Our economy is experiencing turbulence right now, with the gloominess of the subprime mortgage crisis hanging over us, intervention of the Fed in slashing interest rates in the midst of economic weakness and fear of a recession, and an upcoming vote on an economic stimulus package.

Despite the storm we’re in, this is in stark contrast to the abundance of optimism I saw at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento this week. Everyone I spoke to, from one end of the supply chain to the other, unanimously expressed optimimism at the health and strength of the wine industry.

It seems rather obvious to me, that in our country (and county) right now, opinions vary wildly on what the state of our economy really is. Without making a judgment on what the real answer is, especially since the best and brightest economists in our country can’t agree, I think it’s critical to note that whatever the state of the overall economy, there will always be pockets that are thriving while others struggle. Regardless of the situation, businesses and industries succeed even in the gloomiest or most challenging overall economic conditions.

 With that as a given, it’s great to see that within the wine industry, regardless of the state of the overall economy, the current outlook is optimistic, which bodes well for the future.