Vintage Wine Estate, Major US Wine Producer, Files for Bankruptcy

A person arrives at the U.S. District Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, on Jan. 9, 2020. Brendan McDermid/Reuters

California-based Vintage Wine Estate, one of the largest winemakers in the United States, has filed for bankruptcy as a surge in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic turned into a slump in subsequent years.

“Over the preceding months, the Company experienced negative financial headwinds that severely impacted its liquidity position,” according to a press release by Vintage, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of Delaware on Wednesday.

“In response, the Company explored several solutions to overcome these challenges,” the company said on July 24. Selling off all assets was seen as “the most viable path.”

Vintage, which owns or leases around 1,850 acres of wine-growing land in the United States, employs more than 400 workers in 15 states, operates 11 wineries, and sells 30 brands.

Vintage cited several challenges that disrupted its financial standing, with sales being a major issue. While market demand for wine shot up during the COVID-19 pandemic, it slumped in subsequent years, CEO Seth Kaufman said in another filing.

“Grape growers have torn out or burned acres of vineyards to avoid maintaining unprofitable idle land. The decrease in demand has impacted mass-produced wine bottles priced below $10 most significantly, while wine bottles priced higher have seen a slight uptick in demand. Therefore, smaller, premium wineries have fared better in the unpredictable business environment,” he said.

Vintage also faced “unanticipated challenges” in integrating acquired businesses, leading to unexpected costs, he said.

To make matters worse, the performance of the acquired entities “declined unexpectedly,” he said. The firm identified several accounting errors and had to reissue financial statements for certain quarters.

“Each of these challenges put a strain on the Company’s resources and liquidity, as it became more challenging to accurately forecast expected needs and revenues—just as sales across the wine industry declined,” Mr. Kaufman said.

“As the wine industry experienced challenges and the Company struggled to maintain profitability as it grew, the price of [Vintage’s] Common Shares dropped rapidly.”

Vintage shares have declined from a peak of more than $12 in 2021 to trade at less than $0.70 as of July 26.

The company claims it has over $342 million in outstanding debts.

The firm has secured a credit line of $60.5 million from lenders, which together with the company’s available cash, is expected to support the business during bankruptcy proceedings. It has also decided to delist and deregister the firm’s securities and has notified NASDAQ about it.

The bankruptcy filing coincides with a decline in consumer demand for wine in America.

“As reported over the last several years, fewer U.S. consumers have been drinking wine. Instead, they have selected alternatives such as RTDs, spirits, cannabis or have been abstaining all together,” according to a 2024 report by Rob McMillan, founder of the Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division.

The report noted an oversupply of planted vineyards and said present conditions point towards overproduction. Mr. McMillan said expects inventory to pile up this year.