champion Napa Valley wines while also working with wine trade to reframe how Napa Valley shows up in consumers lives.
The initiative comes as new consumer research points to an opportunity for the wine industry to rethink how it promotes wine. Recent Wine Market Council research found that while wine continues to have strong equity as a welcoming and approachable beverage, there is an opportunity to make it relevant across a broader range of occasions.
“This is a challenging time for the wine business, and we don’t intend to sit on the sidelines,” said Tom Gamble, Owner of Gamble Estates and NVV board member who also championed the initiative. “You can spend a lot of time talking about what’s changing, or you can get to work. We’re choosing to get to work.”
The first 15 months of the three-year initiative are already planned, with wineries joining NVV in markets this fall and throughout 2027 for consumer events, trade programs and “Tonight, It’s Napa” activations across the country.
About Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its nearly 550 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, provide environmental leadership and care for the extraordinary place they call home. NVV has invested more than $245 million in community healthcare, youth development and the environment in Napa County. Learn more at napavintners.com.
