Posted on 02/26/2026 6:34:32 AM PST by V_TWIN
US News Metro Long Island Politics World News Metro California winery owner gives hottest take yet on why industry is dying By Ross O'Keefe Published Feb. 25, 2026, 6:43 p.m. ET
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00:10 / 00:50 The owner of a Sonoma County winery believes the industry is dying because baby boomers are.
Jon Phillips, the owner of Sonoma County winery Inspiration Vineyards and Winery, told The Post that the population decline of the industry’s top wine-consuming generation has led to a recent downturn in sales.
“A lot of people have a misconception that the boomers are drinking less,” he said. “This cannot be emphasized enough: It’s not because the boomers are drinking less, it’s because there are less boomers.”
He says in conjunction with the declining baby boomer demand is less interest from younger generations like Gen Z and millennials, who have slowly adopted wine. Other factors like tariffs and recent wildfires have hurt wine-growing and producing operations, he added. He also pins declining sales on new negative messaging concerning alcohol.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
The best $10 bottle you ever drank.
Bar none.
But almost all the bottom shelf French wines are excess production (amount is CONTROLLED) that must be sold outside France. And almost always a bargain.
Thanks! 👍
If you try it, let me know what you think of it.
👌
Thanks, I had not heard about the Texas wine country.
And what about the horrible, business killing government Californians are saddled with?
From what I’ve seen, government is the biggest detriment to big business.
Beer snobs can be every bit as silly and pretentious. I'm with you. Wine or beer, just open it and drink it already.
Well, if we can vote from the dead, why can’t we drink too?
My dad used to clip coupons and visited the liquor store on Thursdays because they had sales. I asked him how much wine he and my mom went through in a week. His answer of 10 liters shocked me. My dad has since passed and my mother is in memory care and her intake is highly regulated. They are probably responsible for bankrupting a couple wineries on their own.
California wine gives me a headache. I love my New Zealand wine.
.”...it’s because there are less boomers.”.....
your fingers on your keyboard are faster than mine...!!
..”less boomers”.......oh, brother......
I don’t mind wine, and kind of enjoy it. However, there are so many dang good beers from local micro-brews and beyond, I just prefer that.
“what about the horrible, business killing government Californians are saddled with?”
He didn’t say one word about that.
Just boomers are dying and tariffs.
For the most part, true, but in the great Venn diagram of the economy, there is a small sliver of overlap where consumer and commodity are exempt from that maxim. This sliver includes the world of art, fashion, wine and to some extent real estate. The product is not the product, so much as the status attached to it.
Also GenX: I prefer beer and spirits. Wine is stupidly expensive per ounce, especially in bars and restaurants. Beer is a better value and tastes better to me.
bump
So are boats, tractors, and motorcycles, but that doesn't stop me from buying. Aged or new...
Grok disagrees...
Overall US beer market (including imports and all segments): Volume declined about 1% in 2024. In 2025, the trend continued downward, with taxable removals (a key shipment proxy from the Beer Institute) showing consistent monthly and year-to-date declines.
For example:Year-to-date through October 2025: Down ~5% compared to the prior year.
Specific months like August 2025 saw a sharp -9.4% drop year-over-year.
Full-year 2025 estimates point to ongoing contraction, with some reports noting persistent weakness into late 2025.
I AM a “disappearing boomer” ...
Not sure what you are trying to say with, “Bruh”.
I do, however, have good friends who work in the marketing divisions at bourbon producers.. I’ve heard from them what their data shows. It ain’t rocket science.
Search Assist
The baby boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964, is experiencing a significant decline in numbers as many members reach advanced age and pass away.
______
(AI expressing itself with a certain degree of humanity.)
May you long avoid this statistical scimitar, SCMT!
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