The Balanced Vine Hands-on consultation to create a ‘Balanced Vineyard’ In 2026 grape growers are possibly facing their greatest dilemma in decades.  Costs to produce high quality grapes are rising to the point where grower sustainability is becoming increasingly difficult if not impossible to maintain.  As we approach the Spring shoot thinning passes in the vineyard every decision becomes even more critical. I can help with these details and try to keep your costs under control, while maintaining that ever important quality factor.  A vineyard that ripens evenly displays both ‘A better sense of place’ and ‘Purity of fruit’  Mentors are the true foundation of what we know in this industry, and I have been extremely fortunate to spend time with the best. My fundamental understanding of this principle, The Balanced Vine, is a culmination of their wisdom and what I have learned along the way from decades of making wine in the vineyar

Join Vineyard Team and Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance for a half-day Industry Update bringing together growers, experts, and advocates for a timely pulse check on grape markets, grower resources, and state-level developments shaping our region in 2026. This ticketed* event includes lunch and will feature: Grape Market Update & Industry Outlook – A look at current bulk wine and grape market trends, supply and demand dynamics, and what they mean for your business decisions this season. Grants & Funding Opportunities Panel – Moderated by an experienced grower, this conversation brings together funding and program specialists who work directly with agricultural grants and cost-share programs. Learn what opportunities are available, how to position your operation for success, and what makes a strong application. Policy & Advocacy Update – Michael Miiller of the California Association of Winegrape Growers shares key statewide developments and policy prioriti

A few years ago at the DTC Wine Symposium, a panelist joked about the modern winery website formula: the guy, the dog, the truck, and the vineyard. Beautiful backdrop, strong lifestyle photography, a thoughtful founder story. Polished, absolutely. Strategically distinct, rarely. The critique wasn’t about branding. It was about structure. Most winery websites aren’t broken, but they aren’t built as decision environments either. Calls to action are unclear, revenue pathways are buried, shipping surprises appear late, and wine club often lives in isolation instead of throughout the buying journey. After auditing winery sites across regions and production sizes, the pattern is consistent: performance is constrained by friction, not effort. Most wineries don’t have a traffic problem. They have a conversion architecture problem. Before increasing ad spend or launching another promotion, run a winery website audit — on your phone. Start at the homepage and move t

Explore the newest RedChirp innovations, the latest carrier changes in the telecom industry, and how leading wineries are evolving their messaging strategies to stay ahead. Jennie Gilbert will be joined by industry experts Paul Learly, Founder of Assemblage Strategy Group, and a WISE (Wine Industry Sales Education) partner, bringing deep, hands-on experience from their work with hundreds of wineries. Together, they’ll share actionable strategies to grow subscriber lists (email too!), increase engagement, and what's working best to drive revenue during the challenges of today’s DTC wine market. Attendees will leave with timely industry updates, expert perspectives, and practical ideas they can implement immediately. Wine Sales Symposium - May 13, 2026 DoubleTree Hotel in Rohnert Park, CA Learn More

On February 20, 2026, in a victory for American beer, wine, and spirits importers, the Supreme Court in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, 607 US ____, Slip Op., February 20, 2026 (“Learning Resources”) struck down President Trump’s imposition of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”). The Trump administration had used IEEPA to justify certain tariffs imposed on imported goods from various countries in 2025, including beer, wine and spirits. Despite the decision in the importers’ favor, no one is popping the Champagne quite yet. First, while the Court’s opinion invalidated the Trump administration’s IEEPA tariffs, it has no effect on the administrations’ ability to rely on other statutes to impose tariffs. Second, on the same day that the Supreme Court issued its decision, the President issued a proclamation imposing a 10% worldwide tariff under a different federal law (discussed in more detail belo

It is time to dust off the employee handbook, review your policies and procedures, and make sure they comply with all the new laws, regulations, and interpretations that went into effect during 2025, became effective in late 2025, or January 1, 2026. Below, we have identified our “top 10” changes.  Please keep in mind there were hundreds of laws, regulations, and changes implemented at the local, state, and federal levels throughout 2025. This summary highlights selected changes most likely to impact California employers and is not intended to be exhaustive. So, if you need a handbook/policy review or have any questions, please call us! 1 – Minimum Wage Update: Updates happen every year.  It’s best to put a calendar reminder in November, to make sure your payroll is ready! Action: Review your payroll to ensure all employees are being paid the new minimum wage, send written notice of the wage change to affected hourly employees, and be sure your salari

February 10, 2026 (Napa / Sonoma, CA) — On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 3:00 – 5:30 p.m., the Winemaking & Viticulture Roundtable of the Napa-Sonoma chapter of Women for WineSense (WWS) will host a timely proprietary technical presentation, “Vintage 2025 ETS Insights and New Tech Updates for Red Blotch and Smoke Taint.“ The event opens with a networking wine mingle at Crocker & Starr followed by a behind-the-scenes production tour and an engaging technical viticulture and winemaking research presentation and discussion with guest experts from ETS Labs research scientists Dr. Rich DeScenzo and Dr. Eric Hervé. This presentation will focus on actionable information to help winemaking and viticulture attendees get a strategic first look at vintage 2025 overall, plus the latest technological updates related to Red Blotch disease and smoke taint.  Attendees will hear this first synthesis of proprietary 2025 data and the additional research,

“Top performers prioritize the customer and use digital tools to extend that edge.” — Rob McMillan State of the US Wine Industry 2026 Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division “Use digital tools to extend your edge,” as Rob McMillan says. You know you need to. But how? Let us show you. Today we’re announcing full marketing integrations with Klaviyo, RedChirp and Mailchimp that go both ways. Here’s how it works: Build targeted consumer lists within Enolytics. (We help you with this, especially with our Sell More Now! module, where we show you lists of your specific consumers, which wines we suggest you pitch to them, and how much revenue you’ll generate.) Push the lists directly into your marketing platforms - Klaviyo, RedChirp and / or Mailchimp - for campaigns and automated flows. Campaign results are pulled back into Enolytics. Nightly syncing ensures continuous updates. You make money while you sleep. So that you and your team spend your time

California has generated considerable excitement in the industry by offering a DTC permit allowing craft distillers across the country to ship their products directly to consumers in California, one of the country's largest retail markets. Since COVID, California craft distillers have had a temporary direct shipping privilege, which ends 12/31/2025. California’s new Type 94 Direct Shipper Permit will allow spirits direct shipping for both in-state and out-of-state craft distillers. CA ABC will accept applications starting December 15, 2025, and will issue permits effective January 1, 2026. Here's what craft distillers need to know about this new permit; those located outside of California should consider these requirements before jumping on this opportunity: The permit is only available to distillers producing 150,000 gallons or less per year, of which sixty-five percent (65%) must be of their own production. The permit will expire on 12/31/2026 and cannot be renewed unl

DP&F partner Jennifer E. Douglas, and employment law attorney Angela A. Nelson, will be presenting two 2026 Employment Law Update webinars this winter, sharing updates for California employers on December 11th, 2025 and January 13th, 2026. Each session will feature a legal update for changes to employment law in 2026, including updates to employer pay data requirements, minimum wage increases, tip theft laws and new stay-or-pay contracts. Jennifer and Angela will also address ongoing employment law requirements that continue to cause employers difficulty. There are two dates to choose from, one on Thursday, December 11th, and one on Tuesday, January 13th. The topics covered will be the same for both sessions, and registration links are below. Webinar Registration December 11, 2025   |   January 13, 2026