Imagine your VP of Sales announcing they’ve ditched CRM for a Rolodex. Or your finance director saying Excel is too modern, so they’re switching to chalkboard.  And yet, here we are — 2025 — squinting at billbacks for hours on end and sending reps to visit every retail account like the entire industry is running for sheriff. Automation isn’t new, but for the wine & spirits world, it might as well be black magic. We love to talk about efficiency, scaling, and modernizing — right up until someone proposes replacing busywork with bots. Suddenly, it’s “But our rep relationships!” or “This is how we’ve always done it.” As if nostalgia for manual labor is part of our brand identity. Let’s get one thing straight: no one’s asking you to hand your label design to Midjourney or let ChatGPT pick your clones. We’re talking about automating the parts of your business that drain time, w

Domaine Della 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Takes Top Prize  November 18, 2025 — Winners have been announced in the 2025 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging, Domaine Della 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir took the top prize. It was also awarded Best of Show Red Wine and Best of Monterey County AVA. Coming in at 98 points, judges praised the wine as “warm and spicy” with “fig and nutmeg.” Other descriptors included “meaty,” “prosciutto,” and “dried rose petal.”  With entries from across the globe, the Harvest Challenge bases judging on a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions and grapes that combine to give personality to the wine.  In other competitions, this terroir is ignored. At the Harvest Challen

With visitor season in full swing, it is essential to guide visitors on how to find the winery, where they are, and inform them about ongoing activities upon arrival. This requires providing various signs, ranging from directional signage to entrance, parking, and washroom signs. Sign at Canada's Anthony Buchanan WinesWhile signs may seem purely functional, they offer an excellent opportunity to extend the brand and its personality. Assuming significant investment has been made into branding, packaging, and logo, it is crucial to maintain the integrity of the 'mother brand' across all elements, including signage. Here are some functional ways signs can be used and how they should tie into the brand. Sign at Okanagan Crush Pad in Canada First, it is important to attract people off the street and into the winery. Once inside, visitors should easily find the areas they are looking for, items on sale, or any special highlights. Location, bylaws, or municipal regulations will in

Two K Farms Cidery and Winery 2022 Bubbly Riesling Takes Top Honors November 15, 2024 — Winners have been announced in the 2024 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging,Two K Farms Cidery and Winery 2022 Bubbly Riesling took the top prize. It was also awarded Best of Show Sparkling Wine. Coming in at 97 points, judges praised the wine for its “Mouth watering citrus and honeysuckle”; “Lingering tropical finish”; and “Perfect bubbles.” They also called it “Well balanced.” With a record number of entries from across the globe, the Harvest Challenge bases judging on a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions and grapes that combine to give personality to the wine. In other competitions, terroir is ignored. At the Harvest Challenge, judges taste wines alongside other wines of the same appellation. W

Sustainable Story: Niner Wine Estates Shoppers’ sense of urgency around climate change is rising. 78% of global consumers feel that environmental sustainability is important, they like the idea of being sustainable, and want to live more sustainable lives (Simon Kucher & Partners, 2021). While many brands and retailers today are making eco-friendly claims, some chalk up to little more than greenwashing: a marketing ploy designed to make products seem more sustainable than they are. Because of this, consumers feel that they can’t always trust “green” claims. It’s more important than ever for sustainable brands like you to share your sustainable story in a meaningful and authentic way. Wondering what it means to share a story that consumers can trust? See an example in this week’s Marketing Tip, where we share Niner Wine Estates’ Sustainable Story surrounding the Value of Energy Efficiency.   Stacking Energy Savings Electrici

Understanding Terroir How is your wine represented? Entry Deadline is Friday, 10/25 2024 Harvest Challenge  A win in the Harvest Challenge as the BEST WINE in your AVA can put your wine into a ï»¿whole new sales category. Terroir is a French term that refers to the environmental factors that impact wine production, and it can affect many aspects of wine, including:  Flavor profile: The soil type, climate, and topography of a region all contribute to the flavor profile of the wine. For example, sandy soil tends to produce drier wines, while clay-based soils produce bolder wines.  Texture and mouthfeel: The soil type and topography of a region can impact the texture and mouthfeel of the wine. For example, chalky soils can give wine a mineral flavor and a chalky texture.  Balance and acidity: The climate, particularly the amount of sunshine, temperature variations, and rainfall patterns, can impact the balance of sugars and acids in the grapes.  Wine

Shoppers’ sense of urgency around climate change is rising. 78% of global consumers feel that environmental sustainability is important, they like the idea of being sustainable, and want to live more sustainable lives (Simon Kucher & Partners, 2021). While many brands and retailers today are making eco-friendly claims, some chalk up to little more than greenwashing: a marketing ploy designed to make products seem more sustainable than they are. Because of this, consumers feel that they can’t always trust “green” claims. It’s more important than ever for sustainable brands like you to share your sustainable story in a meaningful and authentic way. Wondering what it means to share a story that consumers can trust? See an example in this week’s Marketing Tip, where we share Niner Wine Estates’ Sustainable Story surrounding the Value of Energy Efficiency.   Stacking Energy Savings Electricity use in the winery accounts for a la

My Favorite Neighbor Launches “Horizontal” Vineyard Designates Tasting Experience

New Flight Features 2021 Vintage Wines from Top Cabernet Vineyards in Westside Paso Robles April 10th – Paso Robles, CA—My Favorite Neighbor today announced its new Vineyard Designates Tasting, featuring […]