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Come Over October Returns: Wine Industry Unites to Fight Growing Anti-Alcohol Sentiment

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Come Over October Returns Wine Industry Unites to Fight Growing Anti-Alcohol Sentiment

The wine industry is facing mounting challenges from declining sales, shifting public health narratives, and growing anti-alcohol sentiment. Against this backdrop, the Come Over October campaign has returned for its second year with an expanded mission and broader international reach. Born from the vision of wine journalist Karen MacNeil and marketing professionals Gino Colangelo and Kimberly Charles, this grassroots movement seeks to reframe the conversation around wine by emphasizing its cultural significance and role in fostering human connection. As the campaign gains momentum across North America and beyond, wine businesses are being called to action, with organizers urging industry stakeholders to advocate for their products and push back against what they see as an increasingly negative narrative around moderate alcohol consumption.

Campaign Expands Internationally in Second Year

The Come Over October campaign has officially expanded to Canada in 2025, with Wine Growers Canada bringing the international movement to Canadian wine lovers for the first time. The expansion includes partnership with Arterra Wine Company, promoting Come Over October across the entire country.

Originally conceived by Karen MacNeil, the Napa Valley-based wine writer and author of “The Wine Bible,” along with marketing specialists Kimberly Noelle Charles and Gino Colangelo, the campaign encourages people to gather and share wine, conversation, and companionship throughout October. The campaign was designed to tell the story of wine’s positive social and cultural role while encouraging people to put down their devices, gather in person, and reconnect.

Major Retail and Industry Support

The campaign has raised over $100,000 in funding since its launch, with around 200 companies involved and over 1 billion media impressions generated. Major retail partners now include Total Wine & More, Kroger, Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, and Wine.com, bringing the campaign to more than 1,000 retail outlets across the United States.

Constellation Brands partnered with around 600 Kroger supermarket locations in October 2024, playing advertisements throughout stores featuring Karen MacNeil offering wine suggestions. Outside the wine industry, Yelp serves as a community partner while Lyft has signed on as the ride share partner, addressing responsible consumption concerns.

International Wine Organizations Join the Movement

Beyond North America, the campaign has secured endorsements from prestigious international wine organizations. The Brunello Consortium, Prosecco Consortium, and Wine Australia are among the international wine trade organizations providing support. Jackson Family Wines, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Joseph Phelps, Napa Valley Vintners, and numerous regional wine associations have joined as supporters.

Dan Paszkowski, President and CEO of Wine Growers Canada, stated that October is an ideal time for Canadians to reconnect, with natural opportunities to gather from Thanksgiving to Halloween, hockey season, and fall harvest celebrations.

Countering Anti-Alcohol Narratives

The campaign emerges at a critical moment for the wine industry. Wine faces sluggish sales and rising anti-alcohol sentiment epitomized by movements like “Sober October” and “Dry January,” along with shifts in public health advice from drinking in moderation to total abstinence.

MacNeil argues that discussions around wine consumption have become too narrowly focused on alcohol content alone. The campaign emphasizes wine’s historical role as a communal beverage that has connected people across cultures for thousands of years. The mission is to promote wine through the contexts where it shines best, though organizers are clear the campaign does not seek to make health claims on either end of the spectrum.

Call for Industry Action

Campaign co-founder Gino Colangelo acknowledges progress in shifting the narrative around wine from negative to positive, but emphasizes this remains a long-term effort requiring consistent activity. He notes that anti-wine forces continue their efforts, making industry unity essential.

Celebrity endorsements have come from artist P!nk, chefs Lidia Bastianich and Charlie Palmer, and NBA star CJ McCollum, who owns Heritage 91 winery in Willamette Valley. However, organizers emphasize that sustained success depends on wine producers, merchants, distributors, and retailers actively advocating for themselves and their products.

Colangelo’s message to the industry is direct: wine businesses must get off the sidelines and join the fight to preserve wine’s cultural significance.

Looking Ahead

With the enthusiastic response from the wine community, MacNeil, Charles, and Colangelo plan to make Come Over October an annual campaign and are considering a corresponding event for springtime. They have already launched Share & Pair Sundays, a sequence of ten Sundays throughout spring that highlight food and wine pairings with weekly themes like “Bubbles & Burgers.”

MacNeil expressed excitement about seeing the campaign’s message embraced across borders, noting that wine has been at the center of human connection for thousands of years. As the movement continues to grow, its success will ultimately depend on whether the wine industry can effectively communicate wine’s broader cultural value beyond debates about alcohol consumption.

The campaign represents more than marketing—it’s a grassroots effort to preserve wine’s place in social and cultural life at a time when that position faces unprecedented challenges.

Sources

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