Turning Summer Visitors into Long-Term Customers How to make sure they come for the pour and stay for the story Summer is finally here, and tasting rooms are buzzing with sunhats, selfie sticks, and road-trippers on the hunt for their next favorite wine. The influx is real: tasting room visitation peaks between May and September, with over 45% of annual winery visitors arriving in Q2 and Q3, according to data from the Silicon Valley Bank State of the Wine Industry Report. But here’s the challenge: for many of these guests, the experience ends with the last pour. One weekend, one flight, one forgotten name. So how do you turn that quick hello into a lasting relationship? The secret isn’t more marketing noise—it’s thoughtful connection. Think of your summer surge as the top of a funnel. If you treat each guest like a one-time transaction, you’re throwing away the most valuable part of that funnel: the chance to turn casual tasters into year-round customers

Sonoma County Winegrowers Focus on Creating Experiences to Engage New and Existing Wine Lovers SANTA ROSA, Calif. (January 17, 2025) – For over a decade, Sonoma County Winegrowers has been at the forefront of innovation, forging powerful partnerships with iconic brands like John Deere, Ford Pro, Wilbur Ellis, Landry’s, and the San Francisco Giants. As unveiled at this week’s annual Dollars & $ense meeting, held virtually, 2025 marks a year dedicated to “Renewing, Building, and Growing” these renowned programs, expanding their reach, amplifying the Sonoma County story, and setting new benchmarks in excellence. As Karissa Kruse, president and chief executive officer of Sonoma County Winegrowers, started her presentation with a review of the past twelve years since she joined the organization, it was clear that the results in building the brand’s visibility over the years has been successful. From being world leaders in sustainability, to sports ma

In this episode, George sits down with Karissa Kruse, President & CEO of Sonoma County Winegrowers, to explore her visionary leadership in the wine industry. Karissa shares the inspiration behind crafting a groundbreaking 100-year business plan and what sets Sonoma County grape growers apart from the rest. Karissa also reflects on her critical role during the pandemic, ensuring farm workers had access to vaccines—personally scheduling an incredible 6,000 appointments in just three months. She highlights her work founding the Vineyard Employee Recognition Program in 2018, which paved the way for the Leadership Academy. Recently, graduates of the program took their skills to Washington, D.C., thanks to a partnership with Alaska Airlines. A leader driven by action, Karissa lives by the mantra: “Pilot anything and everything, and if it doesn’t work, let’s learn, and if it does work, great, let’s scale it.” Tune in to be inspired by her innovative a

Afternoon Brief, May 21st

Feds Prepare to Call Wine Unsafe: Fears are rising that health authorities in the US will label wine as unsafe to consume in any quantity...

In recognition that climate impacts and marketplace dynamics are becoming more frequent and extreme for farmers, the Sonoma County Winegrowers invited experts from some of the country’s most iconic and innovative companies to gather in Sonoma County last week for its inaugural Farm of the Future Summit.  These leaders answered a call to action to collaborate with farmers in Sonoma County to ensure the future of agriculture.  They convened to plan, identify challenges and discuss potential collaborations and pilot projects that will be tested throughout Sonoma County’s certified sustainable vineyards.    The summit, hosted by Sonoma County Winegrowers and facilitated by a leading professor from the Wharton School of Business, provided ample proof that the county has become a global leader for sustainability and regenerative agriculture.  In fact, Sonoma County’s certified sustainable vineyards are already serving as “living labs” f

April is Sonoma County Wine Month! Produced by Sonoma County Vintners (SCV), wine lovers are invited to enjoy in-person and virtual winery experiences, as well as special wine promotions, throughout the month. See the offerings from participating wineries at sonomawine.com/winemonth. Enjoy wine and food pairings while taking in sweeping views of the vineyards and mountains. Learn about wine directly from winemakers in exclusive private tastings or wine blending sessions. Bring your friends and challenge them to a game of croquet, bocce or cornhole or simply relax while sipping your new favorite wine and listening to live music. Focus on wellness, sustainability or culture during vineyard hikes, yoga sessions, art tours or concerts, all with the perfect wine tastings to complement the activity. All it takes is a little planning to create the perfect Sonoma County wine country getaway. The Sonoma County Tourism app is a great resource to help with finding accommodations or di

There is a perfect storm brewing. It is time to batten down the hatches! A recurring theme is coming up in recent WISE conversations all over the country. From our friends in the New York Finger Lakes to wineries in Texas Hill Country, from Woodinville, WA to Temecula, CA we are hearing that traffic is down. We can also back up the data with Community Benchmark. Traffic is down EVERYWHERE. And it is no wonder. Looking at Facebook feeds and Instagram stories, friends and family are traveling out of the country. With the dollar now on par with the Euro, continental travel is finally a decent price, if not an outright bargain. Couple that with pent up demand, airlines cancelling domestic flights, and high gas prices, it is no wonder domestic guest counts are down coast to coast.  These issues are all mostly macro issues and beyond our control. While we can’t help inflation and the associated costs, we should be thinking about what we can control. First, concentrate on our

There are times in life when we have to react to circumstances that are well outside of anything expected. A pandemic? Well, that's a circumstance none of us have any experience with. That new aspect in all our lives is requiring each of us to adapt, then employ behaviors that are out of the norm. For some, this is distracting but for others, this is nothing less than debilitating. The current news cycle seems like an unending summer rerun now, with a plot being played over and over - except it's hard to avert your eyes from this show because there is an issue of safety involved. And business? The recommendation from the CDC to avoid crowds and employ social distancing is causing havoc with travel agencies, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, and the hospitality industry. But what about the wine industry? This is obviously hurting us as well, but let's not go down that path because plenty of people are and will. We don't need to look at a train wreck. We need to talk about