By the Copper Peak TeamThe OND (holiday) season is fast approaching, and now is the time to lay the groundwork for a smooth, successful holiday shipping experience. At Copper Peak Logistics, our shipping experts have shared their top strategies to help wineries and DTC brands get ahead—before the rush begins. Amanda Castorena and Mike Galvan have pulled together some tips and a checklist to help you stay on track! 1. Finalize Gifting and Kitting Plans Early Corporate gifting and seasonal kits are high-impact, but they require extra components like branded packaging, glassware, and printed collateral. Ordering these items now ensures you won’t face delays later when demand spikes. 2. Lock in Your Shipping Calendar Submit club setup forms and finalize ship dates for the rest of the year. Mondays are already filling up, and blackout dates are creeping in. Build in extra transit time to account for seasonal delays and avoid last-minute surprises. 3. Refresh Your Marketing Mater

Amanda Castorena and Merilee AndersonLet Amanda Castorena and Merilee Anderson dive into why virtual tastings should still matter to you: With travel costs on the rise, visiting wine country may feel less attainable for some customers. But that doesn’t mean wineries can’t still connect with their audience in meaningful ways. Virtual wine tastings—once a staple during pandemic restrictions—are still a powerful and cost-effective option that wineries should embrace once again. Why Virtual Tastings Still Matter Even as in-person visits return, virtual tastings provide unique benefits that can elevate your winery’s customer engagement: Expanded Reach: By hosting virtual tastings, you can connect with customers across the country—or even globally—without the limits of travel costs or time zones. Cost-Effective Engagement: For wine enthusiasts who may be hesitant to commit to a full winery trip, a virtual tasting provides an accessible and affordable

Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) announces the next installment of the “Why Wine?” campaign, a movement dedicated to celebrating the authentic story of wine. With consumer preferences rapidly evolving and new competition emerging in the marketplace, the campaign focuses on uniting the industry to ensure wine remains an essential part of a modern, healthy lifestyle.  NVV launched the initiative in summer of 2024. To encourage more involvement and the continuation of the campaign, dozens of “Why Wine?” videos were captured at the Premiere Napa Valley wine auction in February. Industry members shared their personal stories and insights about what makes wine so special. These heartfelt videos are now available for viewing on YouTube at the Why Wine Video Playlist. Also attending Premiere Napa Valley was podcaster Ray Fister of Life Between the Vines who asked the question, “Why is wine important?” to guests and winemakers at the event.  The “Wh

EasyCheck has found a wonderful home at Hess Persson Estates - congratulations on being the first EasyCheck installation in the US!🍷 It was awesome implementing cold and calcium stability in your winery's lab, Amanda Curley! We are thrilled to support your saving time and energy consumption with this Steroglass analyzer. Are you curious if automation would be useful for your lab? Please reach out, we would be happy to chat with you!

Now is the time to start planning for the busy holiday season (OND). We’ve written about OND planning in the past, but this year we turned directly to our experts and asked: What are they seeing “on the ground” this year, and what advice do they have for wineries for the coming season? Here are their top three tips. Tip #1: Decide on Gifting/Kitting ASAP Gifting, especially corporate gifting programs, can be great for wineries. Those gift packages and kits will likely need additional items, however. For example, a gift set might include: Special seasonal packaging Collateral (brochures, catalogs, etc.) Gift items(opener, glassware, etc.) Specialty bags Bellybands “Anything special—packaging, bellybands, collateral, etc—should be ordered soon [in summer months] so as to not risk delays,” says Amanda Castorena, Account Executive here at Copper Peak. “If you order later when more wineries and companies are ordering as well, it might take lon

Wine is sensitive to high temperatures, and that makes shipping it during the summer months extra tricky. Even if a bottle never passes through what we typically think of as the “hotter” states, the temperature in a carrier truck during the summer can be high enough to ruin a bottle for the end consumer. We’ve written about the various options for summer shipping many times before. But we realize that, with so many options and strategies available, it might not be clear how to start thinking about the problem, let alone discovering what will work for your wine club or DTC channel. So, we asked some of our experts: What do you think is the most important thing to remember when it comes to summer wine shipping? Here are their top three tips. Tip #1: Get a Weather Strategy in Place for Wine Shipping We might not know exactly when a warm front is going to roll in, but we do know that one will come around eventually. So plan ahead and get your weather strategy in plac

For some, the passion for winemaking evolves into the responsibility of leading a team, but without prior managerial experience, you might find yourself steering through uncharted waters. According to research from CEB (Gartner), 60 percent of new managers fail within the first two years of their new role! InnoVint’s Director of Client Success, Amanda Turner, has trained and supported many new managers through these challenges. Here’s a distilled version of Amanda’s insights tailored for those stepping into management roles within the wine industry. 1. Building Personal Connections It’s not just about the wine production process; it’s about the people driving that process. Picture this: You’re in the middle of a hectic harvest. Amidst logistics concerns like delayed barrel shipments, a team member excitedly shares a personal milestone– their child just took their first step! It’s these moments of connection that transform workplaces

AmandaAmanda joined Copper Peak in 2019, bringing years of wine industry experience along with her. In her role as Account Executive, Amanda supports her clients with her expertise and commitment to outstanding service.  As the scorching summer heat continues getting hotter and hotter, wineries and wine enthusiasts alike face a common challenge: Ensuring that their delicate bottles of wine arrive at their destination in optimal condition. The rising temperatures during transportation can negatively impact the quality of wine and lead to an increase in return shipments. So let’s explore some essential tips and best practices to minimize return shipments and maintain the integrity of wine during the sweltering summer months. 1. Proper Packaging Protects Wine Effective packaging is key to protecting wine from extreme temperatures. Ensure that you (and/or your logistics partners) are using appropriate packaging materials that provide insulation and cushioning. Styrofoam shippers

Like Wine, the TricorBraun WinePak and Ponzi Vineyard Partnership Becomes Finer with Age Wine is nearly as old as time. However, to thrive in this highly competitive industry, winemakers must adapt to modern-day nuances. That is key to the ongoing success of one of Oregon’s premier winemakers. After more than 50 years, Ponzi Vineyards continues to pioneer viticultural innovation while maintaining its commitment to winemaking excellence and environmental stewardship. In 2008, as part of its continuing mission to minimize its environmental footprint — and remain LIVE certified sustainable — Ponzi Vineyards sought to switch to a more sustainable glass bottle for its wines. Unfortunately, their search found that traditional glass producers didn’t have a high-quality, “eco-friendly” option. That all changed when TricorBraun WinePak’s account manager, Gillian Brennan, introduced Ponzi Vineyards to a revolutionary new lightweight, sustainable eco-bot