We asked our 2024 Future 40 honorees, among them winemakers, educators, brewers, sommeliers, gangiers, activists and mememakers, for how they feel about where the industry is going and more. The majority work directly in the wine world, but we have perspectives from those involved in everything from cannabis to grappa. Each answered from their place in the adult beverage world at large. And while they seemed to feel we’ve come a long way in the last few years, with 52% answering the question “How do you think the industry has changed in the last five years?” with “for the better” and 8% affirming things have gotten much better (only 5% thought things had gone downhill), there was much less agreement about where it was going.
When asked “How prepared do you feel the industry is for the challenges of the next five years?” more than 70% were either unsure or thought the industry is unprepared or very unprepared. No surprise, climate change was a concern, with nearly 90% concerned about its effects on their businesses (and more than half of the entire group was “very concerned”). They were evenly split over concern about reports that younger generations are not drinking as much, with 41% declaring “we got this,” and 46% at least a little concerned about that trend.
Finally, they were not quite sure what to make of our future AI overlords’ impact on their industry in the next five years. Over that span 36% thought AI would have no effect, while 38% said AI would have a “positive” or “very positive” effect and 26% said the consequences of AI would be “negative” or “very negative.” Perhaps they are envisioning Skynet starting as a robot sommelier or network-connected wine wall—or they’ve just tasted one overhyped AI-created cocktail too many.
Future 40 Tastemakers & Innovators of 2024
Meet the emerging tastemakers, innovators and advocates changing the way we drink this year.
Here’s what they had to say in more detail:
What are the biggest strides you’ve seen the industry take in the last five years?
Meghan Murphy: We’re seeing an otherwise very competitive industry begin to come together to collaborate in the fight against climate change. The industry is extremely threatened by the impacts of climate change, be it changing weather patterns, such as late or early frost, rain, heat events, wildfires, drought, etc., and groups such as the IWCA are bringing wineries back together again—reminiscent of the beginning times of the industry—to collaborate on different practices and techniques to form a more resilient landscape while facing uncertain futures.
Matt Neiss: Although there is a LOT of green-washing going on, overall I do think the industry is becoming more focused on sustainability. From working with less glyphosates and less synthetic sprays to using lighter-weight glass.
Ken Pettus: As someone who’s been in this industry for 15 years, I’ve seen more diverse wine rooms, wine tastings, hosted industry dinners and BIPOC people working at wineries in the past couple of years than I had in the previous 10 years combined. With that said, one of the biggest growing consuming demographics in an industry that is seeing a decline is the younger BIPOC consumer, specifically women of color, and I feel there is so much more room for opportunity and work from the industry as a whole to market and reach out to them.
Chastity Cooper: The summer of 2020 had a lot to do with the strides the industry has made over the last five years. Since then in particular, we’ve seen more opportunities for people of color to have career opportunities (both here and abroad) in this industry. We’ve seen more representation in media that covers the experience of marginalized communities in wine. Additionally, I think the industry has recognized that it still has a lot of catching up to do compared to its spirit and beer counterparts.
Christopher Renfro: I’ve seen BIPOC folks highlighted in magazines but I haven’t seen financial support, land support or true acceptance of Black culture in the beverage industry.
Grover & Scarlet Sanschagrin: The tequila consumer has become more educated and thoughtful about what to drink. It is the small brands who have been able to respond to this by creating products that tap into their desire for authenticity and respect for the prime material, agave.
Casey DiCesare: Consumers are focused more on sustainability and wellness, and the industry has responded with more advanced conversations around lightweight glass, alternative power sources like our 400-foot wind turbine, and a fast-growing selection of “Better for You” brands that feature lower sugar, lower alcohol and less calories to address consumer needs.
Regina Sanz: I am most impressed by strides in innovations around helping to solve the problem of climate change, specifically with companies like Monarch Electric Tractors. I am also impressed by and a big supporter of the strides we are (finally) starting to make in DEI and pay equity conversations.
Danielle Goldtooth: Our industry is also finding solutions for the pay discrepancy from front of house to back of house and sharing publicly what has worked and why. In a community that in the past didn’t want to share systems, we are collaborating and helping each other rise together, not letting past industry standards scare us from trying new things and growing. It’s an exciting time to be in hospitality. I see the changes we make becoming a movement and changing the world.
If you could snap your fingers and change one thing in your space tomorrow, what would it be?
Derek Gilman: Removing cannabis entirely from the list of controlled substances.
Adam Casto: People would stop saying “sustainability” like it is either a virtue or a burden.
Regina Sanz: Stop the doomsday chatter and get creative! There are certainly changes in preference in the wine space lately—“younger’’ people are interested in different social lubricants other than wine. But when I see an article every day fearmongering “the wine industry is doomed,” it frustrates me to no end.
Sofia Torres-McKay: Develop a program to offer work visas for all farm workers to keep them in the industry, being able to travel to see their families and that is specific to farming.
Kelsey Renee Kramer: There are probably dire problems that I could change with a magical snap of the fingers, but honestly, the first thing that comes to mind is the diminishing market interest in sweet wines. I feel like sweet wines may soon be an endangered species, and we will lose so much connection to wine history, and so much character from wine this way!
Amanda Victoria: Make nutrition labels required to inform consumers what goes into their alcoholic products, encouraging the use of better ingredients for the industry at large.
Matt Neiss: I think that requiring ingredients labeling on wine would have a near instantaneous positive impact for small artisanal producers like myself and many others who are financially struggling right now. I think the consumer would be willing to pay a little more per bottle because they would be making more informed choices about what they are purchasing, and what they are drinking.
Taralyn Varnum: The resurgence of prohibitionist propaganda would cease to exist. Also, end Prohibition-era laws around wine sales and distribution.
Theresa Heredia: Make wine spaces completely diverse and unpretentious. We would instantly see an equal representation of color, culture and socioeconomic status. All gatekeepers would be challenged and overruled.
Danielle Goldtooth: If I could change one thing it would be healthcare for all, including dental. I have grown up with free healthcare my whole life because of our treaties, and while it is not the best, I don’t have to worry like a lot of my friends in the industry about how I am going to pay for something that is a basic necessity. I wish we could all be so lucky, and I listen to anyone who feels they have a solution.
Amanda Joffee: Greater openness to diverse wine tastes and preferences, and more inclusive and welcoming industry spaces for newcomers to wine.
Jenna Fields: If I could change one thing about the industry tomorrow with the snap of my fingers, it would be the gatekeeping of products that are available nationally. Give more access to small artisan growers to the end consumer.
Lyndon Smith: We should shift our focus from idolizing European wines to appreciating the strong sense of place and community they embody. Europeans drink hyperlocal wine. While we understand the concept of terroir, what we often lack in America is the same level of pride in our local wine regions. It’s time to change that. Across the United States, local producers are creating outstanding wines that merit the same appreciation, respect and attention. Oh and, I’d love to see more than just a handful of restaurants in America have a diverse and regional cider list.
“Sustainability” can be an overused buzzword that can mean different things to different people. What does being sustainable mean to you?
Jean Dodson Peterson: Sustainability can have deeply personal meanings and vastly different definitions depending on whom you are talking to. For me, sustainability is about being environmentally conscientious in the “how, what, where and why” aspects of the grape and wine industry. We must think strategically about which rootstock-scion combinations make the most sense to plant in a given location, considering abiotic and biotic pressures. Our goal should be to work harmoniously with a site’s existing characteristics, rather than against nature, and to consider how this site is changing over time. It’s essential that we teach and practice respectful stewardship of our earth, ensuring that our actions today support a thriving environment for future generations.
Shyla Sheppard: Sustainable, to me, means being mindful of what and how you consume; it complements our core values as Native people when we think beyond ourselves and look to our impacts on future generations. We draw from our core values and strive to incorporate as many locally sourced ingredients as we can and highlight indigenous botanicals and produce in our beer to connect with the land and our surroundings. We have also developed relationships with university agricultural agencies to experiment with alternative perennial grains that use less water than traditional brewing grains and benefit the soil.
Matt Niess: As a grower of hybrid grapes, I’m deeply committed to working in harmony with the natural biological rhythms of the vines and fostering a biodiverse vineyard ecosystem. Because I use resilient grape varieties, none of the vines I farm requires any chemical sprays—no fungicides or moldicides. I also do not use any insecticides or herbicides. Many of the vines are also dry farmed. Here in California, dry farming needs to be discussed more. Water is a valuable resource, and we should be using much less water to grow wine grapes. Most of the vineyards I work with or source from also practice low-to-no-till farming. This helps keep carbon in the soil where it belongs, not in the atmosphere. The apples I use for my ciders come from old-growth orchards that require minimal management and no irrigation. They are a true example of regenerative agriculture.
Gerardo Espinoza: “Sustainability” can indeed be a broad and sometimes vague term, but to me, being sustainable means adopting practices that meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations, like being responsible for the environment.
Theresa Heredia: To me, sustainability means use only what you need and no more. If you practice sustainability, you are a responsible steward of the beautiful land that we are gifted.
Brooke Delmas Robertson: Being sustainable to me, means no. 1 being a good steward of the land that I am lucky enough to be responsible for during my lifetime. Not abusing the soil, putting back in what we take out of it, and making sure we are able to host a diverse atmosphere and improve the biodiversity around us.
Mimi Casteel: I think the problem with all of our “it” terms related to sustainability is how we manipulate them to fit how we think instead of using them to change how we think. Any true understanding of what is sustainable acknowledges that we are generations away from something sustainable, and that the responsibility of every living person is to focus on the great progress we CAN make and that it will have an immense effect on what the following generation can do, and how they will feel about it.
Derek Gilman: I’d prefer us to begin moving in a more “regenerative” manner that fosters healing of the existing damage.
Courtney Elisabeth Humiston: Nourishment is the word that comes to mind. It means taking care of yourself and the people in your space, building a business that can continue to nurture the owners, the employees, the farmers, the suppliers, every single person that your business depends on. Be kind, compassionate. Show grace to yourself and others. Nature is the ultimate teacher. You don’t have to explain sustainability to the forest or the ocean.
Dwight A. Phyall: Sustainability to me means creating solutions that outlast generations. Solutions that honor history, heritage and legacy, but embrace the future both known and unknown in a thoughtful way. I’d also say that a “sustainable” culture or approach, is a prepared one. One that is curious and adventurous, but responsible. I don’t believe the word “sustainable” to mean “static.” In fact, I see it very contrary. More dynamic and fluid. Consistent and constant, but not uniform or invariable. In the more acute context of wine and the industry, adapting processes, driving efficiency and reducing the negative or harmful elements in the larger footprint of production.
Kelsey Renee Kramer: There is no scale that is sustainable or not sustainable—sustainability is an intention, a mindset, a collection of values.
Terah Bajjalieh: Sustainability, to me, embodies a holistic approach to conducting business and living responsibly. It means recognizing the interconnectedness of environmental, social and economic factors in everything we do. From a business perspective, sustainability means minimizing our environmental impact through practices like reducing waste, conserving resources and using renewable materials. It also involves promoting social equity by fostering inclusive workplaces and supporting local communities. Economically, sustainability means ensuring our operations are financially viable in the long term, balancing profitability with ethical considerations. Ultimately, sustainability is about making choices today that preserve and enhance opportunities for future generations, ensuring a thriving planet and society for years to come.
What’s a trend in the industry you’ve had enough of?
Kelsey Albro Itämeri: Gosh, the idea that just because you can’t get something it has to be good. I mean, we all want to sell out of our wines, because that means that we can go home and take a break, but I’m pretty over the idea that just because something has a 10-year waitlist means that it’s the best, or that you’ll even like it. I hope I’m not alone in this, but as my husband says, “Everybody wants some of that ‘unobtainium.’”
Sarah H. Bray: Heavy bottles.
Grover & Scarlet Sanschagrin: Celebrities trying to cash in without knowledge and respect for the spirit and its heritage.
Abe Zarate: Concern over young people drinking less. This has been a great opportunity to engage them in drinking better. By this I mean the quality of the wine, of course, but mostly learning how to consume alcohol in a conscious way that is conducive to moderation.
Christopher Renfo: Points systems for wine.
Francesca Bardelli Nonino: I am really over the “craft washing” or “craft sounding” products. I hate that there are always ways in this industry of misleading the consumer into thinking that the products you are selling are artisanal when they are not. I wish it was mandatory to declare in a clear way the distillation method, the real aging and if there is any artificial flavor or coloring.
Nicole Marchesi: The “clean” wine narrative that implies that all other wine is “unclean.”
Amanda Joffee: The trend of wines positioning themselves as wellness products, suggesting they fit into a healthy lifestyle or are “clean.” Alcohol is still alcohol.
Giulia Cecchi: A concerning trend in the wine industry is the excessive use of marketing buzzwords and vague terms like “natural,” “clean,” and “sustainable” without clear definitions or standards. This practice can mislead consumers into believing they are making healthier or more environmentally friendly choices without providing concrete evidence or information to support these claims.
Rachel Allison: The villainization of “chemicals” and benign processes in winemaking, generally. And “natural wine” marketing; the term is very overused and sometimes used to excuse poor winemaking, and I believe it increases confusion for many consumers.
Alicia Kidd: You know what? I’ve had enough of the wine industry paying lip service to diversity without making real, meaningful changes. It’s not just about putting a few token faces on marketing materials or having the occasional diversity panel at wine events.
Kelsey Renee Kramer: I’ve had enough of calling big, heavily oaked, hot red wines better than wines that are more gentle on the palate. We seem to be losing sight of what quality and balance means in the context of such a wide range of styles of wine. I’m from Texas, but truly believe that in wine bigger does not necessarily mean better!
Chris Shepherd: Vibe dining. I understand restaurants have to have a vibe, but you can’t base the entire restaurant on that.
Ann Marshall: In the whiskey industry, we see a lot of enthusiasts really focused on the highest proof spirit in your lineup, clamoring for distilleries to release spirits at the highest proof available. I see this as the equivalent of the quadruple-hopped beer phenomenon of the early 2000s. While cask strength products certainly have a place in demonstrating certain aspects of your spirits, the highest proof sample is not the best way to experience the complexity, nuance and quality of a spirit.
Published: August 21, 2024
