Bold Predictions
Wine Industry Leadership Conference
Bold Predictions is a virtual Wine Industry Leadership Conference featuring industry experts sharing their insights and predictions on emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities that wineries can expect to face in the year ahead.
February 11, 2026
•
July 29, 2026
•
October 2026
Featured Session
Bold Predictions:
Mid-Year Outlook 2026
July 29, 2026
10:00 AM (PT)
70 Minutes
What will matter most to the wine industry over the next 12 to 18 months? In this special mid-year edition of Bold Predictions, industry leaders will examine the forces shaping the market and share their forecasts for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027. Expect thoughtful insights into the trends, risks, and opportunities likely to define the next chapter for wineries, growers, and suppliers.
Rob McMillan
EVP, Founder & Principal Brand Strategist, Wine Division
Silicon Valley Bank, a Division of First Citizens Bank
Robert Eyler, Ph.D.
Senior Director for Government and Community Relations
& Professor of Economics
Sonoma State University
Michelle Muth
Principal
Baker Tilly
Glenn Proctor
Partner & Owner
Ciatti
George Christie
Moderator
President & CEO
Wine Industry Network
2026 Series Sponsors
Thank you to the companies helping bring strategic insight, market perspective, and future-focused conversations to the wine industry.
Supporting Sponsor
Put your brand in front of the industry's next big conversations.
Bold Predictions brings together wine business leaders, experts, and decision-makers to explore what’s changing, what’s ahead, and where the industry may be headed next.
2026 Bold Predictions Series
Leadership sessions at a glance.
1
February 11, 2026
Navigating 2026: Expert Insights on Emerging Trends and Opportunities
Industry Leaders share their predictions on the trends and opportunities shaping 2026.
2
July 29, 2026
Mid-Year Outlook 2026
What forces will shape the wine industry’s next chapter? Hear bold mid-year predictions from industry leaders on the trends, risks, and opportunities ahead.
Explore Previous Bold Predictions Sessions
2026 Broadcasts
March 11, 2026
Navigating 2026: Expert Insights on Emerging Trends and Opportunities
For the fourth consecutive year, four seasoned wine industry thought leaders return to examine the critical challenges and opportunities defining the wine landscape in 2026. Each panelist will share their most important predictions and trends that wineries need to understand to thrive in the year ahead.
This engaging panel discussion offers multiple perspectives on the forces shaping our industry, equipping you with practical insights to make informed decisions and capitalize on emerging opportunities throughout 2026.
2025 Broadcasts
February 5, 2026
What to Expect in 2025: Expert Trends and Predictions for the Future of Wine
Join four wine industry thought leaders as they once again explore the defining challenges and opportunities shaping the wine industry in 2025. Each panelist will present key predictions or trends they believe will be essential for wineries to be aware of to enjoy a successful year ahead.
This dynamic conversation will offer insights from diverse perspectives, helping wineries better navigate the evolving industry landscape and seize emerging opportunities. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain actionable insights and position your winery for success in 2025.
July 16, 2025
How to Navigate Career Transitions Within the Wine Industry
Career transitions can be both intimidating and transformative. This session is designed to empower individuals across all roles and career stages to embrace professional change as an opportunity for reinvention and growth.
Hear from industry leaders who have navigated impactful shifts in their careers, such as transitioning from family-run wineries to mergers and acquisitions, launching entrepreneurial ventures, and evolving from hands-on winemaking roles to strategic positions supporting the industry from a financial perspective.
Panelists will share how they identified and applied transferable skills, leaned on mentorship and community support, and built the confidence to pursue new paths. The session will also address common challenges that accompany career changes—such as overcoming self-doubt and balancing personal and professional demands—while offering tangible strategies and insights that anyone in the wine industry can apply.
This discussion is meant to engage and inspire wine professionals of all backgrounds, experiences, and ambitions. With a blend of real-world stories and actionable advice, attendees will leave feeling equipped to take bold steps in their careers and more connected to the broader wine community.
November 12, 2025
Using OKRs to Create Alignment and Drive Profitability in Your Wine Business
For many working in the wine industry, the day-to-day demands of running the business leave little time for big-picture planning. But without a clear framework for setting and tracking goals, it’s easy to stay busy without making real progress toward long-term growth and value.
Join Heather Schmidt, Growth Consultant and Certified Exit Planning Advisor at Crews & co., and M+A Advisor at Exit Equity, for a practical session on Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), a proven goal-setting framework for driving alignment, accountability, and performance.
In this session, you’ll learn how to:
- Turn your vision into clear, actionable goals
- Get your team aligned and executing with focus
- Build consistent profitability and predictability
- Strengthen the long-term value of your business
Whether you’re growing, scaling, or preparing for an eventual exit, this session will help you lead with clarity and build a business that’s worth more and runs better.
2024 Broadcasts
January 17, 2024
Four Takes on Twentyfour
Kicking off the 2024 edition of Bold Predictions, titled “Four Takes on Twentyfour”, we are bringing back moderator Damien Wilson, Hamel Family Faculty Chair of Wine Business Institute and panelists Dale Stratton, Managing Director / Azur Associates, Philana Bouvier, President / Demeine Estates and Bourcard Nesin, Industry Analyst / Rabobank. Joining last year’s panel will be Chris Bitter, Senior Wine & Grape Analyst / Terrain all there to revisit some of last year’s “Bold Predictions” along with sharing their insights and thoughts on what we can expect for our industry in the year ahead.
April 10, 2024
New Regulations Impacting the Wine Industry
Seemingly, each year brings new laws and regulations that impact the wine industry and present a maze of compliance issues. This session will feature four experts addressing four areas where new regulations impact vineyards and wineries.
In navigating these complex regulatory landscapes, attendees will gain valuable insights and practical strategies to ensure compliance and mitigate potential risks in the evolving wine industry.
FTC Enforcement and Trade Practice Compliance
As part of the current administration’s initiative to increase competition and assist small and medium sized business in the alcohol beverage market, there’s been a renewed focus on federal trade practices that govern how industry members interact. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission has launched an antitrust investigation focused on one of the nation’s largest alcohol beverage distributors. Given these developments, industry members should brush up on the world of trade practice restrictions in order to avoid any potential pitfalls.
Bottle Bill
The new Bottle Bill has caused a lot of confusion of what’s required to comply. A representative from the Wine Institute who has worked closely with the state will talk about the main features wineries need to be aware of.
New Vineyard Order
A new vineyard order primarily affecting vineyards in the Northern California watersheds is underway, and a representative from the Wine Institute will outline what to expect.
New Employer Mandates
Ever-changing employer mandates are not unique to the wine industry but still affect it. An HR consultant will discuss the most pertinent of the newest employment regulations.
August 7, 2024
Wine Advocates Push Back on Anti-Alcohol Movement (Part I)
Recent consumer research demonstrates dramatic shifts in Gen Z and young Millennials’ attitudes about wine consumption while at the same time, anti-alcohol lobbyists are fanning the Neo-Prohibitionist flames. The good news is that wine companies and advocates are fighting back with campaigns that focus on the positive attributes of wine.
In this session, Gino Colangelo will present the findings of a consumer research study conducted by Wine Opinions and Colangelo & Partners, that illustrates the challenges for attracting new wine drinkers. In addition, this session will also include:
- Dave Parker, President of Benchmark Wine Group, will talk about the misinformation propagated by anti-alcohol lobbyists.
- Karen MacNeil, Author of The Wine Bible and Editor of the Digital Newsletter WineSpeed, will present ‘Come Over October,’ a consumer campaign developed by a new mission-driven company ‘COME TOGETHER’ – A Community for Wine.
- Shilah Salmon, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Jackson Family Wines, will present campaigns and sponsorships Jackson Family Wines is initiating to engage younger consumers in active lifestyle consumption occasions.
Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of the challenge facing wine from neo-prohibitionists and tools and inspiration to push back against the rising trend.
September 25 2024
Wine Advocates Push Back on Anti-Alcohol Movement (Part II)
So many questions were asked during the registration and original broadcast of “Wine Advocates Push Back on Anti-Alcohol Movement”, we decided to bring the panel back for a Part 2 to answer these questions.
2023 Broadcasts
February 8, 2023
Four Takes on TwentyThree
In this session, four insightful industry leaders with different vantage points will join in a conversation about what they believe will be the defining challenges and opportunities of 2023 for the wine industry. Each panelist will bring one prediction or important trend observation to the conversation that they think will be essential for wineries to tackle for success in 2023.
February 8, 2023
Forecasting the State of the Bulk Wine & Grape Market
With so many variables to consider, not to mention the unpredictability of any growing season, accurately predicting what the future state of the bulk wine and grape market is challenging to say the least. However, there are indicators that can help, both on the national and international front. This session’s presenters will look at the current state of the market, internationally and domestically, and will share their thoughts on what they believe we can expect as 2023 unfolds.
February 8, 2023
Maximizing Tax Benefits
Is your business capturing all the benefits it can? There are several programs from a federal, state, and local level your company may be missing out on! The two tax credit programs we will be discussing are the Research & Development (R&D) tax credit and the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC or ERTC). R&D is an innovative and permanent tax credit that provides tax relief for businesses that are supporting jobs that drive innovations within a competitive market in their industry. While ERC is a complex refundable payroll tax credit that must be prepared properly to maximize refunds legally. There are many ways the wine and vineyard industry can capitalize on this. Learn more about best practices for each of these credits, legal updates, what to look out for in 2023, and much more!
2022 Broadcasts
February 9, 2022
Economic Forecast – What to Expect in 2022
Challenges from inflation, the supply chain, staffing and labor issues were all felt in 2021 and are issues the industry will continue to deal with in 2022. This session will take a look at the health of the overall economy, as well as provide insight into how current economic factors are specifically influencing the wine industry with advice on how to navigate these challenges safely and securely.
February 9, 2022
Talent Retention – Keeping A Strong Team Intact
Recruiting, managing, and retaining key talent is an ongoing concern, regardless of the size of the winery—and those concerns have evolved over the past 18 months. This session, featuring HR experts, will tackle questions on policies around working remotely, measuring productivity, vaccine requirements, the impact on salary negotiations, and more.
February 9, 2022
Successfully Transitioning Your Winery to New Leadership
This session is focused on advising winery owners/principals on how best to position their winery for its next leader. Whether looking for a smooth and cost-effective way to transition to the next generation or preparing maximize the financial opportunity with a sale, our panel of experts will offer their experience and expertise on helping you to achieve your goals.
2020 Broadcasts
December 16, 2020
A 2021 Economic Overview: What’s in Store for the Next 12 Months
The 2020 impact on the economy is an unprecedented one, beginning with the COVID-19 outbreak on an international level, followed by two major fire events locally, creating an environment that many businesses will not recover from. What are the lingering effects of these events? What does recovery look like and when will the local economy begin to resemble what we were experiencing prior to this year? How have different counties in the North Coast responded and what do the indicators tell us about the future?
This session, presented by Robert Eyler Ph.D., Professor of Economics and Dean, School of Extended and International Education at Sonoma State University, will look back on the year, beginning with a broad overview at a national level, then drilling down to take a closer look at the local economy, providing insights into travel, tourism, consumer trends and what 2021 could look like.
December 16, 2020
State of the North Coast Grape & Bulk Wine Market 2021
The North Coast grape and bulk wine market has been a tumultuous one this year, to say the least. Beginning with the pandemic impact on consumer purchasing behavior, coupled with major fire events in the middle of harvest, resulting in an environment of uncertainty and unpredictability.
Ultimately, how did the harvest wind up for the North Coast? How have other grape-growing regions around the state been affected? What are the consumer indicators telling us and how will that affect the demand for North Coast grapes? What is the status of the bulk wine market? How have prices been impacted? What might 2021 look like for the grape and bulk wine market?
These questions and more will be addressed by presenters, Brian Clements, Vice President, and Bryan Foster, National Sales Manager of Strategic Brands, both of Turrentine Brokerage, in this interactive session.
December 16, 2020
The COVID Impact on Consumer Purchasing Behavior: What to Expect in 2021
2020 began as anticipated from a wine consumer perspective, but the outbreak of COVID-19 had an unprecedented impact on the way wine was being purchased as well as where those purchases were taking place.
How have sales evolved over the last year with regard to price point and channel? What changes are we seeing in purchasing attitudes and behavior? Has the pandemic driven more attention to the health benefits of wine versus other alcoholic beverages? With the anticipation of a vaccine on the horizon, what are the indicators telling us about wine sales and consumer buying trends for the upcoming year? What changes in behavior are not related to the pandemic, but a continuation of underlying trends in wine consumption?
This session, presented by Dale Stratton, SipSource Analyst, and Christian Miller, Research Director, Wine Market Council, will highlight 2020 purchasing trends and the effect on sales channels over the last year and what we can expect as we head into a new year.