When I start feeling optimistic, I imagine one or two people might read these blogs, (although I have a sneaking suspicion that they sit out on the internet equivalent of a doctors waiting room table between the large type Reader’s Digest and June 2004 People magazines). But I wouldn’t be able to legitimately pretend to be an industry expert if I didn’t do the obligatory “predictions” blog. I will stick to my lane: Marketing. Because it’s what I know and also there are many other excellent articles out there with overall market predictions. (But, then again, what do I know? My senior thesis at Boston University was an analysis of radio and TV media consumption patterns with the supposition that cable television would never take off because people wouldn’t pay for it.) So, I’ve been wrong. Like, really wrong. But assuming I get lucky sometimes, here are five things I believe will come to pass. 1) GENERATION X WILL DEMAND ATTENTION. We&rsq

Afternoon Brief, June 15th

Peju Winery Founder and Napa Valley Pioneer Tony Peju Dies at 85: Anthony “Tony” Peju, wine industry pioneer and founder of PEJU Winery, passed away in his Calistoga home on June 10, 2023 at the age of 85...

You’re a winery, so of course, you’ve heard of tied-house laws. These pesky rules are not new, having been around since 1935. However, within the past six years, it seems violations keep popping up in the media. With the evolution of and omnipresent use of social media, tied laws are front and center. Why are tied-house laws important? Failure to comply with these laws on any level can result in both fines and suspension of operating permits that could have disastrous financial consequences.  Let us first preface this advice by stating that WGM is not a law firm, but our clients frequently ask us for social media posting guidelines. How many times have you looked at articles and blogs on statutory policies, and your eyes start to glaze over at the judicial jargon? Hopefully, this blog post makes it easier to understand the premise of why tied-house laws are important and how they affect social media.  (hee hee - get it?) What is a “tied-house”? Initia