Online gifting is one of the fastest-growing ecommerce categories, and wine is right at the top. The truth is, the brands winning in this space aren't just riding the trend. They're building dedicated gifting infrastructure to squeeze every last drop from tis big opportunity. Wineries and beverage brands that invest in purpose-built gifting tools like Zest typically see significant gift sale growth in their very first holiday season. And those that scale over multiple years are seeing 30–75% year-over-year growth through channels like concierge gifting and self-service corporate gifting. Clif Family Winery is one brand that made the shift (and hasn't looked back). "Gifting orders were pretty much always high-touch and handled over the course of several calls and emails. Now, we can sell gifts while we sleep, which we see happen all the time!"  — Katie Taylor, Gifting & Subscriptions Sales Manager, Clif Family Winery Curious why wine keeps sh

I spend an embarrassing amount of time every January reading year-end recaps, trend reports, and “culture in review” pieces. It’s part professional habit, part curiosity, part doomscrolling with a notebook. But as I started flipping through 2025 retrospectives, something felt… off. Not alarming. Not exciting. Just oddly muted. Nothing was shouting. Nothing felt particularly sharp. Even the topics that usually come with big opinions seemed softened, neutralized, turned down a few notches. So I pulled the thread. And the more I looked, the more I began noticing the same quiet signals emerging in places that had no connection to each other: design trends, language, social behavior, media content, fashion, and even travel preferences. Different industries. Different audiences. Same emotional temperature. Meh. Which led me to a question I couldn’t shake: Is this increasing indecisiveness a new form of rebellion? A sign of boredom? Or are we just culturall

Another month of calm November typically marks the end of a new harvest and the middle of our busiest sales quarter. October’s government shutdown created unbelievable market uncertainty. But with the system back up and Thanksgiving almost normal, stability returned rather than the predicted surges or collapses by pundits from both sides. Still, questions remain about the future of our economic recovery prospects. For now, it is a reprieve, allowing us to regroup for the new year. Market dynamics The delayed reports from Commerce and the Bureau of Labor Statistics have started to trickle in, bringing some key takeaways: Unemployment is holding at 3.8%. Inflation easing to 2.3% YoY. Consumer spending down ~2% from Q3, but no hint of a cliff. As we close out the year and look to 2026, the focus will be on staying agile in both supply planning and capturing winery sales and marketing opportunities. The key trends persist: Steady demand, no major swings, and a growing gap between spe

HOW TO KEEP YOUR BRAND TOP OF MIND WHEN CUSTOMERS ARE DROWNING IN HOLIDAY EMAILS The inbox in December isn’t a communication tool—it’s a full-contact sport. Every brand, from the global megastore to the local dog bakery, is shouting their way into people’s attention span with flashing subject lines, endless exclamation points, and “40% OFF” hysteria that blurs into static. Consumers don’t read; they scan for relief. According to Mailjet’s 2024 BFCM report, holiday email volume jumps nearly 80% between Thanksgiving and Christmas, while average open rates drop to 13–15%—a statistical cry for help. But the real problem isn’t quantity—it’s tone. Every brand is talking at their audience instead of with them. The louder the messaging, the less people listen. Leading with prices and panic doesn’t inspire trust; it triggers fatigue. That’s your opportunity. The brands that win the inbox aren’t the

Wine clubs have long been the backbone of direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales. But with shifting consumer expectations and the rise of subscription culture, from streaming services to meal kits, wineries are rethinking the traditional club. Subscription models promise flexibility for customers, stability for wineries, and in many cases, less operational strain. We asked four leading technology providers (Awtomic, Commerce7, OrderPort, and VinSuite) to share their insights on how wineries can successfully add or adapt subscriptions. We also gathered a few winery examples to show how creative models are being used today. This list is in no way exhaustive, there are many winery DTC software/SaaS providers with options, and the landscape is continuously evolving. For a deeper dive, check out this article by WineBusiness Monthly with all the providers, trends, and a very helpful comparison chart. What Are Wine Subscriptions? At their core, wine subscriptions are a modern twist on the tradi