California Wineries Add $150 Picnics and Bingo as U.S. Wine Sales Plunge

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4

$150 lobster picnics, Pilates brunches and upcoming in-home tastings are part of a broader push by California wineries to replace fading wine-tour traffic with paid events.
California producers are expanding into bingo nights, trivia, cooking classes, tea tastings, jewelry shows and mocktail flights as changing tastes, more competition and lower alcohol use cut sales.
The downturn has hit California especially hard because it makes about 80% of U.S. wine, leaving wineries to chase new revenue beyond traditional tastings.
Closures and layoffs at companies including Gallo and Jackson Family Wines, along with shuttered tasting rooms, show how urgently the industry is trying to adapt.