By Gretchen Roddick, EVP at Hope Family Wines and Vice Chair, Wine Institute

When people ask me why I give so much of my time to the Wine Institute, my answer is simple: because it matters.

This summer, I joined a number of California vintners in Washington, D.C. for three packed days of meetings with lawmakers and federal agencies. We sat down with 25 members of Congress from 11 states, including key committee chairs, to push forward on issues that affect every one of us — tariff elimination, restoring access to Canadian markets, securing export promotion funding and ensuring science-based Dietary Guidelines. We also hosted a reception at the Library of Congress, pouring our wines for lawmakers and reminding them that wine is more than a product — it’s a way of bringing people together.

Here in Paso Robles, we’re already feeling the weight of industry-wide challenges: a decline in wine consumption, the threat of tariffs that make us less competitive abroad, and louder anti-alcohol voices shaping consumer perceptions and policy. These challenges are far too big for any one vintner to act alone. That’s where Wine Institute comes in.

With more than 1,000 members, from small family wineries to large global brands, Wine Institute fights for the entire industry. Whether it’s opening markets abroad, protecting our ability to farm and make wine responsibly at home or ensuring policymakers understand the 1.1 million American jobs supported by California wine, this work benefits us all.

Closer to home, I’m proud of the Wine Institute’s role in helping pass AB 720, which created new estate wine tasting event permits and eased compliance with California’s Bottle Bill (CRV). This legislation gives wineries more flexibility to create distinctive tasting experiences on their properties and provides practical relief on packaging compliance through extended timelines and QR code use. A small change with a big impact.

I love Paso Robles wine country and believe deeply in the strength of our community. Being part of Wine Institute has shown me how much more we can achieve when we come together — protecting our businesses, elevating Paso’s reputation and strengthening California wine as a whole.

Next year, I’ll step into the role of Chairperson, and I look forward to continuing this work on behalf of all of us. But this isn’t something I can do alone and I hope more of my Paso colleagues will join me at Wine Institute. At the end of the day, our future is stronger when we face it together.

Visit the Wine Institute website HERE to learn more.