Direct to Consumer sales continues to be wineries’ most profitable revenue channel and in many cases, the only channel. However, developing a strategy that optimize sales, customer acquisition, and retention can be difficult without a solid dataset to benchmark performance against.

Now in its 11th year, VinQuest research conducted by wine industry advisors VinterActive LLC in partnership with Wine Industry Network and leading winery associations across the country, collects and analyses key DTC performance data to provide valuable insight into consumer direct wine sales trends.

Wineries that participate in the survey receive:

• Detailed DTC sales results from every winery size and U.S. region.
• Best practices reported for tasting room, wine club, and e-commerce.
• Proprietary 2018 forecasts for tasting room, wine club, and e-commerce.

“Our ability to provide detailed analysis of survey responses is crucial to wineries looking to better understand their direct to consumer channel,” says Bryan St. Amant, Founder & CEO, VinterActive LLC. “These results help wineries improve their sales, customer service strategies, and ultimately their businesses.”

The current VinQuest survey runs through January 31, 2018, and all U.S. wineries that complete this confidential survey by the deadline will receive a free copy of the research results – $149 retail value.

Unique in scope, VinQuest is the only research to measure tasting room, wine club, and online direct sales at a national level and identify the best sales and marketing practices reported by top performing DTC wineries across the country.

“While correlation is not causation, tactics associated with success offer valuable insight for wineries seeking to grow their DTC sales. In the past our surveys have revealed three to five things that the top performing wineries were doing to differentiate and market themselves,” says St. Amant.

Employing these best practices can yield significant benefits with the last VinQuest report showing that the strategies developed by top performing wineries resulted in 50% higher than average growth of their DTC sales.

VinterActive and Wine Industry Network invite all U.S. wineries to complete the 30-question confidential survey and receive a free copy of the research summary including 12 pages of results with over 30 supporting chart and graphs including:

• DTC sales growth averages for 2017
• Wine club average share of 2017 DTC sales
• Tasting room share of 2017 DTC sales
• Ecommerce share of 2017 DTC sales
• DTC revenue share for 2017
• Breakout data for wineries by size
• Tasting room sales per visitor
• And much more…

Your participation in this research benefits the entire wine industry and is greatly appreciated by all the wineries, associations and industry leaders who use its results each year. Winery associations promoting the project with their members receive the research summary along with a special regional summary. (NB. the more wineries that participate from a region obviously results in better data to compare the region).

Take the Survey

What does it take to DOUBLE your wine club sales growth this year?

Check out our latest VinQuestâ„¢ consumer direct sales report “Top-10 Best Practices for Wine Club Sales Growth”

Click here to request your FREE wine marketing report

Based on results shared by 226 U.S. wineries, this exclusive report “Top-10 Practices for Wine Club Sales Growth” ranks winery sales and marketing tactics based on wine club sales growth.

Results are grouped by winery size to identify the unique top-10 tactics and “hidden gems” used by small and large wineries across the country.

Wineries using the powerful techniques revealed by this report DOUBLED their wine club sales growth compared to average!

ORDER YOUR FREE REPORT NOW

About VinterActive LLC
Established in 2002, VinterActive LLC is a wine industry leader in the research and practice of consumer direct sales and marketing.

VinterActive research is widely used by U.S. wineries, industry associations and policy-makers seeking useful insight into consumer behavior, customer preferences and industry best practices.

VinterActive’s proprietary wine marketing techniques for building long-term customer relationships and increasing tasting room, wine club and online sales have proven effective for both large and small wineries across the U.S.

With POS, wine club, ecommerce, compliance, inventory tracking and reporting, VinterActive’s SecureWineShopâ„¢ offers the industry’s best value in all-in-one wine sales software.

VinterActive’s PreferenceProâ„¢ winery email marketing system combines drag-and-drop simplicity with superior deliverability and exclusive features such as micro-personalization, automated conversations, and AI-driven optimization to help you maximize sales results.

And VinterActive’s annual VinQuestâ„¢ DTC Wine Sales Report offers unique insight into the performance benchmarks and best practices reported by top wineries across the country.

Contact Us
VinterActive LLC
9940 Starr Road - Suite 130
Windsor, CA 95492
707-836-7295
sales@vinteractive.com

VinterActive LLC (www.vinteractive.com)  in conjunction with Wine Road Northern Sonoma County (www.wineroad.com) will present a 1-hour seminar this Friday December 16th to share the benchmarks and best practices revealed in this year's VinQuest 2016 Consumer Direct Wine Sales Report.

VinQuest research director and VinterActive CEO, Bryan St. Amant, will share DTC sales results and key industry averages for tasting room, wine club and ecommerce as reported by 224 U.S. wineries of every size. 

Common barriers to DTC sales will be examined and seminar attendees will participate in a crowd-sourcing session to address the #1 obstacle to DTC sales growth. 

Data from the VinQuest report will also be used to identify the best practices employed by tasting room, wine club and ecommerce managers at today's top-performing DTC wineries. 

As a bonus, all attendees will have the opportunity to receive a free copy of the VinQuest 2016 Consumer Direct Research Summary.

This event is FREE and registration is open to members of the Wine Road association who RSVP by calling 707-433-4335.

About VinQuest 2016
The VinQuestâ„¢ 2016 online survey was conducted by VinterActive LLC with support from leading winery associations in an effort to better understand the size and dynamics of the consumer direct wine sales channel. Now in its ninth year, VinQuest research has produced one of the largest and most widely used sources of consumer direct sales data in the U.S. wine industry.

Participating winery associations include: Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma County Wine Road, Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Temecula Valley Wine Growers and Lake County Winery Association. Initial guidance and support was provided by Wine America and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

More information about this year's VinQuest wine marketing report is available at http://vinteractive.com/index.php/vinquest-2016

Are you ready for automated wine marketing?

The latest research shows that most DTC wineries plan to automate their customer outreach beginning in 2020, but the greatest obstacle to success is a lack of information on how automated wine marketing works.

That's why we created the "Executive Guide to Automated Wine Marketing."

Download your FREE report here: http://www.vinteractive.com/executive-guide-to-automated-wine-marketing

This informative guide is designed to help any winery evaluate their potential for profit by using automated wine marketing.

Download your FREE report here: http://www.vinteractive.com/executive-guide-to-automated-wine-marketing

Happy selling!

Vinteractive is safe at this time and is offering help to those in need. For the moment we also have a corner of our small Windsor office that could provide a temporary workspace for someone in need. Please contact us if we can help. 

BENCHMARKS & BEST PRACTICES FOR DTC WINE SALES

Windsor, CA – April 2018 – U.S. wineries are poised to grow their consumer direct wine sales to record levels in 2018, according to the latest VinQuest wine industry research released by VinterActive LLC. 

Based on a survey of 226 wineries from 19 U.S. states, the VinQuest 2018 U.S. Consumer Direct Wine Sales Report shows that direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales are responsible for the majority of revenue generated by most U.S. wineries and continue to grow at a double-digit pace in 2018.

Key findings of this year’s research reveal:

• U.S. DTC Sales Growth Average in 2018: 12%
• Wine Club share of 2018 DTC Sales: 34%
• Tasting Room share of 2018 DTC Sales: 31%
• Ecommerce share of 2018 DTC Sales: 11%
• 2018 Forecast Wine Club Growth:  20%
• 2018 Forecast Tasting Room Growth: 14%
• 2018 Forecast Ecommerce Growth Rate: 18%

"With more revenue and faster growth than tasting rooms, we're seeing the advent of a new age in DTC wine sales -- the wine club era.  By focusing on a customer experience that extends beyond the tasting room, growth-oriented wineries have discovered new opportunities to expand their wine sales in 2018," according to VinterActive CEO, Bryan St. Amant.

Click here to read the full report

VinQuest 2018 Reveals the Importance of the Human Touch in DTC Wine Sales

Bryan St. Amant of VinterActive LLC has been doing VinQuest research for more than a decade, producing data that illustrates which tactics have been successful for wineries seeking more direct to consumer sales. VinQuest 2018 Consumer Direct Wine Sales Report was created to help growth-oriented wineries succeed, utilizing this data.

The more than 200 wineries surveyed are predominantly from California, with 18 other states represented as well. The wineries range from very small, producing less than 1,000 cases per year to very large wineries producing over 42,000 cases per year.

St. Amant pointed out that the report has no great truths to it, to direct one absolutely to what will be the answer to increase direct to consumer sales. What it has is great data that is easily synthesized to show what would be the most beneficial, according to one’s viewpoint in the industry, to achieving one’s goals.

St. Amant said, “My main takeaways this year are old and new: the old takeaway confirmed by this survey is that the fastest growing wineries work harder, trying more sales methods and marketing tactics compared to slower growing producers; and the new takeaway is that wine clubs are now the main driver of sales growth for DTC wineries. So any winery trying to grow their DTC sales should prioritize wine club initiatives if they haven’t already done so.”

Laura Larson, Founder of Virtual Vines DTC Sales & Marketing Services had this to say, “The DTC channel of the wine industry has a unique opportunity to capture, nurture and grow their direct consumer base since their products incent an emotional type of purchase. Building relationships by creating an inspirational or lifestyle based brand story and delivering it throughout the customer journey is easier to accomplish than many other Industries. Delivering memorable experiences at the winery, engaging in digital conversations through social media and interactive web-based applications present many opportunities to build relationships with customers that promote sales opportunities and grow customer brand loyalty. As more and more wineries are entering the DTC channel, they need to set themselves apart by implementing sales and marketing strategies that appeal to customers in a unique and more personal way. Customers want to be part of something special, and they want wineries to help them feel that way.”

Click here to read to full article. 

Visit VinterActive at Booth #703 where they will be exhibiting their latest generation of winery POS, wine club management, ecommerce, email marketing, and winery website solutions.  

With POS, wine club, ecommerce, compliance, inventory tracking and reporting, SecureWineShopâ„¢ offers the industry’s best value in all-in-one wine sales software.

Their innovative PreferenceProâ„¢ winery email marketing system combines drag-and-drop simplicity with superior deliverability and exclusive features such as micro-personalization, automated conversations, and AI-driven subject line optimization to help you maximize sales results.

And their annual VinQuestâ„¢ DTC Wine Sales Report offers unique insight into the performance benchmarks and best practices reported by top wineries across the country.

When you visit, ask us for your FREE wine sales report “Top-10 Practices for DTC Wine Sales Growth,” enter our drawing for a $200 Amazon Gift Card, and our amazing #ExpoDeal – a $500 trade-in rebate when you switch to SecureWineShopâ„¢!

VinterActive
WIN Expo Booth: 703

Use our promo code (VIN703) for free access to the trade show floor! Register here. 

Is your email marketing software letting you down with poor results and rising costs?REBOOT Your Email Marketing to REACTIVATE Your Online Sales Now

Wine marketers have suddenly become 1st responders in the COVID-19 crisis.

With tasting room sales sidelined for now, DTC wineries must fall back on social media and email marketing to survive.

For wineries seeking to fight back with email-driven sales, here are three important things you can do RIGHT NOW to double or triple your online sales over the next few weeks:

1)  Reboot your email marketing system NOW
For most wineries, the vast majority of their email messages never even get delivered because of spam filters. That’s why the average open rates reported by U.S. wineries hover around 20%. Wineries that actively manage their email settings with SPF, DKIM, Google, and Yahoo Postmaster authentication see open rates of 50% to 60%.  And the great news is that it takes less than a day to fix this problem.  Since poor email delivery hampers everything else you do, it’s critical to take care of this issue first.

2)  Boost your email frequency ASAP
Even before COVID-19, the latest research shows that wineries that contact customers twice-a-month or more enjoy twice the sales growth reported by low frequency marketers. Whether you double your email frequency by hand or take advantage of automated marketing, high frequency engagement is a change you can make right away. Now with customers unable to visit their favorite wineries, customer outreach via email and social media must bridge the gap.

3)  Adapt your messaging content ASAP
If customers can’t visit your winery, now’s the time to have the winery visit your customers. COVID-19 doesn’t make wine country any less attractive, so consider reaching out with stories and images from your winery.  COVID-19 doesn’t make wine drinkers less thirsty, especially if they're cooped up at home.  So consider video tasting notes or a virtual wine tasting experience or just share your favorite comfort-food recipe. And if your customers can’t easily visit you, it might be the perfect time to make it easier for them to buy your wine with discounted shipping.

Our newly expanded team is working day and night to help wine marketers weather this storm using email marketing and I hope this message gives you ideas you can act on.

If we can help, let us know.  Our new PreferencePro Automated Wine Marketing system was designed for a challenge like this.  And if you’re ready to turbocharge your direct marketing now, it takes 10 days or less to make the switch to PreferencePro.

None of us know what the future holds, but our industry's recent experiences with fires, floods, and growing competition tell us all that neighbors helping neighbors is the best way to stay strong in wine country.

 Be safe,

 Bryan St. Amant
 VinterActive LLC 

P.S. It takes only 15 minutes to learn how automated wine marketing can help your winery.  To schedule a no-obligation meeting with a wine marketing expert, click here to get the ball rolling.

QR codes make it easy to join text & email lists with just a few clicks

Grow your text & email marketing lists using QR codes in the tasting room & at events.  Scan the code above for a live demonstration.

It’s almost a rite of passage for wine marketers when they first get stumped by the illegible handwriting of a recent guest.

But, times have changed.

That’s why we're sharing our latest article on "Using QR Codes to Quickly Grow Wine Marketing Lists." 

The five steps outlined in this report can help any winery grow their text and email marketing lists automatically using QR codes.

Perfect for tasting rooms and events, when visitors scan your code, their phone automatically begins a message to you allowing them to subscribe to your text list. Once your guests subscribe, you can even ask for their email address if you'd like.

Click here for a live demonstration now

Much easier and more effective than asking for an email address, PreferencePro’s scan-to-text feature is a proven way to build lists that generate 20-times more customer engagement than email.

To schedule a live demonstration and learn how PreferencePro Automated Text Marketing can help you, please visit us at www.vinteractive.com.

 Happy Selling!

SMS Wine Marketing

If your winery caters to local wine lovers with tasting room specials or happy hours, you need an effective way to promote your offers and invite customers to attend.

That’s where SMS wine marketing can help you shine!

With text messages generating 32-times more customer engagement than email marketing, a witty, upbeat happy hour text can help you fill more seats with thirsty locals, week in and week out.

And to help you get started, we’ve assembled five simple templates you can make your own, along with a recipe for a perfect happy hour invitation in our latest wine marketing guide:

5 Example Happy Hour Text Message Invitations for Your Winery


WHY DO YOU NEED A HAPPY HOUR TEXT MESSAGE?
A well-written happy hour text invitation can do more than fill seats from 4-6 PM.

When you take the time to send a personal text to your customers, it shows them that you care. The latest research shows that customers with an emotional relationship with a brand generate 306% more lifetime value and refer 60% more business than a typical consumer.

Since SMS messaging is how we communicate with friends and family when customers sign up to receive your text messages, an invitation sent straight to a guest’s phone becomes much more personal.

And really, when’s the last time you felt good about receiving an email?

OTHER WAYS TO USE TEXTING IN YOUR WINERY
Of course, happy hour invitations are only one of the ways your winery can profit from text messaging.

With consumers preferring texts 2-to-1 over email and wine marketers reporting 32-times more customer engagement, opt-in text messaging is becoming the gold standard for sending transactional messages like order/shipping confirmations, reminders about upcoming events or wine club shipments, and engaging your best customers in two-way conversations when they text your hospitality team.

The possibilities are endless. If you want to know how other wineries are using text messaging to succeed, check out this article: “Best Practices for Text Marketing in the Wine Industry.”

If your wine business depends on customer communication that gets opened and clicked, SMS wine marketing can be your new best friend, delighting your customers and selling more wine as a result.

Happy Selling!

Text Messaging Now Outperforming Email 32-to-1
in the U.S. Wine Industry

CLICK TO READ THE FULL REPORTAfter 20 years of researching and reporting on the best practices of consumer-direct wine marketing, VinterActive has released its first VinQuest™ Wine Marketing Report on the benchmarks and best practices of SMS marketing in the wine industry.

Based on five wine marketing data sets and confidential interviews with wine marketers using text messaging in 2021, VinterActive documented for the first time the significant advantage enjoyed by SMS marketers in the wine industry.

Compared to the industry standard – email marketing – DTC wine marketers using text messaging reported:

• 4.3-times better open-rates
• 7.4-times more click-thru
• 32-times more customer engagement for each text message they sent

To put these results in perspective, the industry’s average email list of 10,000 names generates about the same DTC wine sales as a list of 300 SMS contacts.

Detailed results – with benchmarks and best practices for SMS wine marketing – are included in this ground-breaking report: “SMS Marketing Performance in the U.S. Wine Industry – 2022.”

NOW’S THE TIME TO TEXT
Although text marketing has been used successfully for many years in other industry segments, the U.S. wine industry is just catching up now.

In a world where 90% of online consumers want text messages from their favorite brands, but only 9% of U.S. wineries text their customers, this epic mismatch between consumer preference and industry practice spells nothing but opportunity for wineries focused on growth.

And unless you think text messaging is going away soon, the only choice you have is whether you let your competition profit from text messaging before you.

With consumers hungry for brands that engage them with text messaging -- and wine marketers hungry for continued success – we hope the benchmarks and best practices we’re sharing in this report can help any winery profit from SMS messaging in 2022.

Happy Selling!

Does Text Marketing Work for Older Wine Customers?

Some wine industry observers think we have a "Baby Boomer" problem.

But it turns out wineries using text marketing in 2022 discovered a fountain of youth when they texted older consumers.

That's why we're sharing with you our latest report "Solving the “Baby Boomer Problem” with SMS Wine Marketing." 

BABY BOOMERS LOVE SMS WINE MARKETING
The latest research on generational marketing (SendGrid, 2021) shows that email, text messaging, and social media are the top-3 business marketing channels for adult consumers of all ages.

While it’s true that older consumers as a group engage email marketing more often than text messaging, the older your customers are, the more likely they’ll engage your brand using text messaging.

And if it’s true that wine consumers are older and more affluent compared to other industries, that might explain why our latest research shows SMS marketing is particularly effective in the wine industry.

With text marketing now generating 32-times more customer engagement than email marketing in the wine industry – older consumers are also powering an entirely new digital sales channel with their love of SMS wine marketing.

SMS Wine Marketing Sale – 30% Off SimpleTexting
Summer Special Ends June 30th

Summer’s the best time to grow a fruitful wine marketing list.

And since text messaging outperforms email 35-to-1, this summer is your best opportunity to grow a highly-responsive SMS list before the holiday season.

That’s why we partnered with the world’s leader in compliant alcohol texting to offer an exclusive summer special: 

30% OFF your first 3 months of SimpleTexting when you use coupon code WINE30 during checkout

Note: this special offer expires on June 30, 2024.

With SMS plans starting @ $39/mo – and options to integrate with Commerce7 or WineDirect – SimpleTexting is the wine industry’s most affordable and reliable SMS solution.

Now with 30% off and a glorious summer ahead, isn’t it time your brand profits from text marketing?

Scan the QR code to start a free trial or book a demo here to see how text messaging can help your wine business thrive.

Happy Selling!

AI-generated image of happy wine marketers...

Sell More Wine this Holiday Season with Compliant Text Messages

Massive year-to-year growth of SMS wine messaging means thousands of DTC wineries are poised to profit this year by sending compliant text messages to their best customers.  

With text messaging outperforming email 35-to-1 in the wine industry, alcohol merchants adding SMS marketing to their mix enjoy a decisive competitive advantage this holiday season.

But before you press the “send” button, are you sure your text messages are compliant?

Since text marketing is relatively new in the wine industry and compliance rules are still evolving, even experienced professionals have questions about the compliance rules U.S. wineries must follow.

In our latest blog article, with the help of a world leader in alcohol messaging – SimpleTexting – we’ll demystify SMS wine marketing compliance so your business can delight customers and confidently profit from text messaging this holiday season.

DISCLAIMER: These guidelines are offered for informational purposes only and is neither intended as nor should be substituted for consultation with appropriate legal counsel and/or your organization’s regulatory compliance team.

What Compliance Regulations Apply to SMS Wine Marketers in 2024?

If you’ve worked in the wine industry for any time at all, you won’t be surprised to learn text marketing for alcohol is highly regulated by federal & state governments, powerful industry associations, and SMS service providers. 

At the federal level, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) regulates what form of consent alcohol merchants must obtain before texting consumers. And unlike email marketing, these regulations are strictly enforced by the FCC.

For example, in 2012, Papa John’s agreed to pay over $16 million to settle a class-action lawsuit against them for failure to get proper consent before texting their customers. 

 
Bonus content:

The Future of Wine Marketing is Here

What will you name your first AI Wine Marketing Agent?
Wine marketers attending this week’s Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento are in for a special treat when visiting Booth #A2715 featuring VinterActive LLC’s all-new:

• AI-Powered Wine Marketing Agents
• VinQuest™ Wine Marketing Research
• All-in-One SMS Signup Widget
• SimpleTexting for Vinoshipper, Commerce7 & WineDirect

The future of wine marketing is here!  If you’ll be in Sacramento, c’mon by and say hello😊

ABOUT VINTERACTIVE
Established in 2002, VinterActive LLC is a wine industry leader in the research and practice of DTC sales and marketing.  VinterActive’s award-winning PreferencePro™ automated wine marketing systems have sold millions of dollars of wine for large and small merchants across the U.S.

Wine Marketers: You’re Probably Using AI Wrong
Here's the way to work with your AI Marketing Assistant...

Earlier this year, I leaned into GenAI to learn how it might help wine marketers survive a challenging time.

Like many wine marketers, I initially viewed AI as another traditional business tool. 

I’d ask a question (input) and wait for the computer’s answer (output). 

Results? Sometimes insightful or artful, but often decidedly less so.

It turns out I was using GenAI wrong when I first approached this unique beast.

Here's what I learned...

Texas Just Changed the Rules for SMS Marketing
Here's What DTC Wineries Need to Know

If you’re a U.S. winery using SMS marketing -- or even just considering it -- you need to know about a new Texas law that quietly went into effect on September 1, 2025. 

Senate Bill 140 (S.B. 140) expands the state’s telemarketing laws to include promotional text messages, and it applies to any business texting Texas residents, regardless of where that business is located.

For small, family-owned wineries already navigating a shrinking market, this law could introduce new compliance risks, legal exposure, and operational headaches. 

And while I’ve long been an advocate for SMS wine marketing, we can no longer recommend it for most wineries unless they’re either exempt from S.B. 140 or have a customer base concentrated in Texas.

Let’s break down what’s changed -- and what you can do about it.

⚖️ What S.B. 140 Actually Says

S.B. 140 updates the definition of “telephone solicitation” to include SMS, MMS, and RCS messages. That means promotional texts now fall under the same rules as telemarketing calls, including:

• Quiet hours (no unsolicited texts during restricted times)

• Mandatory registration with the Texas Secretary of State

• $10,000 bond or surety requirement

• Quarterly compliance reporting

• Private enforcement rights, allowing individuals to sue violators directly

Each violation can trigger fines up to $5,000 -- and yes, that includes businesses outside Texas.

🧩 Who’s Most at Risk?

Only about 14% of U.S. wineries currently use SMS marketing. Of those, some are:

• Based in Texas (compliance is a no-brainer)

• Publicly traded or long-established (may qualify for exemptions)

• Using SMS only for transactional messages (less affected)

But many small wineries fall into a gray zone. They’re texting loyal customers, unaware that a Texas resident on their list could trigger legal exposure. 

And here’s the kicker: area codes and shipping addresses don’t prove residency. Unless you’re collecting verified state-of-residence data, you can’t be sure you’re not texting someone in Texas.

🧠 Exemptions Exist -- But They’re Tricky

S.B. 140 includes exemptions for:

• Businesses contacting current/former customers under the same name for 2+ years

• Subscription-based sellers (e.g., wine clubs)

• Brick-and-mortar businesses operating for 2+ years

• Certain regulated/licensed entities

But these exemptions aren’t automatic. You’ll need to evaluate your business model, message content, and customer relationships carefully. And if you’re unsure, talk to a lawyer -- preferably one licensed in Texas.

💸 The Cost of Compliance

If you want to keep texting Texas residents, you’ll need to:

• Register with the state ($200/year)

• Post a $10,000 bond (or pay ~$100/year for a surety bond)

• Submit quarterly reports

That’s not outrageous -- but it’s a new layer of cost and complexity. And for wineries already cutting expenses, it may not pencil out.

🧨 The Real Risk: Predatory Enforcement

This law also opens the door to ADA-style shakedowns, where out-of-state lawyers target small businesses with lawsuits over technical violations. Even if you have a solid defense, legal costs and time drain can be devastating -- especially if you don’t have a Texas attorney on retainer.

🚪 What You Can Do Right Now 

1. Consult your compliance officer or attorney to confirm your risk level vs. your need to use text marketing.
2. If you've already complied with S.B. 140, follow the rules, keep texting, and hope for the best.
3. If you're not exempt from the law, consider the costs and benefits of complying with S.B. 140.
4. If you're not exempt from the law, also consider other proven ways to communicate directly with loyal customers, using email, direct mail, or affordable mobile apps customized for wine marketing.

🍷 Final Thought

S.B. 140 doesn’t have to be a crisis. But it is a wake-up call. 

If you’re one of the 14% of wineries using SMS, take a moment to assess your exposure, review your exemptions, and decide whether this channel still makes sense for your business.

And if you’re not using SMS yet? Maybe that’s a blessing in disguise.

Let’s keep selling wine. Let’s keep it legal. And let’s keep small wineries thriving -- no matter what laws get thrown our way.

Happy Selling!

P.S. Be thankful we're not in the lab-grown meat business; on the same day S.B. 140 went into effect, Texas made it illegal to "manufacture, process, possess, distribute, offer for sale, or sell cell-cultured protein. 

**DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS**