Drinking after work with your co-workers is a longtime Japanese and South Korean tradition. And I recall in the early days of my career (mid-1980s), our partners used to crack open a beer after 5 p.m. during tax season (as they worked until midnight).
American work drinking culture is starting to look a lot like Japan’s – and that should worry you
Younger workers in both of those societies and in American society are increasingly refraining from work-related drinking. And I noticed recently that American wine consumption saw a 6% decline from 2024 to 2025.
American wine consumption drops 6%
After four decades, the Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association recently dissolved, due to financial difficulties and loss of key member
Monterey Vintners and Growers Association Closes | Eat + Drink | montereycountynow.com
There are cyclical challenges. In 2015, the Monterey Country grape crop brought in $186 mms., increasing the next year to $239 million. Eight years later — last year — it was just $152 million. Five wineries and vineyards either sold out, closed or put themselves up for sale. It’s a global trend, U. S. revenue declined 3.4% last year, the fourth decline in a row. Global consumption is at its lowest since 1996.
Wine Demand Crisis: Is the Industry at Risk? | Cover | montereycountynow.com