The Wine Industry Is Worried About Neo-Prohibitionism. It’s Far Worse.

The wine industry has collectively agreed on the language they’ll be using to explain and combat declining sales and it’s giving, “1920.”

 There’s a lot of chatter across major wine publications and amongst Napa Valley executives about the “attack” coming from the World Health Organization and its affiliates after the definitive stance it took last January, stating, “no amount of alcohol is safe,” when it comes to our health. In an article written this month by Napa based wine marketing and brand consultant, Allen Balik, it’s clear that wine houses and those who’ve made wine the cornerstone of their lives and personalities are feeling the burn. Balik writes, “We are currently in the midst of an international anti-alcohol (aka temperance) movement.” No, Mr. Balik, you are currently in the bosom of the modern sobriety movement, a far more perilous situation for anyone in your shoes unwilling to adapt. Before you start stockpiling your precious vintages down in the cellar under lock and key allow me to enlighten you-we aren’t Neo-Prohibitionists, we’re worse. We don’t care about your wine anymore.

I quit drinking alcohol completely just before the pandemic in early 2020 because I had the sudden realization that it was the driving force behind all of my suffering. My mental health, personal relationships, career prospects, and finances had all plummeted or plateaued and the energy behind each glass of wine I poured was getting darker by the day. I wasn’t addicted, I wasn’t in need of rehab or AA meetings, I just needed to kick alcohol off of the pedestal I’d put it on and start showing up for my life. I went in search of other women who had experienced this same epiphany and I found them. I read “Quit Like A Woman,” by Holly Whitaker, and realized I’d been sold a sexy little vignette of a modern woman, dangling at the bar with her Sauvignon Blanc, and calling it freedom. I was completely ignited. 

I started screaming from the rooftops, posting on social media, chatting with other reformed party girls and retired wine snobs, and found out first hand that alcohol is not the gatekeeper of fun, sophistication, or celebration. I found a community of people speaking about sobriety in a wildly new, empowering way and invited anyone else struggling to make booze fit into their lives to join us. This community doesn’t adhere to labels, we abhor boxes and rules, and there’s no shame in our game. This is a choice, not a consequence. The modern sobriety crowd rejects the notion that there’s anything lost when we quit drinking alcohol. There’s certainly no shortage of interesting beverage options.

With the rise of this mindful drinking movement, entrepreneurs saw an opportunity in the beverage market and they started making moves. Nielson IQ reports $740M in off premise non-alcoholic beverage sales in the past 52 weeks. The non-alc sector isn’t just about 1:1 swaps for wine, beer, and spirits. The category set to see the most growth in coming years is that of the functional beverage. Drinks featuring feel-good adaptogens, empathogens, and nootropics are on the rise and a favorite among young consumers vigilant about natural, holistic ingredients. Herbalism is making a comeback and the NA drink market is taking note. Roots and herbs like Ashwagandha and South African Kanna are popping up in non-alcoholic craft cocktails and offer a new way to take the edge off in social situations without the hangover. I can understand why wine is feeling left out in the cold.

In terms of strategy, wine advocates are making some seriously unsettling choices in the face of this societal shift around drinking habits. The most disturbing, perhaps, being a rebuttal to Sober October which has gained popularity in recent years as the fall counterpart to Dry January. Referenced by Balik in his piece for California Winemasters and spearheaded by “Wine Bible” author Karen MacNeil, “Come Over October” aims to encourage folks to drink more wine this month instead of participating in the popular wellness movement. The narrative driving MacNeil’s campaign tells a story of wine as a connector and culinary necessity. She wants people to stop associating wine with alcohol and focus on its communal and cultural personalities. In an episode of Sip Sip Hooray, a podcast from Mary Babbitt and Mary Orlin all about wine, MacNeil acknowledges that she’s never made it to the end of a Dry January without caving and going so far as to say she “hates” the idea altogether. MacNeil weaves the tale of wine-drinking as an expression of “kindness,” and “truth,” seemingly dumbfounded that anyone would voluntarily forego the pleasure. The plan is to expand the movement into a year-round push against the opposing message from the sober and sober-curious community. Come Over October has even highlighted the decades-old partnership between the alcohol industry and our politicians, recruiting Congressman Mike Thompson (D) of Napa Valley to advocate for the campaign. The Congressional Wine Caucus, co-chaired by Thompson, celebrated the launch of MacNeil’s movement in Washington, DC last month. It’s no surprise that Congressman Thompson is a supporter of the Come Over October movement. He’s also a grape-grower.

Why are all of these lifers from the wine industry so threatened by this modern take on curbing drinking habits? At its foundation, the modern sobriety movement is part of a much larger push for more wellness and health overall. The World Health Organization’s statement last year only echoes the collective call to take a deeper look at our societal relationship to booze and question the normalization of alcohol in our daily lives. Big Wine takes offense to being lumped in with booze culture, standing on a high horse of status and sophistication, but it’s a sick horse. Dress it up anyway you want-wine is booze, too. 

Karen MacNeil and her cohorts would like us all to believe that wine in moderation is a beautiful and healthy lifestyle choice and anyone who pushes the limits of healthy consumption has a “medical issue.” It’s language like this, black and white categories of “normal” vs. “problem” drinking, that keep millions of people stuck in a toxic cycle with imbibing. The reality is that many wine consumers land in the middle of that spectrum, drinking more than the recommended guidelines suggest but not qualifying as an alcoholic. MacNeil and others claim to promote responsible drinking but why then launch a global campaign to combat a movement meant to encourage a healthier relationship with alcohol? My guess is because the business model of wine companies is not moderation, it’s gray-area substance abuse. Could it be that MacNeil, Balik, and Congressman Thompson are victims of their own narrative, married to the idea that a life without wine would be void of magic and connection? MacNeil says, “there’s something so self-righteous and puritanical about Dry January.” Karen, that’s rich.

 Imagine if the wine industry took all of this energy directed towards discrediting the mindful drinking community and funneled it into producing quality non-alcoholic products. Other sectors of the alcohol industry are electing to pivot, investing big money into growing their non-alcoholic portfolios. This is the choice wine now faces. Continue down a path of denial and become a relic of booze history or innovate and join the future of wellness. Wine enthusiasts, journalists, producers, and consultants have been desperate for decades to stand away from the pack of Big Alcohol and soon they will, but not as the epitome of class and an elevated lifestyle. They’ll be left behind. It’s not the wine that we are shunning, it’s the “drunk.”

Alcohol has only ever slowed me down, not in the way of a pause button on the drama of a complex life, but in the way of sluggish apathy, debilitating hangovers, and lack of forward progress.  I love sophisticated beverages. I love connecting with friends over a great meal. I love meaningful conversation and celebrating milestones with the people I love. I hate being told these pleasures are only available with a hangover and three day anxiety spiral. This is not Neo-Prohitionism. This is a collective awakening. It’s your move, Big Wine.