L to R, top to bottom: Paul Zitarelli, Full Pull Wines; Shae Frichette, Frichette Winery; Lenny Rede, Ballinger Thriftway; Cole Sisson, Doe Bay Wine Co.; Jonathan Marvin, Joyous Society; Scott Haladay, Walla Walla Vintners.

The wine industry is in the midst of tectonic changes. Still, consumers continue to buy wine.

I asked six wine professionals a simple question: What’s working in today’s wine industry? That is to say, what are people buying and what is helping them sell wine right now? I asked individuals who represent retailers, distributors, and wineries.

Paul Zitarelli is the founder of Full Pull Wines, a retailer that sells wine via email offerings. Zitarelli started the Seattle-based company in 2009. (Read my original article about Full Pull here.)

Lenny Rede is a wine steward at Ballinger Thriftway in Shoreline, Washington. He has worked in the restaurant and wine industries for over three decades.

Cole Sisson is the founder of Doe Bay Wine Company, a small retail shop and wine bar with locations on Orcas Island and in Seattle. Sisson is a sommelier with 20 years of experience in the wine industry. (Read a 2025 article about Doe Bay Wine Co. here.)

Jonathan Marvin is co-owner of Joyous Society, a small, new distributor located in Washington. He has worked in the wine industry for almost 30 years, including nearly a decade as general manager of Cavatappi Distribuzione.

Shae Frichette is co-owner/co-winemaker at Frichette Winery in Washington’s Red Mountain appellation. The winery sells almost exclusively direct-to consumer.

Scott Haladay is president of Walla Walla Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington. The winery sells wine both direct-to-consumer and through national distribution. (Read a 2023 article about Walla Walla Vintners.)

Responses are broken down into specific areas. They are based on the expertise and experiences of these specific individuals and their associated businesses. Their thoughts are, quite deliberately, anecdotal.

High quality-to-price ratio wines

“What’s working in my store is value, the price to quality thing,” says Rede. “I always tell people what makes me good at my job is I’m a cheapskate. I’m always looking for that really good deal and something that overdelivers. My customers really appreciate and respond to that.”

“As we know, everything in the world is slightly more expensive right now than it needs to be,” Marvin says. “So finding things of value is important in whatever range that is. The value could be a $50 wine just as much as it could be a $20 wine.”

Discounted wines

“For me as a retailer and for our customer base, it’s an absolutely incredible time to be a buyer of wine because of the deal environment,” says Zitarelli. “Our customers are responding to that…There’s a lot of talk about how much less the younger generations are buying wine, but that doesn’t mean it’s zero. There are plenty of buyers.”

Wines that address a clear market need

“If you’re addressing the market need, then it’s very much rewarding you,” Haladay says. “The Silicon Valley Bank data is clear on what’s working, and if you go to those areas that are working, then you’re rewarded. If you’re not in the brand/price category you need to be in then you’re going to be punished. Keynesian economics still work. The invisible hand is strong. Feed the hand what it wants, and it pulls. If the hand doesn’t want it, the hand’s not going to grab it.”

Hospitality and listening

“Mediocre service today is almost the standard,” Frichette says. “I believe that hospitality and kindness are what works right now. Giving over the top, incredible hospitality to the folks who are already coming to our tasting rooms is number one for us. Then, listening to how they want to spend the time that they have and how they want to intentionally spend the money that they have. You can separate yourself by giving really great service.”

“If you have good stuff and you have good service, then people are going to buy from you if you have good people out there,” Marvin says.

Wines in the $25-35 price range

“The grocery store shelf tells you where you need to be,” says Haladay. “That’s where a lot of