WINE INSTITUTE SECURES $500,000 GRANT TO ADVANCE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO BUILD DEMAND FOR CALIFORNIA WINE

Funding will launch Project One Voice, bringing wineries and industry partners together around shared messaging, storytelling and consumer engagement.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Wine Institute has been awarded $500,000 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), to launch a statewide initiative to strengthen consumer connections with California wine and support a more coordinated approach to industry communications and promotion.

The funding will help advance Project One Voice, a Wine Institute-led initiative designed to bring California’s wine community together around a clearer, more consistent narrative about wine’s unique qualities, the people and places behind it, and its role in bringing people together.

The announcement comes amid significant challenges for California’s wine industry, including declining consumption, shifting consumer preferences and increasing pressure on winegrape growers and wineries. It also comes at a time of growing industry conversation about the need for a stronger, more unified effort to engage consumers and build demand.

“Across the wine community, we’re hearing a shared desire to do more to tell the positive story of wine and make it more approachable and relevant to consumers,” said Steve Gross, President and CEO of Wine Institute. “We’re grateful to the California Department of Food and Agriculture and USDA for supporting this effort and helping us take an important step forward. There isn’t one campaign or one organization that can solve the challenges facing our industry, but by working more closely together and building on the resources we already have, we can make our collective efforts more effective.”

Turning a shared vision into action

Project One Voice builds on several years of consumer research and strategic planning undertaken by Wine Institute to better understand evolving attitudes toward wine, particularly among adults ages 25 to 45.

Rather than relying on a single advertising message, the initiative takes a broader approach to building consumer engagement: identifying messages that resonate, elevating the stories of California’s winegrape growers and winemakers, making wine more approachable and equipping industry members with practical tools to connect with consumers.

The grant will support several activities through June 2029, including:

• Shared storytelling and creative resources: Development of photography, short-form videos, digital content and messaging that highlight the diversity, craftsmanship and people behind California wine.
• Regional workshops and industry education: Ten in-person workshops across California wine regions to help growers and wineries strengthen their own storytelling, reach new audiences and use shared communications tools.
• A centralized digital resource hub: Ready-to-use content, messaging and creative assets available to wineries, growers and regional associations for use in their own outreach and communications.
• Targeted consumer engagement: Social media, digital advertising and influencer partnerships designed to introduce California wine to adults ages 25 to 45.

Building a stronger voice together

A central principle of Project One Voice is that a more unified industry narrative does not require a single voice or a one-size-fits-all message.

California’s wine industry encompasses hundreds of distinct winegrowing regions and thousands of businesses, each with its own history, identity and story. Wine Institute’s approach is to create a shared foundation that helps those individual voices become more visible and effective.

“California wine has extraordinary stories to tell, but we’re not always connecting those stories to the audiences we need to reach,” said Gretchen Roddick, Chair of Wine Institute’s Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of Hope Family Wines. “We also have a tremendous amount of expertise, research and creative talent spread across our industry. By sharing insights, coordinating messages and making resources more accessible, we can strengthen what individual wineries and regional organizations are already doing.”

Wine Institute plans to work closely with regional wine associations, grower organizations and other industry partners to help shape and distribute resources, coordinate educational opportunities and identify ways to extend the reach of existing efforts.

The grant proposal received support from the California Association of Winegrape Growers, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrowers, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Lodi Winegrape Commission and Santa Barbara County Vintners Association.

The initiative also provides an opportunity to strengthen public understanding of wine, highlighting the agricultural roots of winemaking, the diversity of California’s wine regions, the industry’s commitment to sustainability and the role wine plays in food, culture and shared experiences.

Expanding collaboration beyond California

Wine Institute is also pursuing additional funding to support a complementary effort to build demand for Pacific Coast wines. In partnership with the Oregon Wine Board and Washington State Wine Commission, Wine Institute has applied for $1 million through the USDA Specialty Crop Multi-State Program to expand market opportunities for wines from all three states.

If awarded, the proposed initiative would focus on targeted markets through coordinated retail promotions, restaurant and hospitality partnerships, trade education and consumer-facing digital advertising.

Together, the efforts reflect a strategy that connects stronger industry storytelling with opportunities for consumers to discover, experience and purchase wine.

A foundation for continued collaboration

 While the new grant represents an important investment, Wine Institute views it as an initial step toward a more sustained, industry-wide effort.

“We know the work ahead is bigger than any one grant,” said Julie Berge, Vice President of Communications and Member Relations for Wine Institute. “But we also know we can’t wait for a perfect solution before we begin. Our goal is to put practical tools in the hands of growers, wineries and our partners, learn what works and build from there. The more effectively we work together, the greater opportunity we have to create lasting value for California wine.”

Wine Institute will begin implementing the grant-funded program in late 2026, with initial creative resources expected in early 2027 and regional workshops beginning later that year. Additional details and opportunities for industry participation will be shared in the coming months.

About Wine Institute
Established in 1934, Wine Institute represents nearly 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses and serves as a leading voice for California wine. Wine Institute works to strengthen and advance California’s wine sector by bringing together public policy advocacy, strategic communications, sustainability leadership and global marketing. As the only organization advocating for wine at the state, federal and international levels, it helps create an environment that supports the responsible production, marketing and enjoyment of wine. Wine Institute members account for more than 80% of the nation’s wine production and 95% of U.S. wine exports. Learn more at wineinstitute.org.

Funding for Project One Voice was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.