Nearly 250 New York and international trade guests sampled 185 wines from 10 California regions during Climate Week
EUREKA! 2026 AT A GLANCE:
250 ATTENDEES
185 CALIFORNIA WINES
10 REGIONS REPRESENTED
EXPANDED LATAM TRADE PRESENCE
September 22, 2026 (New York, NY) — California Wines convened the 2026 edition of Eureka! A California Wine Experience on September 21 in New York City, bringing together nearly 250 wine buyers, sommeliers, importers, retailers and other members of the wine trade for a day of tasting and education during Climate Week NYC. Presented by Wine Institute’s international marketing team in partnership with the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) and California regional wine organizations, the program featured 185 wines from 10 regions across California and welcomed trade guests from Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean region.
Reflecting Climate Week NYC’s 2026 theme of “Energy. Impact. Action.,” Eureka! showed new wines, offered market insights and reinforced relationships spanning the California wine community. A regional walk-around tasting moved from Anderson Valley, Livermore Valley, Lodi and Napa to Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands, Sonoma County and West Sonoma Coast. The tasting highlighted producers advancing sustainable and climate-smart winegrowing, including recipients of California’s Green Medal award for sustainable winegrowing leadership.
“New York is one of the world’s most influential wine markets, and Eureka! gives California wineries and regions a powerful opportunity to put their wines directly in front of the trade while building relationships that can grow well beyond this event,” said Honore Comfort, Vice President of International Marketing, Wine Institute. “By bringing regional partners, sustainability leaders and trade from across the Americas together in one place, we can tell a much bigger California wine story — and create opportunities none of us could create as effectively on our own.”
Sixty stories above Lower Manhattan, Manhatta — part of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group — provided the setting for Eureka! The international program included a masterclass led by wine writer and global educator Elaine Chukan Brown, followed by a candid conversation with Vincent Morrow, MS, Wine Director at Union Square Hospitality Group, and Wanda Mann, East Coast Editor of The SOMM Journal and The Tasting Panel and Star Wine List Ambassador, examining how wine professionals can rebuild guest trust and engage wine-curious consumers in a changing beverage landscape.
The day closed with a tasting and seminar presented by CSWA, “Taste & Learn: California’s Commitment to Climate-Smart Winegrowing.” The session brought together Allison Jordan of CSWA; Dana Nigro of Decanter; Caroline Merrill of Jackson Family Wines; Cynthia Lohr of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; Joan Kautz of Kautz Family Vineyards; Valerie Pimpinelli of Flatiron Wines & Spirits; and Sam Lipin of The Noortwyck to discuss climate-smart initiatives and the language used to communicate sustainability from vineyard to table.
“California’s growers and vintners have long been committed to sustainability, and Climate Week NYC presents an opportune moment to showcase their work and inspire action across the wine value chain,” said Allison Jordan, Vice President of Environmental Affairs, Wine Institute, and Executive Director, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. “Eureka! created space for growers, vintners, media and trade to share what climate-smart action looks like in practice, and to consider how clearer communication can help buyers recognize and amplify that work.”
California’s statewide participation gives that conversation significant scale. Approximately 70% of California vineyard area is certified sustainable, and more than 90% of California wine is produced in certified wineries. At Eureka!, those commitments were translated into regional examples and practical trade conversations, linking what happens in the vineyard and winery with how wines are selected, sold and appreciated.
“California’s regional diversity is one of its greatest strengths, and bringing 10 regions together gives buyers a clearer sense of the quality and character emerging across the state,” said Joel Peterson, CEO of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “For regional organizations, Eureka! is a valuable chance to work collectively while giving each region room to stand out and its producers an opportunity to connect directly with the trade.”
First held in 2022 in London, Eureka! has evolved as a collaborative platform for the trade to discover and more fully appreciate California wine, with last year’s New York program celebrating California’s 175th statehood anniversary. The 2026 edition built on this foundation with expanded international trade engagement and a focused sustainability program aligned with Climate Week NYC, further establishing Eureka! as an enduring platform for market development, regional collaboration and practical dialogue on the future of wine.
Explore California wine at DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com and learn more about sustainable winegrowing at SustainableWinegrowing.org.
About Wine Institute
Established in 1934, Wine Institute represents nearly 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses and serves as a leading voice for California wine. Wine Institute works to strengthen and advance California’s wine sector by bringing together public policy advocacy, strategic communications, sustainability leadership and global marketing. As the only organization advocating for wine at the state, federal and international levels, it helps create an environment that supports the responsible production, marketing and enjoyment of wine. Learn more at wineinstitute.org
About Wine Institute’s California Wine Export Program
The California Wine Export Program, a public-private partnership supported by winery contributions and the USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP), supports California vintners representing 80% of U.S. wine production and 95% of U.S. wine exports. More than 200 California wineries exporting to 142 countries participate in Wine Institute’s California Wine Export Program. The program has 15 California Wine Institute representatives in key export markets worldwide who provide on-site support to wineries and help develop markets for California wines in more than 40 countries. CalWinexport.com
About the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance
The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) is a nonprofit collaboration established in 2003 by the Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) to advance sustainable winegrowing in California. CSWA stewards the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing and leads the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing program. Introduced in 2010, the certification provides annual, third-party verification that vineyards and wineries have adopted rigorous sustainable practices and are committed to continuous improvement across environmental and social responsibility areas. SustainableWinegrowing.org
