If you’ve spent any time in and around wine country, you’ve likely heard some version of the question: “What if someone in my group doesn’t drink?” And since the dawn of the tasting room, the answer has been, “Great! A designated driver!” Usually accompanied by a bottle of water… sparkling water if the wines in the flight sell for more than $100 a bottle. Napa has long been a haven for wine enthusiasts, but it hasn’t always been the most hospitable place for the non-drinkers among us.
Enter Napa Zero Proof Tours, a first of its kind walking experience that re-imagines what hospitality can mean in America’s most iconic wine region. But more than that, it may also be one of the keys to reversing a troubling trend: shrinking wine country visitation.
The Bigger Picture: Wine Country Is Losing Foot Traffic
If you haven’t heard, the wine industry is having a moment. And not in a good way. For most of the quarter-century that I’ve worked in fine wine, the wind has been at the industry’s back. But over the last few years, these winds have shifted. Americans and consumers around the world are drinking less alcohol generally and less wine specifically. It’s a multi-faceted story set in motion by a long list of factors including: GLP-1’s, #sober, sober-curious, and neo-prohibitionists, price inflation, wage stagnation, cashed-strapped Millennials, frugal Gen-Zer’s, aging boomers, legal weed, MAHA and more! None of these factors on their own pose a serious threat to Napa’s fine wine and tourism machine. But each one takes a little nibble out of what has long been a steadily growing pie of affluent and engaged wine drinkers. But even when you combine the effects of all these headwinds, it’s not like a massive wave of people suddenly swore off wine entirely. The story is more nuanced and mostly involves drinking frequency or rather the lack of it. People are just reaching for wine less often and that accounts for about 65 percent of the drop in wine consumption. Pour sizes are shrinking too with volume per occasion down 19%. Yes, some people have stopped drinking alcohol altogether and while they are in the minority it is still a factor. A recent Gallup poll found that only 54% of Americans now say they drink alcohol. That’s the lowest figure in the 90 years Gallup has been asking the question.
This shift matters because wine isn’t just a product; it’s an experience. And the most powerful way to create lifelong wine lovers is to bring them to wine country itself. According to a recent industry report, 76% of consumers say visiting a winery or wine region helped them discover wines over $20. Wine country visits provide gateway moments that lead to deeper exploration and bigger purchases. This is why finding ways to increase wine country visitation is a
top priority for the wine industry.
Reaching the Ones Who Don’t Come Yet
Many novice drinkers are curious and willing to explore but not yet hooked. And increasingly, they’re accompanied by friends or family who either don’t drink at all or are moderating their alcohol intake. See Gallup poll above. This is why Napa Zero Proof Tours has become more than just a niche offering, it’s a gateway experience for an entire group that includes drinkers, non-drinkers and every stop in between.
I often host couples with different habits, couples united in their goal of “taking a break”, sober, sober-curious, and plenty of people who love to imbibe but realize that a midday break from Napa’s tasting room scene might be a good idea. For years, these groups were under-served (and sometimes over-served). Now, they have an option where everyone feels welcome, supported, seen and fully engaged.
Local Hospitality Partners Are Leading the Charge
Each tour features stops at carefully selected establishments that aren’t just tolerating non-drinkers, they’re embracing them. Places like Wilfred’s Lounge, which started with four nonalcoholic cocktails and has since expanded its menu to six, then seven and at the time of this writing eight thoughtful, unique and carefully crafted mocktails. Or The Fink, where Director of Mixology Andrew Salazar crafts nonalcoholic cocktails with the same care as their spirited counterparts. These aren’t compromises. They are genuine expressions of flavor, story, and skill.
Napa Yard, Jeffries General, Fieldwork Brewing, Sky and Vine at the Archer Hotel, Folklore, and The ArBARetum all contribute to the experience, showcasing that zero proof does not mean zero creativity.
This matters because return visitation is the lifeblood of Napa. When a group discovers that Napa has experiences that everyone can enjoy, they come back. And they bring others. They post. They tag. They spread the word.
The National Trend Toward No and Low
Napa isn’t alone in this evolution. Across the country, restaurants and bars are recognizing the opportunity in embracing nonalcoholic programs. At the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, for example, beverage director Dawn Trabing added Athletic Brewing and Lyre’s spirits to the menu in 2023. But it wasn’t until she printed a dedicated NA menu in 2024 that sales took off, doubling in just five months. Trabing now predicts nonalcoholic drink sales will surpass beer in just a few months. And she’s not alone. Restaurants across the country are reporting strong revenue contributions from zero proof offerings. At Junoon in New York, 30 to 35% of total beverage sales on any given day come from NA drinks. At Birdie’s in Austin, a restaurant once defined by its 350-bottle wine list, guests now find over 25 zero proof options, including six NA beers. Click the link and you’ll be amazed by their expansive NA program. Who could have predicted anything like this just a few short years ago?
Beverage directors at high end venues like Atomix, NARO, and the W Hotel in Philadelphia say the same thing: offering sophisticated, inclusive beverage experiences doesn’t cannibalize wine sales, it attracts more guests and increases total spend. These drinks aren’t cheaper to make or purchase, but they expand the experience, drawing in patrons who would have otherwise stayed away.
Culture Is Shifting and Hospitality Is Listening
We’ve covered some of the reasons why Americans are drinking less. What’s more interesting is how their drinking is changing. Chef Brian Malarkey put it well when he noted that younger guests prioritize wellness, balance, and creativity. They’re curious. They want to be wowed. And they want the experience, whether it includes alcohol or not.
Napa Zero Proof Tours meets them where they are. It invites guests into a vibrant, delicious, sensory rich world that has long excluded them. It doesn’t diminish the wine experience; it amplifies the valley’s hospitality power.
A Complement, not a Competitor
The best part? NZPT doesn’t take business away from wineries. It adds to the destination appeal of Napa for groups that might otherwise skip the region altogether. I’ve hosted bay area day trippers who drive up to Napa for my Zero Proof Tour, enjoy a nice dinner at one of our many amazing restaurants and drive right back home afterward. Shocking, I know! It even surprised me the first time it happened. Taking my tour wasn’t their first Napa experience, but it was the experience that motivated them to visit wine country on that particular day. By showcasing standout NA destinations such as The Fink, The ArBARetum, and Wilfred’s, the tour gives guests the idea and confidence to create future itineraries that blend winery visits with non-alcoholic stops. When a guest has a wonderful time in Napa, even without alcohol, they’re far more likely to feel connected to the region and its offerings. They’re more likely to try a gateway wine, purchase a bottle as a gift, or plan a wine and zero proof itinerary for their next trip.
The tour also supports local restaurants and beverage programs by highlighting their NA efforts, creating a virtuous, self-sustaining cycle: more guests → more NA sales → more investment → better offerings → more guests.
The Future of Napa Is Inclusive
Exclusivity has long defined Napa. The best wines, the rarest bottles, the most limited experiences. But the future might be shifting from exclusivity to inclusivity. Not in a buzzword kind of way, but a strategic one.
In a world where restaurant margins are razor thin and visitation numbers matter more than ever, expanding the definition of hospitality makes business sense. Whether you’re a winery, a retailer, a bar, a restaurant, or a hotel, welcoming the non-drinker doesn’t mean giving up your identity. It means future proofing it. Because… (brace yourself, my wine-people) this NA thing is not just a fad. It is indeed the future. Or more accurately, a small but growing part of a more inclusive and thoughtful tomorrow.
Napa Zero Proof Tours is more than a walking tour. It is a new path into Napa, one that opens the story to more people. It asks a timely question: How can we make Napa’s experience resonate with more kinds of guests while honoring what has always made it special?
We all know that, regardless of current challenges, Napa’s wine legacy is not in danger, but it is evolving. What’s emerging is a richer landscape where wine and zero proof hospitality stand side by side, giving guests more ways to enjoy the valley and pointing to a future built on welcoming more people in more inclusive ways.