Los Angeles Times · 25 Sep, 10:00 · Business briefing

California’s oldest family-owned winery declares bankruptcy as wine industry struggles

California’s oldest family-owned winery has declared bankruptcy, highlighting the severe financial pressures currently facing the wider wine industry.

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

California’s oldest family-owned winery has declared bankruptcy, highlighting the severe financial pressures currently facing the wider wine industry. This significant development underscores the vulnerability of traditional businesses amidst rising operational costs, shifting consumer preferences, and economic uncertainty. The closure serves as a stark reminder of the challenges inherent in legacy sectors, where established brands must adapt to modern market dynamics or risk insolvency. For professionals, this event signals a period of consolidation and transformation within the agricultural and hospitality sectors, requiring strategic agility.

Employer demand for Crisis Management skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

You must recognise that traditional industries are undergoing rapid structural change. Skills in Crisis Management and Risk Management Strategies are now essential for navigating economic downturns and organisational instability. Professionals in Supply Chain and Finance and Accounting should monitor these trends closely, as efficiency and cost control become paramount. To stay competitive, you should upskill in areas that drive operational resilience and strategic pivots. Consider courses that teach you how to analyse financial health and manage supply chain disruptions. By mastering these disciplines, you position yourself as a stabilising force in volatile markets, capable of guiding organisations through periods of uncertainty and ensuring long-term sustainability.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Crisis Management, Risk Management Strategies, Supply Chain and Finance and Accounting — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

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