Wine Community Urged to Adopt New Year's Resolutions

Winemaker Adam Lee suggests practical promises to improve industry relevance and growth.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 4:46am by Ben Kaplan

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In an op-ed, winemaker Adam Lee calls on the wine community to adopt a new set of New Year's resolutions to help the industry thrive. Lee proposes resolutions such as treating tastings as marketing opportunities, focusing on positive messaging, expanding into new markets, collaborating more, and rediscovering the passion that first drew people to the wine business.

Why it matters

Lee's resolutions aim to address challenges facing the wine industry, including an aging customer base, thin profit margins, and a need to attract new, younger consumers. By adopting these practical promises, the wine community could improve its long-term relevance and growth potential.

The details

Lee suggests the wine community should resolve to: 1) Treat tastings as marketing, not revenue, opportunities to welcome new consumers; 2) Market the positive attributes of their own wines rather than criticize competitors; 3) Expand beyond traditional wine hubs to reach consumers in "flyover states"; 4) Collaborate more through joint events and shared initiatives; and 5) Reconnect with the passion that first drew them to the wine business.

  • The op-ed was published on March 27, 2026.

The players

Adam Lee

A winemaker who previously named a winery after the Babylonian goddess of wine, Siduri.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“There's something beautifully grounded about that. Farming forces accountability. If you don't make good on your promises, the next season has a way of reminding you—sometimes harshly.”

— Adam Lee, Winemaker

“A tasting should be the beginning of a relationship, not a transactional endpoint. If someone walks away feeling welcomed, educated and excited, they'll come back—and they'll bring friends. If they walk away feeling nickeled-and-dimed, they probably won't.”

— Adam Lee, Winemaker

The takeaway

Lee's proposed New Year's resolutions for the wine community aim to foster a more welcoming, collaborative, and passion-driven industry that can attract new consumers and ensure the long-term health of the wine business.