We’re a 1/3 of the way through 2025 and what a crazy year it’s been so far around the world and in the global wine industry. LDV Winery co-owner Peggy Fiandaca offered up some wine trends for 2025 earlier in the year, now with tariffs on imported wines about to kick in, climate change and natural disasters on the rise now would a good time to see her eight trends to watch for the rest of the year and what has happened in the first few months of 2025.
- Labor shortages are real! “We anticipate this issue growing, particularly in the agriculture and hospitality industries,” she says.
- Supply-chain disruptions are a continual challenge for the wine industry, particularly due to high shipping costs and the threat of increased tariffs.
- Environmental concern is growing across all consumer demographics. “Consumers are looking for brands focused on sustainability and producing natural wines. The term ‘natural wine’ is unregulated, and the definition can be very broad; however, it has taken hold in popular vernacular,” Fiandaca says, adding, “LDV Winery has focused on being environmentally sustainable since our first grapevines were planted.”
- Health and wellness will continue to impact the wine industry. While there is increasing demand for wines with lower alcohol, low calorie and reduced sugar content. “However, there appears to be a lack of understanding between lower alcohol and reduced sugar content,” she adds. “The two are not always directly related.” LDV Winery table wines have always been zero residual sugar, gluten-free, and vegan.
- Consumers are looking for immersive wine experiences with an educational focus. People want to enjoy a wine tasting experience and learn how the wine was made or where and how the grapes are grown.
- New wine regions, like Arizona or Texas, are becoming popular wine destinations. “This trend is partly due to the high cost of wine tasting in traditional destinations like Napa Valley and Sonoma County,” Fiandaca says. “There is a growing conversation about whether these famed wine regions have priced themselves out of the wine tourism market.”
- There is a movement to demonize all alcohol consumption, even moderate wine drinking. “The link between alcohol drinking, including wine, and cancer is being widely publicized without caveats of moderation, the impact of other underlying health issues or balancing the conversation with wine’s positive health impact,” she says. “This worldwide movement is pushing governments, including the U.S., to more strongly regulate alcohol, even wine.”
- Federal regulators are considering potential wine label requirements for ingredient listings. One argument against the new regulation is that the cost of implementing it for small producers will be hard to absorb. “LDV Winery’s policy has always been to tell you what is in our wine without being forced,” says Fiandaca.
