Wines & Vines has an interesting article about why Chinese investors are buying Napa Valley wineries, despite realizing lower returns than if they kept their money in-country. According to the article, China's rich are trying to transfer wealth out of the country due to concerns over future policy changes. 

Photo courtesy www.frenchwinenews.com

The article also discusses the Chinese wine industry, as well as the consumption trends within China. According to the article, the British ISW/DGR research institute predicts a 36% increase in wine consumption in China. 

It's all a very interesting read, so be sure to head over to Wines & Vines to check it out!

Wines & Vines has a new article that paints a positive image of the future of the wine industry. They tell us that wine sales are continuing to climb, and the number of wine retailers in the U.S. has seen excellent growth. A very interesting aspect of this article discusses some facts regarding age demographics.

John Gillespie, president of the Wine Market Council, breaks the "millenials" age group (18-34) into two separate groups to reflect the changes each group is experiencing given the current state of the economy. The younger millenials are those aged 18-25, and the older millenials are those aged 26-34. As you can see from the chart above, there are distinct differences in the amount of wine consumed per week by each group.

The article also discusses a few ideas on how to market to these age groups as well. It's a pretty interesting read, so head on over to Wines & Vines to read the whole article!

Shipcompliantblog has a new article that looks at what we can expect during the upcoming year in terms of wine sales and distribution. They begin with a look back at 2011, covering a few items of note, and then quickly jump into the analysis of what we can expect in 2012, beginning with a look at direct-to-consumer shipping. They then take a look at digital marketing in the wine industry, and all of the red tape that comes with it thanks to governmental regulations. They also take a quick look at upcoming federal legislation that will have an impact on wine shipments. Be sure to head on over to Shipcompliantblog.com to read the full article!

A few of you have been customers of ours since the beginning, and may have even visited us during the early days of Etched Images, but for the majority of you, we thought you'd like to learn a little about our "humble beginnings". 

The Etched Images story began in 1989. At this time, we were a one-man-shop running out of the "Hen House" located on the Lincoln Ranch in Yountville, CA. 

As the popularity of etched wine bottles grew over the years, so did our business. In short time, it became clear that we were outgrowing the hen house, and that larger facilities would be required. So what's a young, growing company to do? Move into the cow barn, of course! 

After a few renovations, the barn became the new headquarters of Etched Images, and with the increased size came more equipment and our first employees. Of course, with the ever-increasing popularity of beautifully etched bottles, it didn't take us long to once again outgrow the barn, and begin the search for a proper industrial facility. That's when we found the building at our current location. After a brief stint in three units across the parking lot, we eventually moved into our the six-unit location we currently occupy.

For the full story, please visit our Etched Images Story webpage!

Take a look at this neat infographic found at Blog your Wine. It's pretty interesting to see the breakdown of the costs of raw materials that go into each bottle! I bet many consumers don't realize that the cork is often almost as expensive as the empty bottle. 

According to Wines & Vines, the wine economy experienced some good growth this past August. As you can see in the chart above, direct-to-consumer shipments were up 14% over the same period last year. They also state that domestic wine sales were up 7% during the same period. All this during what is typically a slow month for the wine industry. Additionally, take a look at the chart below which shows that the Winejobs.com index is up 15% from the same period. All in all, it's great news - and it looks like things are only getting better! 

According to Wines & Vines, domestic wine sales are steadily up, with varietal wines in single bottles growing by 9% in September! For the four weeks ending September 4th, sales hit $351 million, and grew 7% over the same period from 2010. Similarly, the year-to-date growth rate was also 7%. Comparatively, imported wines only grew by 1% during the same period. 

Interestingly, the sales of Oregon table wine was measured as being 14% higher for the year to date, with $38 million in sales. 

Looking at the chart made by Wines & Vines shows that Chardonnay is clearly the top seller of "The Big 3" varietals, the exception being the $8-10.99, and the $20 and up segments, the latter being no real surprise. For more information, head on over to Wines & Vines for the full article!

According to an article by the Press Democrat, wine executives are more confident about the future today than at any time in the last four years. A survey that was conducted by UC Davis found that 53% of wine executives believe their profits will increase this year and 74% predict profits will grow in 2012. Additionally, 71% said the health of the wine industry is improving.

The article also states that with a smaller crop expected this year, and possibly for a few more years, that demand will outpace supply. Despite that, due to current trends, they believe that discounting will continue. While the sales of $20+ bottles are on the rise, it is believed that some of those customers used to be purchasing the $50+ bottles.

The article continues with some interesting thoughts on the future of the Chinese market that are worth a read. Click on over to the article on the Press Democrat, and give it a read!

According to the Press Democrat, the grape harvest is off to a slow start in Sonoma County. As of September 13th, only about 2% of the county's crop had been harvested, compared to normal years when 25-50% is usually harvested by mid-September. Due to the cool summer, and a mid-summer rain, the grapes are ripening slower than usual. In addition to that, the grape yield per acre has dropped significantly for some varietals in certain appellations. Not the best news at a time when the market for luxury wine sales has finally started seeing increases again.

It's not all bad news, however. According to Ondine Chattan, director of winemaking at Geyser Peak Winery, the increased amount of time that the fruit is spending hanging on the vine allows the grapes to develop more complex flavors. Additionally, Chattan states "Because it was a mild season, you get nice consistency. Slow and steady is always good for quality."

So, what do you think will happen to the prices of 2011-harvested Sonoma County wines? Will we see an increase in price as demand possibly outpaces supply? If so, will it be enough to make up for the lack of volume of grapes this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!