American Association of Wine Economists opens paper submissions for 2027 conference in Würzburg

The American Association of Wine Economists has opened the call for papers for its 19th annual conference, which is scheduled to take place in Würzburg, Germany, from July 7 through July 11, 2027, according to a notice circulated by the group this week.

The conference will be held in cooperation with and hosted by THWS Business School in Würzburg. In its announcement, the association said it is seeking research papers in economics, statistics, history, psychology and other social science fields tied to wine, beer, spirits and food. The invitation covers both established and emerging lines of research across those areas, reflecting the group’s broader focus on the business, policy, culture and market dynamics of alcoholic beverages and related sectors.

Researchers who want to present must first submit an abstract online through the association’s website, wine-economics.org. The organization said abstracts must be between 200 and 1,000 words. The submission deadline is Jan. 31, 2027, Eastern Standard Time. The association also said AAWE membership is required for abstract submissions, making membership a condition of entry into the conference selection process.

The announcement was signed by Karl Storchmann, an economist at New York University who serves as editor of the Journal of Wine Economics and executive director of the American Association of Wine Economists. Storchmann works in NYU’s economics department in New York, where the association lists its address. The message was directed to “colleagues and wine friends,” indicating the organization is reaching both academic researchers and professionals with an interest in wine-related social science work.

The annual conference has become one of the better-known forums for research on wine markets and related industries. The 2027 meeting’s location in Würzburg places it in one of Germany’s historic wine regions, a setting likely to attract scholars working on production, trade, demand, regulation, tourism and consumer behavior. The host school, THWS Business School, will serve as the local academic partner for the event.

The association’s call makes clear that its interests extend beyond wine alone. It specifically invited submissions related to beer, spirits and food, alongside wine-focused topics. That wording suggests the conference will continue to take an interdisciplinary approach, using tools from economics and other social sciences to study how agricultural products, consumer preferences, public policy and international trade affect beverage and food industries.

In the same communication, AAWE pointed readers to a forthcoming paper by economist Kym Anderson on what the association described as the current wine industry crisis. The paper, titled “Why the current global wine industry crisis?,” is expected to appear in the Journal of Wine Economics. The association presented the paper as open access and described it as relevant background reading for those following the pressures now affecting the global wine business.

The email did not provide a detailed conference program, names of keynote speakers or a schedule for paper acceptances. It also did not include fee information in the body of the message, although the subject line referred to registration as well as the call for papers. Instead, the communication focused on the abstract process and directed readers to the organization’s website for submission and additional information.

AAWE also used the announcement to steer readers toward its other research outlets, including the Journal of Wine Economics and the association’s working paper series. Those publications have become central channels for the group’s academic output and often feature research on consumption trends, vineyard economics, taxation, trade barriers, climate pressures and historical patterns in alcohol markets.

Beyond its research publications, the association said readers can follow wine-related news, data and statistics through its website and social media accounts on LinkedIn, BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram and Mastodon. It also invited readers without social media accounts to monitor posts directly on its website and offered an email list for future updates.

The conference notice comes at a time when researchers in the sector are paying close attention to weaker consumption in several mature markets, changing demographics, higher production costs and broader uncertainty in agricultural trade. While the announcement itself was procedural, the reference to Anderson’s forthcoming paper suggests the association expects the condition of the global wine industry to be a significant topic of discussion in the lead-up to the Würzburg meeting.

For prospective participants, the main dates and requirements are now set. Abstracts of 200 to 1,000 words must be submitted online by Jan. 31, 2027, and submitters must hold AAWE membership at the time of submission. Further details are being posted through the association’s website, which the group identified as the main source for conference and research updates.