The global wine industry is undergoing some of its most dramatic transformations in decades. This week, we cover a truly historic milestone in France, where beer consumption has officially surpassed wine following a massive 30-year slide in local wine drinking. Back in California, Napa’s ultra-luxury Opus One has unveiled a dramatic, eco-conscious estate redesign that swaps its iconic pastoral lawns for drought-tolerant native plants. But it’s not all peaceful adaptation—Napa is also on high alert after a highly destructive vineyard pest was detected on grapevines sold at a local Costco, sparking an urgent agricultural recall.
Sarah Neish reports for The Drinks Business that Opus One has unveiled a sweeping redesign of its Napa Valley estate following a five-year design process, with CEO Chris Lynch describing it as a “dramatic aesthetic change” aimed at redefining the property as a “thriving habitat.” The most immediate visual shift is the removal of the winery’s iconic manicured grass lawns and grass-covered roof, long a symbol of the estate’s polished luxury identity. In their place, landscape architect Reed Hilderbrand has installed over an acre of native, drought-tolerant, and pollinator-friendly plants chosen to mirror the rugged character of the surrounding Vaca Mountains.
From the article:
“This redesign serves a multitude of needs,” said Lynch. “Most importantly, it fulfills part of our 2030 mission to be globally responsible and will conserve up to 40% of the water previously used for irrigation.”
But luxury has taken on a different meaning in today’s water-poor climate.
“With water usage and conservation becoming a critical topic of consideration, we were obliged to reconsider the use of ‘lawns’ as an architectural element,” Lynch told db. “While graceful for decades, we could no longer avoid the conversation, and in 2021, the winery created a vision for change that led to the replacement of these pastoral berms.”
Emma Pearson reports for The Local France that for the first time in recorded history, the French are drinking more beer than wine. Data released by the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin shows that France consumed 22 million hectolitres of wine in 2025. According to the French brewery association Brasseurs de 
France, beer consumption that year reached 22.1 million hectolitres, a razor-thin margin but a genuinely historic crossing of the line. The shift has been building for years, driven by an explosion in craft breweries and microbreweries across France, particularly outside the traditional beer-drinking regions of the northeast. But the beer story is only half of it. From the article:
“For the first time in France’s recorded history, the country’s inhabitants are drinking more beer than wine.
Wine consumption in France has fallen by 37 percent within 30 years. In 1995, the French drank 37 million hectolitres of wine.
The explanation seems to be threefold: economic, health-related and cultural.
A press release issued by the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and reported by Wine Business alerts that the glassy-winged sharpshooter, one of California’s most serious invasive agricultural pests, has been detected on grapevines sold at the Napa Costco Wholesale location between April 21 and May 26, 2026. The vines, totaling 220 plants, were shipped from Burchell Nursery in Fresno County. All life stages of the pest have been found on plants from these shipments across multiple California counties, and one egg mass was identified specifically in the Napa shipment. Of the 220 vines delivered, 157 remain unaccounted for and may already be in the ground or on the property of community members who purchased them this spring.
Bottom line here:
The stakes are significant. The glassy-winged sharpshooter is the primary vector for Pierce’s disease, a bacterial infection that is frequently fatal to grapevines and has no cure once established. It can also damage citrus, almond, and ornamental plants, making it a broad agricultural threat. Napa County officials are urging anyone who purchased a grapevine, citrus tree, or other fruit tree at the Napa Costco or a nearby location this spring to immediately isolate the plant, seal it in two secure trash bags, and contact the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office at 707-253-4357 for same-day inspection. Plants should not be returned, transported, composted, or planted. The Napa wine community has battled Pierce’s disease before, and early detection is considered the only effective tool for preventing a wider outbreak.
In a very long read over at The Drinks Business, Kathleen Willcox takes stock of a US wine industry six years into structural decline and asks whether the path forward runs through reinvention or retreat. The answer, she finds, depends entirely on who you are and whether you are willing to challenge assumptions about how, where, and why people drink wine. The doom headlines are real, but so are the pockets of growth, and the brands finding traction are the ones that stopped waiting for consumers to come to them.
The Decline
Where Growth Is Happening
The Burgundy Shift
Younger Consumers
The Pricing Problem
With a range of well-crafted wines that showcase the diversity and potential of Texas Hill Country, Ron Yates Wines offers an experience that both novices and seasoned wine enthusiasts can appreciate. Whether you’re drawn to their vibrant whites like the 2022 Albariño or prefer the depth and complexity of reds such as the 2020 Friesen Tempranillo, there’s something for everyone at this boutique winery.
The atmosphere is laid-back yet refined, making it a perfect spot for a leisurely afternoon of wine tasting. At $20 for a tasting of five wines, it’s an affordable way to explore the offerings of one of Texas Hill Country’s rising stars. Don’t miss out on their stunning views, friendly staff, and, of course, the exceptional wines that continue to put Texas on the map as a serious wine-producing region.
The palate is similarly complex. Dark fruits like black cherry and black currant, but also dried fruits in the form of prunes and dates. An intriguing string of spice – we want to call this cinnamon and smoke – catches you mid-palate. And, this wouldn’t be a Châteauneuf-du-Pape without a little pepperiness.
Typical of well-made wines from the area, the finish is long and satisfying with competing sweet and savory notes.
The grapes for this bottle were hand-harvested from Les Grand Serres’s own vineyards and other neighboring leased vineyards. Winemaker Samuel Montgermont did a terrific job with this one, especially for the price.
It’s no secret that Eddie V’s is known for its incredible seafood. If you dine here and you love seafood, you’re going to be in food heaven. The menu features an awesome selection of oysters (six kinds, to be exact), a massive seafood tower elegantly prepared with shrimp, oysters, lump crab, and lobster, fresh sashimi, lobster tacos, buttery Chilean Sea Bass, and Seared Ahi Tuna.
But this Austin restaurant has more than just destination-worthy seafood; you can also enjoy steaks that rival those found at Mastro’s, Ruth Chris, and Morton’s. Eddie V’s just might be the best place to do surf and turf in the whole city.
Corkage fee: $60 Per Bottle / No Limit
Austin, TX
5 Stars with over 233+ reviews
OMAKASE, derived from the Japanese word 任す (entrust), is a culinary experience that leaves everything up to the chef. At Craft Omakase, we designed an intimate space where you can indulge in a unique exploration of Japanese fine dining.