California’s vineyards have long been symbols of reinvention. From the earliest plantings by Indigenous workers to the rise of Napa Valley’s most sought-after wines, the state’s industry has been built on adaptation. But as wildfires, economic pressures and climate shifts threaten its future, the question is no longer how California wine will expand—it’s how it will survive.
Elaine Chukan Brown’s new book, The Wines of California, examines this shifting reality with a clear-eyed approach. More than a history of vineyards and vintages, the book connects the industry’s past to the forces shaping it today. Brown traces how California’s wine culture was shaped by colonization, economic booms and political upheaval, while also looking at the pressures driving change now. Labor rights, sustainability and the growing push for inclusion all play a role in defining what comes next.
The stakes are high. California produces more than 80% of American wine and influences markets worldwide. Yet rising temperatures, shifting consumer tastes and the cost of doing business have forced winemakers to reconsider long-held traditions. Some experiment with unexpected grape varieties. Others turn to technology or rethink farming techniques.
Brown argues in the book that the state’s success has always depended on reinvention. What began with European grape imports became an industry that challenged—and in some cases, outperformed—its Old World counterparts. But today’s challenges demand new solutions.
In a Zoom conversation with Forbes, Brown expands on these themes, discussing the risks facing the industry, the role of innovation and what the future holds for California’s vineyards.
Your book highlights how California wine has been shaped by history, from Indigenous viticulture to modern sustainability efforts. What was the most surprising historical discovery you made while researching?
Researching the state’s history for the Wines of California book proved fascinating for multiple reasons. Many of the things we struggle with today we’ve been through and problem-solved before. The 1980s gave us a powerful wave of neo-Prohibitionism and a big financial downturn in the wine industry, for example. That sounds similar to things we are going through today. It’s a different time and context between the 1980s and now, but it was remarkable to see how often we have gone through such cycles. When we recognize that we can start to ask what we can learn from our own past.
California has a reputation for innovation, from cult Cabernets to advancements in vineyard technology. What do you see as the next major shift in how wine is made or marketed in the state?
California succeeded partially by helping to create a powerful wine media that hadn’t existed before. Wines of Europe were written about, but more often by people who were also selling them. As California wine began to grow, it courted writers and critics and that helped build wine columns in a way that hadn’t happened before. At the same time, the United States had a healthy financial boom through the 1990s that supported incredible sales growth for California wine into the beginning of the 2000s. The wine industry of California had so much success from that relationship with media that it keeps trying to find it again. But the media landscape isn’t the same and won’t be again.
Wine communicators thankfully will continue to share their love of wine, but regional bodies, businesses and wineries or producers can expand their success by connecting to wine lovers in person. More than ever, people want to interact with a genuine person and feel like they are supporting something worthwhile when they spend money. How can we connect directly with people, or give people the feeling of connection? Whether that is in person, in quick videos, in podcasts or otherwise. That feeling of connection is one of the strongest things that can guide people to wine.
The book discusses how wine regions have adapted and redefined themselves. Are there any emerging AVAs or lesser-known areas that you think are on the verge of gaining wider recognition?
Monterey has done such a good job at making delicious wine for decades, but it’s also managed to stay more affordable. With the increased cost of living and the feeling of uncertainty people are facing, wines that overdeliver for their price point are more and more important. Monterey offers refreshing wines that have plenty of flavor with comparative restraint on size and then also often are more affordable. It’s a combination the wine industry needs. Plus, what a cool part of California.
You have written extensively about reducing gatekeeping in the wine world. What are some of the biggest barriers that still exist for new voices in the industry?
We can think about three huge barriers just as a place to start. Simple access is crucial. How will new voices connect to the people, events and wines worth learning from or writing about? We can bring in more or different people to wine and cultivate new voices by choosing to invite them. Knowing who to ask though depends on having curiosity about what lesser-known voices have to say and actively caring about finding them. To put that simply, let’s shift who we invite to be part of the wine industry.
Mentoring or support is irreplaceable too. How did any of us learn about doing our various jobs, or tasting wine, or writing well, or even opening a bottle of wine with a corkscrew? Somewhere along the way a person showed us how or gave us a tip that helped us solve it. There is so much intense potential in people wanting to work in or comment on wine. The willingness to notice people’s interests and support it in simple ways makes the difference.
The third thing I’ll mention is the challenge of gaining a platform or reaching people so that we are a voice in the industry, rather than just a person with opinions. We are all looking to different places to find people we enjoy hearing from, or to listen to the news, or whose influence makes us want to buy something. In one sense, it is far easier for new voices now to share their perspectives because there are so many ways for any of us to: social media, podcasts, newsletters and more.
But the challenge is that having so many options also means it is harder to find a core group of listeners, readers or watchers. There are always other options people can go enjoy instead. From the mentoring or supportive leader perspective, when we see people doing good work helping them connect to an opportunity that can offer success, and simply telling others about their work can make a big difference.
Climate change is an unavoidable reality for winemakers. What are some of the most promising solutions you’ve seen in California vineyards?
No one approach is going to fix the challenges of climate change. What I have been impressed by is how willing to collaborate to find solutions people are now, and how willing to share the successes or challenges they have had so others can learn and advance the effort too.
You mention the influence of cultural and economic shifts, from the Gold Rush to Silicon Valley. What modern-day industries or movements do you think are having the biggest impact on California wine today?
The blessing of texting, cell phones, email and social media is that we can find answers and quick connections with each other more easily. We’ve gotten used to finding things fast. But it also means we are interacting with our phones more than each other. And we’re missing human connection. The combination, from what I have seen, has changed how new and returning customers engage with wineries. We don’t have to keep trying or buying things we don’t enjoy. There are other options. But we also want the feeling of connecting with real people more too. So, how do we let ourselves be real people in a professional context, willing to connect with people in a way that means it feels like we care about each other rather than merely about making a sale.
California wine has long been known for its bold, fruit-forward styles. Do you think there is a shift happening in what consumers and producers are looking for?
California wine has the broadest range of style and quality in wine it has ever had. And just like there is no one media source anymore, there is also no single consumer interest. The proliferation of wine types means people have more opportunities to enjoy wine once they do try it.
Your book covers the deep history of wine in California, but also its future. If you had to predict where the industry will be in 20 years, what would you say?
We are experiencing so much simultaneous change that it might be harder to predict the next 20 years than it has ever been. What I can say is that the amount of change happening in the wine industry and the world makes it more crucial than ever to recognize that we are each other’s own best resources. Wine is full of intelligent, fascinating people. Imagine what we can do if we recognize our various abilities and interests and join forces to problem solve some of these changes. Pervasive collaboration can positively change so much.
