Napa Valley Vintners is making a major new marketing investment to help its member wineries reach consumers as wine drinking habits shift. The trade association announced on September 17, 2026, that its board of directors had voted unanimously on September 10 to fund a new three-year initiative from organizational reserves, significantly expanding its existing marketing efforts.
The strategy has three prongs: encouraging consumers to drink Napa Valley wine on more occasions, taking Napa Valley directly to consumers in key markets across the country, and strengthening connections between member wineries and the trade partners who sell their wines. A consumer-facing campaign called Tonight, It's Napa will encourage everyday occasions for Napa wine, while vintners visit key markets this fall and through 2027 for consumer events, trade programs, and campaign activations, meeting drinkers where they already gather rather than waiting for them to visit the valley.
The plan was developed over several months by a task force of a dozen winery leaders working with NVV staff, drawing on existing research and input from industry experts. Emma Swain, CEO of St. Supery Estate Vineyards and Winery and a board member who championed the initiative, said the moment calls for vintners to step up, invest, and act collectively.
The move comes amid industry headwinds. NVV counts more than 500 member wineries and offered more than 200 marketing opportunities this year alone. President and CEO Linda Reiff told Wine-Searcher the organization is acutely aware of the difficult marketplace and decided to double down by dramatically expanding its on-the-road program.
