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Most wineries get influencer marketing wrong.

They partner with wine influencers, people whose entire brand is sipping wine on camera, swirling glasses, and rattling off tasting notes. The problem? They’re talking to people who already love wine. That’s not where growth happens.

The younger generation of drinkers isn’t seeking out wine content. But they are following influencers who shape their choices about food, travel, design, and experiences. The smart wineries, the ones who will win the next decade, aren’t just looking for people who talk about wine. They’re finding the ones who shape how young consumers live.

This is how you reach them.

Who Actually Sells Wine?

Think about the last time you tried a new restaurant, a new recipe, a new brand. Did you discover it because someone told you to? Or because you saw someone you trust experience it?

That’s the difference between marketing and influence.

For wineries, the best influencer partnerships come from outside the wine world:

• Chef Influencers – They create the meals that need wine. Their followers already trust their recommendations.
• Travel & Adventure Influencers – People who make destinations desirable can make your winery a must-visit.
• Design & Entertaining Influencers – Wine isn’t just a drink; it’s part of a lifestyle. The right aesthetic can make your bottle the one to have on the table.
• Wellness & Sustainability Voices – The younger generation cares about how things are made. Organic? Low-intervention? Sustainable? This is a selling point, if you tell the story well.

The goal isn’t to find influencers who drink wine. It’s to find influencers whose followers are the right audience for your wine.

Forget the Follower Count. Focus on the Intersection.

A massive following doesn’t mean an influencer can sell. The sweet spot is the intersection of their message, their audience, and your brand.

Ask yourself:

• Does their audience trust them enough to take action?
• Do they talk about experiences that naturally include wine?
• Are their values aligned with your winery’s?

The best collaborations feel inevitable, as if the influencer was already a fan of your wine before the partnership ever existed.

Or… Be the Influencer Yourself

The smartest move for many wineries isn’t paying influencers, it’s becoming one.

People don’t just want wine; they want the story behind it. They want to see how it’s made, who’s making it, why it matters. They want the process.

That’s where you come in.

If your winemaker, vineyard team, or tasting room staff isn’t showing up on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, you’re missing an opportunity that’s more valuable than any influencer partnership.

Pull back the curtain. Show the harvest. Show the mistakes. Show the beauty of a winemaker tasting from the barrel or a vineyard team working in the fog at sunrise. 

Authenticity wins every time. 

Check out maximizing your winery’s digital presence for a head start.

Wineries Need to Adapt to Younger Buyers, Not the Other Way Around

The shift is happening. The wine industry isn’t running out of drinkers. It’s just failing to engage the next generation on their terms.

Influencers, real influencers, not just people who drink wine online, can help wineries meet their future customers where they already are. But the key isn’t just doing influencer marketing. It’s doing it right.

Skip the obvious choices. Find the voices that matter. Or better yet, become the voice yourself.

Key Takeaways

• Wine influencers? They can be valuable, but they aren't your only option. The best partnerships come from outside the wine world.
• The right influencer isn’t the one with the most followers, it’s the one whose audience trusts them.
• Instead of paying influencers, consider becoming one yourself. Your winemaker, your vineyard, and your process is the real story. 
• The wineries that thrive in the next decade will be the ones that stop waiting for young consumers to come to them, and start meeting them where they already are.

Final Thoughts

The wine industry doesn’t have a demand problem. It has a relevance problem.

The future of wine marketing isn’t shouting louder at the same people. It’s making wine a natural, effortless part of the lifestyle young consumers already embrace. Influencers—when chosen wisely, can bridge that gap.

But only if you choose wisely. Only if you think differently.

Need help navigating the influencer landscape? Highway 29 Creative can help. Let’s connect your winery with the audience that’s already waiting for you.

Every member of your club is not exactly the same. So why are you treating them that way?

The typical winery sends identical emails to every member of their club, from the first-time joiner who discovered you last weekend to the loyal patron who's been with you for a decade. The result? Generic messaging that resonates with no one.

Segmentation, the practice of dividing your audience into meaningful groups based on shared characteristics, isn't just marketing jargon. For wineries, it's the difference between treating members like transaction numbers versus building relationships that keep them enrolled for years.

In this guide, we'll explore practical segmentation strategies that don't require a data science degree—just your existing CRM tools and a willingness to see your members as individuals rather than a homogenous list.

After 30 years of moving up and to the right, the American wine industry hit a wall.

Not a temporary slowdown or a soft patch. A structural shift that requires a fundamentally different marketing playbook. 2025 was the reality check. 2026 is the year wineries either adapt or watch their customer base age out beneath them.

The data is now unambiguous: wine sales dropped approximately 6% in 2024, marking the steepest decline in decades according to SipSource industry data. More troubling than the headline number is what's driving it. This isn't a recession blip or a bad vintage. It's a fundamental realignment of who drinks wine, how they buy it, and what they expect from the brands they choose.

Here are the five trends reshaping the US wine market and what they mean for your brand's survival.

The Demographic Disruption

The wine industry built its growth on one generation: Baby Boomers. That generation is now aging out.

The Wine Market Council's 2025 U.S. Consumer Benchmark Segmentation Survey tells a stark story: Millennials now represent 31% of wine drinkers, surpassing Baby Boomers at 26%, down sharply from 32% just two years ago. Gen Z's share jumped from 9% to 14%, despite only half the cohort being legal drinking age. Meanwhile, the US lost nine million wine drinkers since 2023, dropping from 85 million to 76 million adults who consume wine at least every few months.

Silicon Valley Bank's 2025 State of the Wine Industry Report frames it bluntly: the market is rotating out of 60+ consumers who index higher for wine and making way for consumers who index lower for wine versus other alcohol categories.

This is not a marketing problem you can advertise your way out of. It's a customer acquisition crisis.

Younger consumers approach wine fundamentally differently than Boomers did. They drink less frequently. They have lower baseline preference for wine versus spirits, beer, and RTDs. And over 40% now say they choose wine to make occasions feel special, a dramatic shift from the relaxation-at-home positioning that worked for decades.

What this means for your marketing: You cannot rely on habit or loyalty. You must create compelling reasons to choose wine for specific occasions. Developing messaging that resonates with younger consumers requires understanding that they value experiences over possessions and authenticity over prestige.

The Price Positioning Squeeze

The comfortable $12-15 bottle is becoming a no-man's-land.

EU tariffs at 15% are pushing former $9.99 imports to $11.99-$12.99 territory. The Italian wine trade group Unione Italiana Vini projects the markup from winery to shelf jumping from 123% to 186% with new tariffs. A €5 bottle that once retailed at $11.50 could now hit $15.

Simultaneously, sub-$7 wines have become a pure scale game dominated by Trader Joe's, Costco, and mega-brands. Wines priced at $40 or less saw a significant 15% decline in DTC shipment volume in 2024 according to the Sovos ShipCompliant DTC Wine Shipping Report.

The middle is getting squeezed from both ends.

Think about what Netflix did to mid-tier cable packages or what Airbnb did to mid-range hotels. The value proposition of "decent quality at moderate price" collapsed when consumers gained access to both premium experiences and budget alternatives. Wine is following the same pattern.

Your strategic positioning choices are now binary:

1. Go Premium: Justify $30+ pricing with story, quality, and experience that cannot be commoditized
2. Own Value: Compete on distribution, volume, and operational efficiency with a sub-$15 strategy
3. Create Niche: Find an underserved occasion or demographic and dominate it completely

There is a rapidly diminishing middle path for brands without differentiation. The $12 bottle that's "pretty good" will lose to the $8 bottle that's "good enough" and the $35 bottle that's "worth the experience."

DTC: Your Most Important Channel Just Got Harder

The pandemic created an illusion. Wine DTC boomed 27% by volume in 2020, and the industry assumed this was the new normal.

It wasn't (for any industry).

WineBusiness Analytics reports total DTC shipment values plunged 19% in 2025 compared to the prior year. The Sovos ShipCompliant 2025 DTC Wine Shipping Report shows five consecutive years of negative volume growth. Wine clubs, once the industry's silver bullet, now require sophisticated retention strategies just to maintain members.

But here's what the pessimistic headlines miss: wineries with proportionally more DTC revenue are outperforming wholesale-focused producers. According to the 2025 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Report, roughly 40% of premium producers with higher DTC sales are still seeing growth. Meanwhile, 35% of wholesale-focused brands experienced a 5.6% revenue decline.

The lesson isn't that DTC is dying. It's that DTC requires operational excellence, not just marketing spend.

Smaller wineries are outmaneuvering larger ones in wine club growth, likely because their intimate service model feels more authentic to younger consumers. Gratsi, a boxed wine brand, grew 76% in total DTC revenue year-over-year by building digital community rather than relying on tasting room traffic.

What your DTC strategy needs now:

Your website is your storefront. Design, UX, and storytelling matter more than ever. Email and SMS lists are gold because they represent a direct relationship you control. Mobile checkout optimization is non-negotiable since over half of holiday purchases happened on mobile in 2025. Understanding digital advertising benchmarks and tracking true ROI separates growing DTC programs from declining ones.

Sustainability: The Table Stakes You Cannot Ignore

Here is where younger consumer preferences meet long-term business survival.

The global organic wine market is valued at $11.8 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $32.2 billion by 2034, growing at an 11.8% CAGR according to Research and Markets. A Wine Market Council study found 75% of US wine consumers are more likely to purchase wine produced sustainably. Approximately 60% of Millennial and Gen Z consumers are willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly products.

Climate change is forcing adaptation regardless of marketing benefit. But here is the critical distinction: sustainability cannot be a marketing tactic. It must be brand DNA.

Patagonia built a billion-dollar outdoor apparel company by making environmental responsibility foundational to every business decision, not by adding green messaging to existing products. Their customers trust them because the commitment runs deep.

Younger wine consumers will detect greenwashing instantly. They grew up with corporate sustainability claims and developed sophisticated BS detectors.

What consumers want to see:

Not just claims, but proof and certification. Behind-the-scenes content showing actual vineyard practices. Carbon-neutral operations and lighter-weight bottles that demonstrate genuine commitment. Detailed production practices and sourcing transparency that can be verified.

The brands winning here, like Antinori weaving sustainability into their centuries-old narrative, are showing rather than telling. Authenticity in storytelling means your sustainability message must match your actual operations.

Actionable Takeaways for 2026

1. Audit your customer demographics today. What percentage of your wine club and mailing list is over 60? If it's above 40%, you have a ticking clock. Start occasion-based marketing campaigns targeting the 30-45 age group now.

2. Pick your price lane and commit. The middle market is collapsing. Either invest in the brand story and experience that justifies premium pricing, or build the operational efficiency to compete on value. Half-measures will struggle.

3. Treat your website as your primary revenue channel. Mobile optimization, streamlined checkout, and clear storytelling are not nice-to-haves. They are the baseline for DTC survival. Cross-industry marketing ideas can help you rethink what's possible online.

4. Make sustainability real or stay silent. Performative environmentalism will backfire with younger consumers. Either embed it genuinely into operations or focus your marketing elsewhere. There is no middle ground.

5. Build your email and SMS lists aggressively. In a world of algorithmic uncertainty and rising ad costs, owned audiences are your only reliable asset. Every tasting room visit, every event, every website interaction should capture contact information.

The wine industry spent 30 years riding favorable demographics and cultural trends. That tailwind is now a headwind. The brands that thrive in 2026 will be the ones that stopped waiting for conditions to improve and started building for the market that exists.

Sources: Wine Market Council 2025 U.S. Wine Consumer Benchmark Segmentation Survey; Silicon Valley Bank State of the US Wine Industry Report 2025; Sovos ShipCompliant DTC Wine Shipping Report 2025; WineBusiness Analytics 2025; NBC News/SipSource industry data January 2025; Wine Spectator tariff reporting August 2025; Unione Italiana Vini projections; Research and Markets Organic Wine Market Report 2025.

WIN Expo is Thursday (December 4, Santa Rosa).

Adam Bird presents "Cultivating a Timeless Wine Brand In Changing Times" in the Sales & Marketing track.

If you haven't registered: This session is for winery owners and marketing directors who understand that fixing brand infrastructure solves dozens of downstream tactical problems. The framework applies immediately. The audience self-selects.

Several producers you know are already attending, the ones who treat brand work as a strategic infrastructure rather than aesthetic preference.

December 4, 9am-4pm. Sonoma County Fairgrounds. 12 workshops, 300+ exhibitors, end-of-year deals.

Highway 29 Creative
Wine marketing that connects.

Your Customers Check Texts Faster Than Emails, So Why Are You Still Only Relying on Inboxes?

The typical American checks their phone 96 times a day, that's once every 10 minutes.

While your carefully crafted email campaign sits unopened among dozens of others, text messages get read within minutes. The numbers don't lie: SMS messages have a 98% open rate compared to email's paltry 20-30%. Even more telling, 90% of text messages are read within the first three minutes of delivery.

For wineries competing for attention in crowded digital spaces, this isn't just a nice-to-have channel, it's the most direct line to your customer's attention.

Why SMS Works Specifically for Wine Brands

Wine isn't software or fashion, it's experiential, emotional, and often enjoyed in specific moments. This unique position makes SMS particularly effective for wineries in ways other industries can't match.

First, wine consumers are increasingly mobile-first. When planning weekend tasting room visits, researching bottles, or browsing club memberships, they're doing it on phones, not desktops.

Second, wine purchase decisions often happen in transitional moments, while traveling to wine country, discussing dinner plans, or reading a recommendation from a friend. SMS reaches people precisely in these decision windows.

Third, direct-to-consumer wine sales require both speed and intimacy. A text message delivers both: immediate notification with a personal touch that feels like a recommendation from a friend rather than a mass marketing message.

The immediacy of SMS makes it the perfect complement to the sensory experience of wine itself—direct, personal, and consumed in the moment.

When Wineries Should Use SMS (And When They Shouldn't)

Text messaging isn't appropriate for every wine marketing scenario. The key is understanding where it creates the most value without becoming intrusive.

High-Value SMS Opportunities:

• Reservation Confirmations & Reminders: Texts sent 24 hours before a tasting room reservation reduce no-shows by up to 40%.
• Limited Releases & Allocations: When your library release has only 50 cases available, SMS ensures your announcement isn't buried in an inbox.
• Shipping Updates: "Your fall shipment was delivered today" is information members actually want immediately.
• Event Invitations: Harvest parties, pickup weekends, and winemaker dinners benefit from the urgency SMS creates.
• Abandoned Cart Recovery: Text messages sent within 60 minutes of cart abandonment show recovery rates 3-5x higher than email.

When to Skip SMS:

• General Brand Awareness: Save these messages for email and social media.
• Educational Content: Longer-form content belongs in blogs or emails.
• Regular Promotions: Unless truly limited or time-sensitive, these risk creating SMS fatigue (and it is very hard to recover from this).

The rule of thumb: If the message is time-sensitive, limited, or requires immediate action, SMS is good. If it's informational or general marketing, stick with email.

The Anatomy of High-Converting Wine SMS Flows

The most effective SMS strategies don't rely on isolated text messages but rather on carefully constructed sequences that guide customers through specific journeys. Here are three real-world flows that drive measurable results:

Flow 1: Post-Tasting Follow-Up Sequence

When a visitor leaves your tasting room having opted into SMS, this flow keeps the relationship warm:

1. Day of Visit (4 hours after departure): "Thanks for visiting [Winery] today! Here's a link to purchase the [Specific Wine] you enjoyed: [link]. Reply with questions!"
2. Day 3: "Still thinking about that [Wine]? Enjoy free shipping on 2+ bottles until Friday with code VISITED."
3. Day 10 (If No Purchase): "Hi [Name]! Our winemaker just released tasting notes for the [Wine] you tried. Take a look: [Link]"
4. Day 14: "Last chance for your visitor-exclusive offer! Your free shipping code VISITED expires tonight."

Learn how to turn these tasting room visitors into loyal wine club members with our retargeting strategies guide.

Flow 2: Wine Club Retention Sequence

For existing wine club members, this sequence helps prevent cancellations by creating engagement between shipments:

1. Mid-Cycle Check-In: "Hi [Name]! How did you enjoy the [Specific Wine] from your spring shipment? Reply with your thoughts, and our winemaker might feature your feedback!"
2. Early Access Notification: "Club members only: You have 48-hour early access to our new [Wine] release before it's announced. [Link]"
3. Pre-Shipment Alert: "Your fall wine club shipment is being prepared! Any changes needed? Reply YES and we'll contact you."
4. Loyalty Milestone: "Happy 1-year club anniversary, [Name]! We've added a complimentary bottle to your next shipment to celebrate."

Flow 3: Abandoned Cart Recovery

When someone adds wine to their cart but leaves without purchasing:

1. 1 Hour After Abandonment: "Your cart at [Winery] is waiting! That [Wine] is one of our favorites too. Complete your purchase: [Link]"
2. 24 Hours Later (If Still No Purchase): "[Name], only 24 bottles of [Wine] remain. We've saved yours for now: [Link]"
3. 48 Hours Later (Final Attempt): "Final notice: We've added free shipping to your cart. Complete your purchase within 2 hours: [Link]"

Discover how to leverage CRM data to make these SMS flows even more personalized and effective

SMS Compliance: Don't Pour Yourself Legal Trouble

The regulatory landscape for SMS marketing is strict, and violations can be costly. Here's what wineries need to know:

• Explicit Opt-In Required: Unlike email, where pre-checked boxes might work, SMS requires clear, affirmative consent. Never add phone numbers from your POS system without specific text marketing consent.
• Identification in Every Message: Each text must clearly identify your winery.
• Easy Opt-Out Instructions: Every message should include how to unsubscribe (typically "Reply STOP").
• Quiet Hours Compliance: No messages before 8am or after 9pm in the recipient's time zone.
• Alcohol-Specific Regulations: Include age verification in your opt-in process and first message.

The penalties for non-compliance can range from $500 to $1,500 per text message. One rogue campaign to an unauthorized list could easily generate six-figure liabilities.

Where and How to Collect SMS Opt-Ins

The best SMS list is one built intentionally through transparent opt-ins. Here are the highest-converting opt-in opportunities:

1. Tasting Room Checkout: "Text YES to 55555 to receive a complimentary shipping code on your next order."
2. Wine Club Signup: Add a clear checkbox for SMS updates during the enrollment process.
3. QR Codes on Tasting Menus: "Scan to receive tasting notes and special offers."
4. Website Pop-ups: Offer an immediate discount for SMS subscription.
5. Event Registration: Include an SMS opt-in during event signup.

The most effective approach combines an immediate value proposition with transparency about message frequency. For example: "Get early access to limited releases (max 2 msgs/month) by texting JOIN to 55555."

Choosing the Right SMS Platform for Your Winery

The SMS platform landscape has evolved dramatically, with several options now offering wine-specific features:

Postscript: Integrates seamlessly with Shopify, making it ideal for wineries using Shopify for e-commerce. Its segmentation capabilities allow for highly targeted campaigns based on purchase history.

Klaviyo SMS: For wineries already using Klaviyo for email, their SMS addition provides unified customer journeys across both channels. Strong analytics and automatic suppression across channels prevent over-messaging.

Attentive: The enterprise choice with the most robust compliance features and sophisticated triggering options. Best for larger wineries with 10,000+ contacts.

When selecting a platform, prioritize:

• Integration with your existing e-commerce platform (WineDirect, Commerce7, etc.)
• Compliance management features
• Automation capabilities
• Two-way conversation management

Looking to upgrade your entire email marketing strategy alongside SMS? Learn why Klaviyo might be your best option

Measuring Success: Beyond Open Rates

The metrics that matter for wine SMS marketing go beyond simple open rates:

1. Click-Through Rate (CTR): Benchmark: 15-25% (compared to 2-5% for email)
2. Conversion Rate: Benchmark: 8-12% for promotional offers
3. List Growth Rate: Healthy growth: 3-5% month-over-month
4. Unsubscribe Rate: Warning threshold: Above 3% per campaign

The most sophisticated wineries are now measuring SMS influence on lifetime value. Early data suggests that club members who engage via both email and SMS have higher annual spend than email-only members.

Getting Started: Your First 30 Days of Winery SMS Marketing

Don't try to build Rome in a day. Here's a measured approach to launching SMS marketing for your winery:

Week 1: Setup & Compliance

• Select your SMS platform
• Develop compliant opt-in language
• Create initial opt-in incentive

Week 2: List Building

• Implement opt-in opportunities at checkout
• Add SMS signup to your website
• Train tasting room staff on opt-in collection

Week 3: First Campaign

• Send welcome message to initial subscribers
• Create your first limited offer
• Test different sending times

Week 4: Analyze & Optimize

• Review performance metrics
• Adjust message timing based on response rates
• Plan your first automated flow

For most wineries, a realistic goal is 500 subscribers and one automated flow within the first 30 days.

The Future of Wine SMS Marketing: What's Next

The SMS marketing landscape is evolving rapidly, with several emerging trends particularly relevant to wineries:

MMS (Multimedia Messaging): Images of new releases, vineyards, and harvest are driving 20-30% higher engagement than text-only messages.

Conversational Commerce: Two-way texting that allows customers to ask questions about wines before purchasing shows conversion rates up to 3x higher than one-way broadcasts.

SMS-Triggered Experiences: Location-based texts that activate when members arrive at the winery, offering personalized tasting experiences.

AI-Driven Response Systems: Automated but natural-sounding replies to common questions about shipping, wine details, or club benefits.

The wineries seeing the greatest success are those treating SMS not just as another broadcast channel but as a conversation starter—a digital extension of the intimate, personalized experience that makes wine country special.

The Truth About SMS Marketing

Many wineries resist SMS marketing because it feels intrusive or they fear it will cheapen their brand. The data tells a different story.

In blind studies, luxury wine consumers rated text message communications from premium wineries as "more personal" and "more exclusive" than identical information delivered via email. The intimacy of the medium, when used respectfully, actually enhances premium positioning rather than diminishing it.

The real risk isn't in adopting SMS too quickly, it's in waiting too long. Early adopters are already building valuable, engaged audiences that later entrants will struggle to match.

Text messaging isn't replacing your beautiful emails or award-winning tasting room. It's amplifying them, ensuring that the experiences you've carefully crafted reach your customers in moments when they're ready to engage.

The question isn't whether SMS belongs in your marketing mix. It's how quickly you can implement it before your competitors do.

Ready to implement a comprehensive marketing approach? Our Email Marketing Roadmap can help you integrate SMS with your broader strategy

Are Your Wine Club Members Ghosting You? Here's Why

Your wine club members are breaking up with you, but they're not telling you why. They're just... disappearing.

The numbers are stark: Silicon Valley Bank's latest research (which we are going to reference a lot in this blog) shows wine clubs are experiencing member attrition rates between 28-36% annually, with luxury segment clubs performing only marginally better at 23-29% (SVB Direct-to-Consumer Wine Report, 2025). That's not a leak, it's a flood. And while many wineries frantically chase new sign-ups to replace the departed, few address why members leave in the first place.

Wine club fatigue isn't a mysterious phenomenon. It's a predictable human response to predictable winery behavior.

The Warning Signs You're Already Losing Them

Before members cancel, they disengage. They're sending signals you might be missing:

• Email open rates drop below your average
• Shipment modifications increase (downgrades, skips)
• Social media engagement with your brand disappears
• The once-reliable referrals dry up completely

When members stop consuming what you're sending, physically or digitally, it's not because they suddenly hate wine. It's because you've stopped being relevant to their lives.

Why Members Leave (And It's Not Just the Wine)

The truth might sting: most wine clubs aren't designed for long-term engagement. They're designed for initial conversion.

According to SVB's research, the average wine club tenure is now just 30 months, down from 36 months in 2022. Even more concerning, members who join during promotional periods (like harvest festivals) show 42% higher early cancellation rates than those who join during regular tasting room visits (SVB Direct-to-Consumer Wine Report, 2025, p.62).

Four patterns trigger most cancellations:

1. Generic experiences masquerading as "membership"
   When everyone gets the same bottles, same emails, and same perks regardless of their preferences or history, you're not running a club, you're running a subscription box.
2. Predictable becomes forgettable
   The fifth shipment of Cabernet to someone who's shown interest in exploring whites doesn't just miss the mark, it signals you don't know them at all.
3. Silent treatment between shipments
   When the only communication is transaction-based (your shipment is coming, your card was charged), members feel like walking wallets.

Value perception erodes
SVB's research reveals a startling trend: 48% of cancellations now cite "better deals elsewhere" as their primary reason for leaving, up from 31% in 2022 (p.65). When direct-to-consumer promotions offer similar or better deals than membership, the "exclusive" club feels like an expensive commitment with diminishing returns.

What Streaming Services Know About Retention That Most Wineries Don't

Streaming platforms don't assume you want to watch the same show forever. Instead, they track what you actually watch, analyze how your preferences evolve, and continually adjust recommendations.

When you finish one series, they don't keep pushing more of the same, they suggest something different but aligned with your emerging tastes.

For wineries, the parallel is clear: Your Cabernet lovers might become curious about your limited-production Tempranillo. Your white wine enthusiasts might be ready to explore your rosé program. But you'll never know unless you're tracking behavior and responding to changing preferences.

SVB's research supports this approach. Wineries that implemented preference-based club options saw 18% higher retention rates than traditional vintage-based clubs (p.63). Streaming services retain subscribers not by offering the same content repeatedly, but by continuously adapting to evolving preferences. Your wine club should operate on the same principle.

Segmentation: The Foundation of Any Retention Strategy

Sending the same communication to every club member is like addressing a stadium with a megaphone and hoping individuals feel personally spoken to.

Start by creating meaningful segments based on:

1. Tenure-based segments
   
   • Newcomers (0-6 months)
   • Established members (7-24 months)
   • Veterans (25+ months)
2. Engagement-based segments
   
   • Highly engaged (opens emails, attends events)
   • Moderately engaged (occasional interaction)
   • At-risk (minimal engagement in last 90 days)
3. Purchase pattern segments
   
   • Variety explorers (purchase across categories)
   • Category loyalists (stick to one wine type)
   • Premium buyers (consistently choose higher-priced options)

SVB's research indicates that wineries using at least three distinct segmentation strategies in their club communications saw renewal rates 16% higher than those using no segmentation (p.67). Once segmented, you can create targeted communications that actually resonate rather than broadcasting generic messages that interest no one.

The Win-Back Campaign That Works

When subscribers leave fitness app ClassPass, they don't receive a generic "we miss you" message. Instead, they receive a personalized offer based on their exact usage patterns. Heavy users get different incentives than occasional users.

Your win-back campaign should follow similar principles:

Flow 1: "We Notice You" Email Sequence for Disengaged Members

• Day 1: "We've selected something special for you" (highlighting a bottle aligned with previous purchases)
• Day 4: Personalized offer (based on their purchase history)
• Day 7: "Last chance before we release your allocation" (creating scarcity)

Flow 2: Lapsed Member Text Message Re-engagement

• Message 1: "Your [specific wine they previously purchased] allocation is being held. Respond YES to claim."
• Message 2 (if yes): "Perfect timing! We've saved you [personalized offer]."
• Message 3: Confirmation and next steps

SVB's data shows that targeted win-back campaigns have a 23-28% success rate compared to just 8-12% for generic reactivation offers (p.66). The key difference between these campaigns and most wine club win-back attempts? They're specific to the member's actual behavior, not generic pleas for attention.

Beyond the Bottle: Creating Value That Transcends Product

REI doesn't just sell outdoor gear, they sell expertise, community, and identity. Their membership program offers education, events, and insider access that makes product purchases feel like just one aspect of the relationship.

Your wine club should create similar non-product value:

• Knowledge currency: Winemaker video notes specific to that shipment's bottles
• Access currency: Virtual tastings with vineyard managers (make your members feel special!)
• Status currency: Member-recognition programs visible to other customers
• Community currency: Facilitated connections between members with similar preferences

SVB's research confirms this approach: wine clubs offering at least three non-product benefits showed 22% higher retention rates than product-only clubs (p.64). The bottle gets them in; the experience keeps them enrolled.

Automation: Making the Personal Scalable

The objection I hear most often: "We don't have time to personalize communications for hundreds or thousands of members."

This is where strategic automation creates leverage:

1. Post-shipment satisfaction triggers: Set up automated emails 7-10 days after delivery asking for feedback, then route responses to different follow-ups based on sentiment.
2. Milestone recognition: Automatically track membership anniversaries, birthdays, and purchase milestones, triggering appropriate recognition.
3. Behavioral response flows: When a member shows interest in specific content (clicks on vineyard updates vs. winemaking details), tag their profile and adjust future communications.

These automations can be built in platforms like Commerce7, Klaviyo, or even Mailchimp, creating personalized experiences without requiring manual intervention for each member.

The Implementation Roadmap: What to Do Today

Don't try to overhaul everything at once. Start with these priority actions:

1. Audit your current segmentation: How many distinct membership experiences do you currently offer? If the answer is "one," that's your first problem to solve.
2. Implement post-shipment feedback automation: Set up a simple flow that asks for member feedback after each shipment, then actually use that data.
3. Create one high-value, non-product membership benefit: What exclusive access, information, or experience can you offer that members can't get elsewhere?
4. Identify your 50 most at-risk members: Look for declining engagement patterns, then create a personalized outreach plan.

Check out this blog to learn more about how to use email marketing for better customer retention and prevent members from leaving your wine club

The Hard Truth About Wine Club Retention

The uncomfortable reality is that most wine clubs are designed for the winery's convenience, not the member's evolving relationship with wine. Shipment schedules, wine selections, and communication cadences typically prioritize operational efficiency over member experience.

This approach has flaws. The operational aspects of your club should serve the experience you want to create, not define it.

SVB's research backs this up: wineries that redesigned their clubs around member experience rather than operational convenience saw retention improvements of 18-24% in the first year after implementation (p.68). Even more telling, these improvements came with no additional product discounting, proving that experience, not just price, drives loyalty.

The question isn't whether you can afford to personalize your wine club experience. It's whether you can afford not to.

Some additional resources:

• Learn how to transform visitors into loyal wine club members with effective retargeting strategies
• Take your wine club beyond a simple mailing list with our CRM implementation guide

Need help implementing these strategies?

Book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss how we can help you reduce churn and strengthen your wine club.

The wine industry is facing a demand reset.

A winery website should do more than exist. It should work.

It should sell wine, build relationships, and turn casual browsers into loyal wine club members. And if you're using Commerce7, you already have the right tool—now it’s about using it right.

Because let’s be honest: most winery websites don’t work as hard as they could. They bury the wine club, make checkout frustrating, or worse—focus on tasting notes when they should be telling a story.

Let’s fix that.

What is Commerce7?

Your Website Isn’t a Brochure. It’s Your Best Salesperson.

Too many wineries treat their website like a digital pamphlet. Some pretty pictures, a little history, and a list of wines. But that’s not what sells.

What sells is a clear, emotional, story-driven experience that makes a visitor think, this is my winery.

Your customers—especially Millennials and Gen Z—aren’t buying based on scores. They’re buying based on connection. The winery that feels like them wins their loyalty. Your site needs to capture who you are, why you do what you do, and why they should want to be part of it.

Commerce7 Tool to Use: Custom Content Blocks to embed video, showcase your team, and bring your story to life.

Make Your Wine Club the Star of the Show

The wine club is where the magic happens. It’s the difference between a one-time purchase and a customer for life. But most winery websites bury the sign-up page in a dropdown menu and hope people will find it.

Hope is not a strategy.

How to Sell More Wine Club Memberships:

• Feature it front and center—on the homepage, in the navigation, and in product pages.

• Sell the experience, not the logistics. Instead of “4 bottles per shipment,” say “Exclusive wines, early access, and VIP perks.”

• Use social proof—testimonials, member stories, and behind-the-scenes content.

Commerce7 Tool to Use: Dynamic Club Pages that highlight benefits, make sign-ups seamless, and personalize member experiences.

Use the CRM to Market Smarter, Not Louder

Commerce7 isn’t just an eCommerce platform, it’s a CRM that learns your customers. It tracks what they buy, when they buy, and what they love. And when you use that data? Your marketing stops feeling like marketing and starts feeling like a conversation.

Personalization That Works:

• Send the right emails to the right people. A customer who only buys Syrah doesn’t need an email about Chardonnay.

• Offer smart product recommendations: “If you loved this, you’ll love that.”

• Automate re-engagement. Someone hasn’t purchased in six months? Commerce7 can remind them, gently.

Commerce7 Tool to Use: Smart Segments to target buyers based on real preferences, not guesses.

Mobile First. Always.

More than 60% of online wine sales happen on mobile. If your site doesn’t work perfectly on a phone, you’re losing sales. Simple as that.

• Checkout should be frictionless, saved payment methods, autofill, and no unnecessary steps.

• Navigation should be thumb-friendly, easy to tap, easy to explore.

• Load time should be fast, because no one waits for a slow site.

Commerce7 Tool to Use: Mobile-Optimized Templates that make sure your site looks and works great on any device.

Stop Listing. Start Selling.

Most winery product pages look the same: bottle image, tasting notes, price. That’s not selling, that’s listing.

A product page should make people imagine drinking the wine before they even hit “add to cart.”

How to Write Better Product Pages:

• Show, don’t tell. Use images of the wine in context, dinner table, a sunset, a toast.

• Make descriptions about the experience, not just the flavors. “A bold, elegant Cab built for long dinners and deep conversations” is better than “Notes of blackberry and oak.”

• Offer pairings, bundles, and exclusive add-ons to increase cart size.

Commerce7 Tool to Use: Product Bundles & Add-Ons to create curated collections that feel special and sell more wine.

Use Data to Keep Getting Better

Commerce7 tells you what’s working and what’s not. The smartest wineries don’t just guess, they track, test, and adjust.

• Are visitors clicking on the wine club page but not signing up? Improve the copy.

• Are they abandoning carts? Simplify the checkout process.

• Are some wines selling out faster than others? Highlight them more.

If you’re not checking your numbers, you’re leaving money on the table.

Commerce7 Tool to Use: Analytics & Integrations to track conversions, cart behavior, and customer trends.

Final Thoughts

Your website should be your hardest-working salesperson. Commerce7 gives you the tools to build a site that isn’t just functional, it’s magnetic. It sells, it engages, and it turns visitors into lifelong customers. 

So tell your story. Make your wine club impossible to ignore. Use data to market smarter. And never stop refining.

If you need help turning your Commerce7 website into a revenue-driving machine, Highway 29 Creative is here to help. Let’s make your winery website the one that works. Let's talk.

Here’s the thing about email: it’s not just another marketing channel. It’s the channel. Unlike social media or paid ads, where you’re renting space and fighting for attention, your email list is yours. You own it. You control it. And when done right, it’s the most reliable way to turn curious visitors into loyal wine club members.

But to make email marketing work, you need one thing first: a strong, healthy, growing subscriber list. And that’s where your website comes in.

Let’s talk about how to build a subscriber list that works as hard as you do, turning casual visitors into wine buyers and wine buyers into wine club members.

Why Email is Non-Negotiable

Every ad you run, every social media post you make, it’s rented attention. Platforms change. Algorithms shift. Costs go up. But your email list? That’s yours forever.

And it’s not just any list. These are people who’ve already raised their hands and said, I’m interested. They’ve invited you into their inbox—a personal, private space—because they want to hear from you. That’s powerful.

Here’s why email is essential for wine clubs:

• It’s Personal: You’re speaking directly to people who care about your winery.

• It Converts: Emails have higher conversion rates than social media or ads.

• It’s Recurring Revenue: A strong email strategy feeds your wine club, the backbone of sustainable winery growth.

Start with Your Website

Your website isn’t just a storefront, it’s a subscriber machine. Or at least, it should be. Every page on your site is an opportunity to ask for an email address, and if you’re not making it easy (and enticing), you’re leaving money—and members—on the table.

How to Collect Emails on Your Website:

• Pop-Ups That Add Value: A pop-up that says “Join our newsletter” won’t cut it. Instead, offer something tangible:
  

  • “Get 10% off your first order when you subscribe.”

  • “Be the first to know about limited releases and events.”

• Embed Sign-Up Forms Everywhere: Your homepage, blog, product pages—anywhere someone might be ready to learn more or buy.

• Landing Pages for Specific Offers: Create dedicated pages for lead magnets, like a free wine pairing guide or access to an exclusive virtual tasting.

The Power of Permission

Here’s what’s remarkable about email: it’s permission-based. When someone gives you their email address, they’re saying, I trust you. Your job is to honor that trust by sending emails that are relevant, engaging, and worth opening.

How to Build Trust from the Start:

• Welcome Them Properly: As soon as someone subscribes, send a welcome email. Tell them what to expect, share your story, and make them feel like they’ve joined something special.

• Deliver Value Immediately: If you offered a discount or guide in exchange for their email, make sure they get it right away.

Grow Your List Beyond Your Website

Your website is the foundation, but it’s not the only place to collect emails. To really grow your list, meet your audience wherever they are.

Tasting Room: When someone visits your tasting room, make it easy for them to sign up. Use a tablet or QR code, and highlight the benefits of joining your list (exclusive offers, updates, wine club perks).

Events: Whether it’s a local wine festival or a private dinner at your estate, make email sign-ups part of the experience. Offer a small incentive for signing up, like a discount or access to event photos.

Social Media: Use your social platforms to drive traffic to your email sign-up forms. Share links in your bio or stories and remind followers why they should join.

Turn Subscribers into Wine Club Members

Your email list isn’t just a collection of addresses. It’s the gateway to your wine club.

Here’s how to use email to drive memberships:

• Tell the Wine Club Story: Use your emails to showcase the benefits of your wine club—exclusive wines, free shipping, special events. Make it clear why it’s worth joining.

• Share Member Perks: Highlight what members are enjoying (e.g., “Wine club members just got first access to our new Pinot Noir!”).

• Create Urgency: Limited-time offers or seasonal promotions can nudge subscribers toward signing up.

Think Bigger: Build a List That Lasts

The size of your email list matters, but the quality matters even more. A list of engaged subscribers who open your emails, click your links, and trust your recommendations is far more valuable than a big list that doesn’t care.

How to Build an Engaged List:

• Regularly clean your list by removing inactive subscribers.

• Send emails people want to open, valuable content, exclusive offers, and behind-the-scenes stories.

• Test subject lines, send times, and content to see what works best.

Key Takeaways

• Email is your most powerful marketing tool because you own the list.

• Your website is the foundation of your subscriber strategy. Make it easy and enticing to sign up.

• Build trust by delivering value immediately and communicating consistently.

• Use your email list to drive wine club memberships, the backbone of recurring revenue.

• Focus on quality over quantity, an engaged list is your most valuable asset.

Final Thoughts

Email marketing isn’t flashy. It doesn’t trend. But it works.

Your email list is the foundation of your marketing, your wine club, and your long-term success. By using your website strategically, you can grow a list that isn’t just big, but engaged, filled with people who love your winery and want to hear from you. Make sure to check out how to grow your email list on and offline.

Ready to turn your website into a subscriber magnet? At Highway 29 Creative, we can help you build the tools, strategies, and campaigns that make email marketing your winery’s secret weapon. Let’s get started.

Wine Bottle Photography Tips: How to Create Images That Sell

A great wine photo doesn’t just show a bottle. It tells a story. It paints a picture of a moment your customers want to live. It’s not about the glass, the foil, or even the label; it’s about the experience you’re selling.

Because wine isn’t just a product; it’s a lifestyle. And your photos? They’re the invitation.

Let’s talk about how to create wine bottle images that stop the scroll, spark emotion, and make people think, That bottle belongs in my life.

Start With the Story

Before you pick up the camera, ask yourself: What do I want this photo to say?

Is your wine bold and elegant? Fun and approachable? Does it evoke the charm of a vineyard sunset or the intimacy of a cozy dinner at home? The story comes first because it’s what your customers connect to.

Your photo isn’t just a picture of a bottle but a promise. A glimpse into the world you’re inviting them to be part of.

The Bottle Is Just the Beginning

A bottle against a white background? That’s fine for a product page, but it won’t sell the experience.

Here’s how to elevate it:

• Set the Scene: A rosé on a sunlit picnic blanket. A bold red surrounded by candles and laughter. Give your customers a setting they can see themselves in.

• Add People: People bring energy. Show your winemaker pouring a glass, friends clinking glasses, or someone savoring a sip on your estate patio.

• Use Your Estate: If your winery has a beautiful vineyard, tasting room, or view, don’t just show the wine—show the place it comes from. Let your terroir shine through.

Light, Angles, and the Technical Stuff

Photography is an art, but it’s also a craft. And while the emotional connection matters most, the technical details make it all come together.

• Lighting Is Your Best Friend: Natural light is warm, inviting, and real. Morning light or golden hour works wonders. Avoid harsh midday sun unless you’re going for drama.

• The Label Matters: Your label is your brand. Make sure it’s clear, crisp, and perfectly lit. It’s the one part of the bottle that should always take center stage.

• Play with Angles: Straight-on shots are clean and classic, but experiment with perspectives. A slight tilt or an overhead view can add intrigue and draw the eye.

Show More Than the Bottle

The most compelling wine photos go beyond the product. They capture the experience, the mood, and the details that make your winery special.

• Lifestyle Shots: Your wine being poured, shared, or toasted. It’s about the moment.

• Estate Photos: Highlight the vineyard rows, the tasting room, or the cellar. Show them where the magic happens.

• Details That Speak: A cork being pulled, wine swirling in a glass, the texture of a vineyard at dusk. These are the quiet moments that bring depth to your story.

Why This Works

Because people don’t just buy wine. They buy connection, celebration, and the chance to say, “This is who I am.”

Your photos are a way to say to them: This wine is made for you. For the life you’re building, the experiences you’re chasing, the moments you want to share.

That’s what sells.

Key Takeaways

• Start with the story you want to tell—it’s about more than the bottle.

• Use scenes, people, and your estate to create emotional, relatable images.

• Nail the technical details: light, label clarity, and angles matter.

• Think bigger than the product—your wine is part of a lifestyle.

Final Thoughts

Your wine deserves better than a generic photo. It deserves a story.

When your customers see your bottle, they should see more than wine. They should see a moment waiting to happen, an experience they can’t resist, and a brand they want to be part of.

And if that feels like a big leap, we’re here to help. At Highway 29 Creative, we specialize in photography that doesn’t just look great, it connects, inspires, and sells. Let’s tell your winery’s story, one picture at a time. Contact Highway 29 Creative if you want to explore transformative photography for your winery.

Contact Highway 29 Creative