What crisis? Napa Valley finds unique way to fight back as wineries wither

Forget elbow-to-elbow tasting bars and cheesy souvenir wine glasses. The hottest ticket in California wine country right now is an invitation-only dinner inside a mountain cave — poured and hosted by the very family who made the wine.

That’s what global luxury events powerhouse Imagine Experience is doing, by bringing deep-pocketed travelers into Napa and Sonoma countries on ultra-exclusive trips designed to turn one-time visitors into lifelong insiders.

“It’s not just drink some wine and leave,” Imagine founder and CEO Bill McCoy told The Post. “The new thing is to have guests feel like locals, like they grew up in that environment.”

Instead of a quick pour-and-go visit, guests are ushered behind the scene into private, family vineyards, featuring hidden barrel caves carved into mountainsides and chef-driven dinners.

It comes at a critical time for the wine industry, as vineyards reduce or shut their operations in the face waning customer appetites and tighter purse strings.

Inside the VIP version of wine country

Imagine is betting the future is just as much about making memories as it is about sipping reds and whites.

The company calls its approach “storytelling design,” crafting experiences that feel less like attending an event and more like stepping inside a living narrative.

“They’re gaining stories they tell to friends and social followers,” McCoy said. “That’s what creates lifelong customers.”

A central pillar of the experience is exclusivity.

Winery owners, chefs and local personalities are prepped in advance to engage with visitors as if they were longtime friends, not paying customers — while opening doors typically closed to the public.

“It’s about adding value through access,” McCoy said. “Instead of just showing up at a tasting room, sampling wine and leaving, this kind of immersive experience is far more meaningful.”

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Concierge service begins well before arrival. Guests receive detailed itineraries, personal briefings and tailored touches designed to replace any travel anxiety with anticipation.

Behind the scenes, the company focuses on what it calls “engineered outcomes.” The trips aren’t simply indulgent — they are built to strengthen client relationships and deepen brand loyalty.

The travelers themselves aren’t typical tourists. Imagine works primarily with corporations, flying in executives, VIP clients and contest winners for multi-day experiences that operate in a price range well beyond the average vacation.

One recent group of 30 executives stayed at a luxury Sonoma resort and toured Benziger Family Winery alongside members of the founding family. They sampled wines in a subterranean cave and finished with dinner served by a private chef among aging barrels.

“This wasn’t just a tour — it was an insider’s version of wine country,” McCoy said. “They weren’t being guided by staff; they were sitting with the family who started the winery, hearing why they built it, what keeps them going, and the personal stories behind every vintage. For a few hours, they weren’t visitors — they were treated like part of the family.”

Even non-drinkers are increasingly part of the audience. McCoy said the draw now comes from the food, scenery and access more than the alcohol.

“It’s really about the culture of winemaking,” he said. “Less about consuming the wine.”

Demographics are shifting as well. McCoy admitted that younger generations are drinking less, but argued that deeper access makes wine country newly relevant to them.

“It’s not transactional,” he said. “Traditionally, you taste wine, go back to your room, and say you went wine tasting. Younger travelers are far more receptive to the story — where you stay, how you arrive, who you meet, the behind-the-scenes access, the way the tasting itself is designed. It’s the combination of all those elements that creates something memorable.”

Now the sobering part

All of this luxury choreography is happening for a reason.

California’s most famous wine region is facing a harsh reality: fewer tourists, shrinking wine sales, shuttered facilities — and growing fears that the long-running boom may be going flat.

Consumption is down while wellness trends reshape habits and costs rise. Tourism has cooled and tasting rooms that once required reservations now sometimes have empty tables.

Since January alone, multiple major producers have closed facilities or cut jobs across Napa and Sonoma counties.

Selling memories to save an industry

Imagine Experience’s strategy is straightforward: If people aren’t buying wine the old way, give them a reason to fall in love with it again.

And it appears to be working. McCoy says transportation companies, restaurants and hospitality partners often call asking when the next group is coming so they can reap the economic benefit.

“Our goal has always been to create experiences people carry with them for the rest of their lives,” he said. “If that also helps breathe fresh energy into an industry with deep roots — and lets people see it through a completely different lens — then we’re doing what we set out to do.”