New Wine Institute Initiative for Consumers and Policymakers

Over the past year, we have all been tracking the increased focus in the news about wine and alcohol consumption. Consumer reaction to this range of information — some accurate, some not — suggests that it has influenced their views and attitudes. The World Health Organization and allied organizations continue to push increased alcohol excise taxes and their view that there is “no safe level” of consumption.

In response to this changing environment, beer and spirits producers and their trade associations have become more vocal in differentiating themselves and we see these efforts in both the marketplace and regulatory environment. Wine has a distinctive, compelling story to tell with many well-known strengths including our cultural and agricultural significance, leadership in sustainable practices and economic impact of our diverse wine community. It is imperative that we tell our story.

To help address these issues, Wine Institute has been leveraging existing relationships with legislators, regulators, and other policymakers who direct the trajectory of alcohol and health policy. We also engage in strategic partnerships with U.S. and international wine organizations to gain insight into the changing policy landscape and collaborate on targeted engagement.

Wine Institute will continue working closely with industry partners during the development of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines and the National Academy of Sciences systematic review of alcohol research, aiming to ensure a transparent, balanced and evidence-based process as mandated by Congress. We will also continue to monitor traditional and social media as well as scientific journals for coverage on key issues and attend relevant conferences and events to participate in or lead relevant discussions.

In addition to these ongoing efforts and based on input from the officers and other members, Wine Institute is developing an integrated initiative to reinforce the unique and positive aspects of wine to both consumers and policymakers. Consistent with our mission to promote the responsible production, consumption and enjoyment of wine, Wine Institute is best positioned to lead this effort for the wine sector. This initiative will include an overarching strategy and set of core messages designed to give consumers and policymakers the facts and context needed to understand the unique and positive aspects of wine and distinguish it from other beverages.

Over the next several months, Wine Institute’s leadership team, with assistance from outside communications experts, will craft a strategic and well-informed approach to engage consumers and policymakers with an impactful new narrative on the relevance and cultural vibrancy of wine. The program will be led by Honore Comfort on the consumer side and Charles Jefferson on the policy side, with all of our department heads involved.

Our plan, which is well underway, unfolds in three stages, with the first two focused on research, strategy and message development, followed by a roll-out, evaluation and refinement period. The core messages will center around many of the well-known strengths of wine, as noted above. Developed and delivered in ways tailored to our target audiences, the resulting plan will be a fully-integrated communications effort across platforms that will likely include social media, digital advertising, traditional advertising, public relations, events and trade materials. We will work in collaboration with our stakeholders, both domestically and internationally, to develop a consistent strategy and approach to a shared global challenge.

To ensure our success, additional resources and outside expertise are being utilized and we will provide additional information over the coming weeks. We will share a fully realized plan in June, to be rolled out and implemented this summer.

This is an important new long-term initiative for Wine Institute so please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Robert P. Koch
President & CEO, Wine Institute

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