Washington Winegrowers recently held their annual convention at the Three Rivers Campus in Kennewick, WA. While the weather conditions were far from ideal, the turnout was still good and the sessions and conversations productive.

Chris delivered a presentation on Washington wine industry trends during the State of the Industry Session and moderated a spirited panel discussion. Click here to download a copy of the presentation.

The presentation covered three main themes:

1. Following an exceptional run between 2010 and 2016, Washington wine shipments have plateaued, and the grape market has softened.
2. The industry’s performance has bifurcated – Ste. Michelle’s shipment volume is down sharply, but excluding Ste. Michelle the industry continues to expand at a solid pace.
3. Looking forward, headwinds are rising due to flattening growth in U.S. wine consumption, a projected slowdown in the economy, and intensifying competition.

Chris also participated as a panelist in the Direct-to-Consumer vs. Distribution Session and gave an overview of Washington State DTC trends, which can be found here.

A more comprehensive assessment of Washington wine industry trends, including metrics and analysis on wine shipments by channel and winery size category, winery license and satellite tasting room trends, and grape market trends can be found in the Washington Wine Industry Review & Outlook, which will be released soon. The report also covers developments in the broader wine market and economy as well as an outlook for the year ahead. See the Reports Section of the site for more details.