The Wine Economist

Kathleen Burk, Wine: A Global History (Basic Books, 2026).

Brief reviews of two very different new wine books.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 14, 2026 — As the wine industry navigates changing consumer demand, shifting global markets and continued economic pressures, Mike Veseth will take the stage as keynote speaker at the 2027 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, offering…

Nota Bene is a periodic Wine Economist column that briefly highlights stories that might otherwise escape attention.

Robert Putnam’s 2000 best-selling book Bowling Alone painted a dark picture of modern society.

Sue and I recently visited our local Costco warehouse store and paused to peruse the wine aisle.

Doesn’t it seem like this has been the summer of the spritz?

Forged in Fire: An Impossible Place meets Improbable People by Michael F.

Sue and I have been sampling some interesting Rosé wines from France and this got us to thinking about the challenges and opportunities for pink wines in today’s market.

Alan Greenspan was famous for many things, most of all because of his long tenure as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

One of wine’s superpowers is that it can trigger memories and allow us to share them with others.

Nota Bene is a periodic Wine Economist column that briefly highlights stories that might otherwise escape attention.

“Oregon Wine Industry Shows Signs of Contraction” was the headline that caught my eye on the YourOregonNews.com website.

Sicily isn’t Italy (you can ask anyone), and Sicilian wine isn’t Italian wine either.

A winemaker from Austria making white Cabernet Sauvignon wines in China.