by Stacey HeuerAs we approach Thanksgiving, it’s a time to pause and reflect on the past year—the lessons we’ve learned, the challenges we’ve navigated, and the many things we have to be grateful for. For those of us in the wine industry, this reflection feels especially meaningful. The past year has asked us to adapt, to rethink long-standing traditions, and to find new ways to connect with customers and one another. We’ve witnessed shifting consumer preferences, evolving markets, and the uncertainty that naturally comes with change. Yet through it all, I’ve seen incredible determination, creativity, and collaboration across our community. These qualities remind me that, while the landscape may shift, what truly endures is our shared passion for the craft, our resilience in the face of challenge, and the strong sense of camaraderie that binds us together. In that spirit, I’d like to share what I’m especially thankful for within our wine

Several economic outlets, including Forbes and Reuters, are signalling a potential U.S. recession in 2025. While no forecast is certain, savvy business owners know that waiting to react is never the right move. Here are 5 key tips to help your business prepare now: 1. Review and Reduce Discretionary Spending Assess every expense. Cut or pause anything not directly contributing to revenue generation, customer retention, and employee retention. Strength your P&L and preserve cash without sacrificing core business operations. 2. Lower Debt and Engage with Your Lender Eliminate high-interest debt where possible and avoid taking on new obligations unless strategic. More importantly, proactively communicate with your lender to ensure your relationship is strong should you need support later. 3. Strengthen Client Relationships Stay visible. Check in. Show value. In tighter markets, businesses that retain customer trust are the ones that survive, and often thrive. Don’t wa

With the hype surrounding AI, it’s hard to know what news matters to today’s DTC wine marketers. I suspect most of us tried using AI for content creation a couple of years ago.   But what has AI done for wine marketers lately, besides confusing us with too many models and few pragmatic uses? The good news is that, amid the usual noise about AI condemning us to a life of misery, the last few months have provided wine merchants with a new generation of valuable survival tools in the form of powerful AI Agents. What the Heck is an “AI Agent?” Leading business productivity tools – including Salesforce, OpenAI, JotForm, and Zapier – now offer their unique interpretations of “AI Agents” that can amplify the results of any sales or marketing team. Intriguing use cases in the wine industry include AI-powered sommeliers, social media assistants, DTC marketing management, and public-facing chatbots, all of which are empowered to represent your

The Marketing Behind Come Over October Hopefully, by now, you’ve seen some wineries participate in Come Over October, a new program launched to benefit the wine industry. Our industry is facing a critical shift where the cultural narrative around wine is being scrutinized. At the same time, loneliness and isolation are now at epidemic levels, and the simple act of sharing wine, which has always been a catalyst for connection, seems to be losing its place. The goal of Come Over October, launched by wine journalist Karen MacNeil and PR veterans Gino Colangelo and Kimberly Noelle Charles, is to counter these trends. The idea is simple: encourage friends, family, and colleagues to “come over” in October to share a bottle and reconnect. It’s not about fancy wine pairings or breaking the bank—just using wine as a focus to celebrate being together in an increasingly disconnected world. The wine industry, as always, adapts to challenges, and this campaign is a re

You’ve created a wine that you can be proud of: The grapes were just right, the fermentation went as planned, and there’s now a great product sitting in your bottles, ready to be enjoyed. How do you get the word out? This is not a trivial task. You could have the most delicious wine on the planet, but if no one knows about it, it won’t sell. More than that, consumers need to know about you—not just the wine in the bottle, but the brand that created that wine. This is where wine marketing becomes critical. And while larger wineries and big brand names can throw a lot of money at their marketing departments, smaller wineries have to be more clever with their marketing dollars. Fortunately, building a base of loyal customers doesn’t have to break the bank for your business. In fact, the best thing to do is to go back to the basics. Here, then, are the six fundamentals of wine marketing, and how implementing them can grow your customer base while giving y

FAS Visits FLX This week we were pleased to welcome some 25 representatives of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service to Fox Run Vineyards in New York’s Finger Lakes Region—the FAS in FLX! Led by Trade Policy Expert Ben Henderson, the group included Agricultural Policy and Marketing Specialists from many countries in Asia (China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam), Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden), the Middle East and South Asia (Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), and several others. They work at embassies responsible for promoting U.S. agricultural products, and spent this week visiting various agricultural producers in the Northeast, as well as Cornell University. Fox Run, a leading New York winery, was the first stop, and a logical one, given that it has long been part of the FAS-funded Market Access program (MAP) that promotes U.S. exports. In addition, co-owner Scott Osborn is the current Vice Chair of WineAmerica, which i

Really make an impression with what you already have. Build exclusivity using the right selections and allocations so they target the perfect customers on your list. The Activ8 Commerce allocation features, along with wish lists and RPFM (recency, product, frequency, monetary) customer list building is a transformative way to do business. Customers cherish brands that customize their offers. And the best part is, you do not have to spend extra money or time. The features are built-in, user-friendly and the steps can be fully automated. It can literally happen in your sleep. Get a bang for your money, inventory and customers. Build exclusivity. Book your demo today.  

Afternoon Brief, October 31st

The Lawrence Family and Carlton McCoy, Jr. Announce Acquisition of Bordeaux’s Château Lascombes to Portfolio Inbox: The Lawrence Family, owners of Napa Valley’s iconic Heitz Cellar and Managing Partner and Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy, Jr. have acquired iconic Château Lascombes...