Sept. 16, 2025 – Napa Valley, California – The Wine Market Council (WMC), in partnership with leading consumer research firm Vista Grande, has completed a major national study exploring “Solutions U.S. Wine Consumers Believe Will Help Reduce Barriers to Purchasing Wine.” The results will be unveiled during an exclusive WMC member webinar on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. PST.
“When our members identified top research priorities for 2025, reducing barriers to wine purchases ranked number one,” said Dr. Liz Thach, MW, President of Wine Market Council. “This study provides critical insights into what consumers believe are the most effective solutions to encourage wine buying across different sales channels.”
The research study, launched earlier this year, began with 60 in-depth video interviews and shop-alongs with occasional wine drinkers—consumers who enjoy wine less than once a week but more than every two to three months. This qualitative phase was followed by a national survey of 1,500 occasional U.S. wine drinkers to test and validate which solutions resonate most with today’s buyers.
“We focused on occasional consumers because they represent one of the greatest growth opportunities for the wine industry,” explained Christian Miller, Research Director for WMC. “While core consumers—those who drink wine weekly or more—remain vital, encouraging occasional drinkers to increase their frequency could drive significant market expansion.”
According to WMC’s 2023/2024 U.S. Wine Consumer Benchmark Segmentation Survey, 34% of Americans (85 million adults) drink wine, with 20% classified as core consumers and 14% as marginal. Another 29% drink beer or spirits but not wine, 10% are infrequent drinkers, and 26% abstain from alcohol entirely. The 2025/2026 U.S. Wine Consumer Benchmark Segmentation Survey is set to launch in the coming weeks, with results to follow later this year.
Industry Leaders to Discuss Findings
The upcoming webinar will feature:
- Rush Onish, President of Vista Grande, presenting the full survey results.
- Brian Gelb, Senior Vice President of Wine for Total Wine & More, the nation’s largest wine retailer with 285 stores across 30 states, offering a retail perspective on implementing consumer-driven solutions.
“We are thrilled to have Total Wine & More join this important conversation,” said Thach. “As a long-time WMC member, they not only bring valuable industry experience, but also the ability to test and apply these consumer-driven solutions in real-world retail environments.”
The webinar agenda is as follows:
11 – 11:05 – Welcome & Introductions – Liz Thach, MW, President of WMC
11:05 – 11:35 – Consumer Survey Results on Solutions – Russ Ornish, President of Vista Grande
11:35 – 11:40 – Q&A – Christian Miller, WMC Research Director
11:45 – noon – Retailer Perspective – Brian Gelb, Senior VP of Wine, Total Wine & More
noon – 12:15 – Q&A and Conclusion – Christian Miller, WMC Research Director
Not a Member of Wine Market Council Yet?
If you are interested in this webinar, and not yet a member of Wine Market Council (WMC), we encourage you to explore the benefits of membership. As a non-profit organization, established in 1996, we are powered by members with an interest in advancing the U.S. wine market and industry. The mission of WMC is “to conduct forward-looking market research on U.S. wine consumer buying habits, attitudes and trends.’
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/.