Christopher Bitter, PhD
Founder and Wine Economist
Dr. Chris Bitter, founder of Vintage Economics, is a wine economist with more than twenty years of experience in market analysis and applied economics. His research has been published in a variety of national and international publications including the Journal of Wine Economics and he has delivered presentations at wine industry conferences around the globe. Chris left his academic position in 2016 to launch Vintage Economics with the goal of providing market analysis and intelligence to help position clients for success in a rapidly evolving and increasingly competitive market environment. Prior to launching Vintages Economics, Chris spent seven years on the faculty with the University of Washington’s Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies where his teaching and research focused on market analysis and valuation. Chris has also held senior positions as an economist and market analyst in the private sector with RREEF, a prominent commercial real estate investment advisor, and the Dorchester Group, a boutique consulting firm focused on complex valuation-related assignments. Chris holds a Doctorate from the University of Arizona in Economic Geography with a minor in Agricultural and Resource Economics and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in Anthropology.
Research and Analytics
Separating the Signal from the Noise
Market Research
In today's hyper-competitive and rapidly evolving market environment, accurate and nuanced assessments of market dynamics are more important than ever. A well-informed and appropriately segmented market study is an essential tool for strategic planning, identifying opportunities and risks, and developing realistic financial assumptions.
But wine market data tend to be fragmented, incomplete and conflicting. Vintage Economics separates the signal from the noise to help clients navigate the market and make better informed and more profitable decisions. Areas of expertise include wine and grape market analysis and forecasting; market potential and targeting; consumer demographics; land valuation dynamics; and trade area analysis.
Data Analytics
The proliferation of "big" data tracking consumers and their purchasing behavior, along with the growing volume of internal data wineries are collecting through their own POS software and customer databases, has the potential to transform the wine business similarly to the way that "Money Ball" revolutionized the business of baseball.
Vintage Economics leverages its data and analytical expertise to unlock insights that enable clients to more effectively segment and target consumers; grow their direct-to-consumer sales and wine clubs; optimize pricing; and improve operational efficiency. We also help clients to appreciate the benefits and limitations of predictive analytics and how they can exploit their data to maximum advantage.
Strategic Studies
The wine industry is facing an array of disruptive challenges including COVID-19, economic uncertainty, demographic and generational shifts, a rapidly evolving consumer and path to market, climate change, and competition with alternative and emerging alcoholic beverage categories, among others. This rapidly evolving environment presents both opportunities and threats to wine-related businesses.
Success in the new era for wine requires a broad perspective and forward-looking focus. Vintage Economics designs and executes customized research projects to help clients achieve a nuanced understanding of emerging trends and their strategic implications.
Reports and Metrics
Analysis, insights and intelligence to support better-informed decisions
Demographics and Wine
New Edition to be Released in October
Demographics and Wine provides a nuanced analysis of U.S. wine consumer demographics and their evolution through time. Households are segmented by generation, age, income, education, racial-ethnic group and sex. The report also situates wine’s performance within the context of the broader beverage alcohol market and assesses the implications of America’s evolving demographics for post Covid-19 era wine demand.
The insights it contains can inform strategic planning and target marketing and should be of interest to anyone in the wine trade seeking to better understand the demographic drivers of the U.S. wine market.
The report is based on Vintage Economics’ analysis of public use micro data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditures Survey, which collects detailed two-week spending diaries from approximately 6,000 households per year. Note that the dataset runs from 2009 through year-end 2019 – thus it provides a baseline of wine consumer behavior and trends prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The report includes:
- An overview of wine consumer spending patterns and trends
- A comparative analysis of wine spending patterns across demographic segments
- Discussion of the five key trends in wine consumer demographics
- Consumer profiles and analysis of trends by demographic segment (wine market participation and spending, beverage alcohol behavior and preferences, wine’s penetration rate, on-premise breakouts, etc.)
- Trends & projections of the size and composition of the legal drinking age population and their implications for wine demand
- A conclusion highlighting potential opportunities and risks
Click here for the full table of contents as well as sample tables and graphics.
Regular Price: $750. Small Business Price: $495.
Use the online store to purchase by credit card. If you would prefer to pay by check, please call 206-981-6885.
The Washington Winery Report
2021 Edition is Now Available
The Washington Winery Report is an annual publication that provides shipment and production totals for the past year for all 1000+ Washington winery licenses as well as more extensive metrics for wineries that shipped at least 1,000 cases, including shipments broken down by sales channel and three years of historic data on total shipments and net production. It also contains industry statistics and winery rankings.
The report represents the most comprehensive source of intelligence available on Washington wineries and wine shipment trends. The metrics will be valuable to wineries for benchmarking performance, growers and service providers for generating new business leads, and others seeking insight into the Washington wine industry more generally. Click here for a sample of the report.
Regular Price: $595. Small Business Price: $395.
Use the online store to purchase by credit card. If you would prefer to pay by check, please call 206-981-6885.
Washington Wine Industry Intelligence
Available Upon Request
Leveraging its proprietary databases and industry contacts, Vintage Economics supplies customized metrics and intelligence on the Washington wine industry including:
- Monthly production and shipment metrics broken down by sales channel, including individual winery data
- Winery ownership, location, brands and critical acclaim
- Winery and satellite tasting room metrics by county and trade area
- Washington State wine sales volumes and market share by company
Applications include winery performance benchmarking; targeting customers for grapes, services or equipment sales; identifying and evaluating acquisition targets; or tracking the size, structure and growth dynamics of the industry.
Click here to download a winery metrics sample.
California Grape Market Metrics
Available Upon Request
The California Grape Crush Report is an indispensable source of information on the State’s grape markets. However, the report provides only a narrow set of metrics, which limit its usefulness for market analysis. For example, the weighted average prices it presents are heavily biased toward large contracts and have little relevance for “boutique” segment of the market. Moreover, the annual report includes only one-year comparisons, making it difficult and time consuming to situate pricing and crush trends within a longer-term context.
Vintage Economics has developed a broader range of proprietary metrics based on the crush report data, including pricing benchmarks and price indexes segmented by contract size, and more than twenty years of historical data. They enable clients to gain a more nuanced understanding of grape pricing and market trends by varietal and district and support better informed decisions. Click here to view sample metrics. Please contact Chris Bitter with questions or to purchase metrics.
U.S. Wine & BevAlc Imports & Exports
Available Upon Request
Our comprehensive and timely metrics on U.S. wine import and export trends enable clients to better understand import demand and competition, monitor the performance of individual countries within the U.S. marketplace, and evaluate potential export opportunities.
- Imports by volume, value, country of origin & destination state
- Exports volume, value, state of origin and destination country
- Metrics can be broken down by wine category and packaging type
- Available on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis
- Released approximately 5 weeks after the end of the month
- Data on spirits, beer and refreshment beverages are also available
Click here for a sample.Canadian Wine & BevAlc Imports & Exports
Available Upon Request
Canada ranks 8th globally in wine imports, and imported wines (including bulk shipments bottled in Canada) comprise 85% of the market. The metrics can be broken down by country of origin as well destination province to provide a nuanced view of Canadian wine market trends.
- Imports by volume, value, country of origin & destination province
- Exports volume, value, province of origin and destination country
- Metrics can be broken down by wine category and packaging type
- Available on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis
- Released approximately 5 weeks after the end of the month
- Data on spirits, beer and refreshment beverages are also available
Click here for a sample.- The Washington Wine Industry UpdateClick the box to download a copy of our free Washington wine industry newsletter and sign up below to receive notification when new issues are released. I'll be publishing the newsletter once year (in February) from this point forward. The Washington Winery Report 2021 provides more comprehensive information, including shipment and production metrics for all Washington wineries. Visit the store to purchase a copy, or contact Chris Bitter to purchase updated metrics at any point throughout the year.
Purchase Reports
The Washington Winery Report 2021
495.00See the reports & metrics page for a description of the content.
Add the report to your cart to purchase via credit card. You will receive a download link after the purchase has been completed. Discount codes can be entered on the checkout page after agreeing to terms and conditions. If you would prefer to pay by check, contact Chris Bitter at bitter@VinEconomics.com, or call 206-981-6885.
Thank you for your order!Add to cartThe Washington Winery Report 2021 - Small Business Price
395.00Businesses with annual revenue of less than $10 million qualify for the "discounted" price found here. If you do not qualify, please scroll up to purchase at the regular price.
Add the report to your cart to purchase via credit card. You will receive a download link after the purchase has been completed. Discount codes can be entered on the checkout page after agreeing to terms and conditions. If you would prefer to pay by check, contact Chris Bitter at bitter@VinEconomics.com, or call 206-981-6885.
Thank you for your order!Add to cartDemographics and Wine - Small Business Price
495.00See the reports and metrics page for a full description of the report.
To purchase via credit card add the report to your cart. You will receive a link to download the report after the purchase has been completed. If you would prefer to pay by check, contact Chris Bitter at bitter@VinEconomics.com or call 206-981-6885.
Businesses with annual revenue of less than $10 million qualify for the "discounted" Small Business price. If you do not qualify, please scroll up to purchase at the regular price.Add to cartDemographics and Wine
750.00See the reports and metrics page for a description of the content.
To purchase via credit card add the report to your cart. You will receive a download link after the purchase has been completed. If you would prefer to pay by check, contact Chris Bitter at bitter@VinEconomics.com or call 206-981-6885.
Non-profits and businesses with annual revenue of less than $10 million qualify for the "discounted" Small Business / Non-profit price. Scroll down to find the link to the discounted price.Add to cart
The information contained in this report is proprietary. Purchasers may distribute the report only to employees of their immediate company and board members and consultants for use only on projects specific to the purchaser’s company. No portion of the report may be reproduced or published in any form without prior written consent from Vintage Economics.