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

Ten Ways Wineries Can Evolve From Selling Bottles to Creating Experiences That Resonate With a New Generation. If I told you a winery just opened with no vineyard, no winemaker on staff, and no interest in talking about terroir… would you visit? What if I told you it had a silent disco in the barrel room, a drag brunch series, and a 3-month waitlist for a zero-proof pairing menu? Those wineries exist. And they’re thriving. Because for a new generation of visitors, the wine isn’t the reason—it’s the reward. It’s not about what you pour anymore. It’s about how you make people feel. And we used to excel at this. But then we woke up one day… and it wasn’t working like it used to. The same offers stopped converting. The same messages started falling flat. The same visitors didn’t come back. And it’s not because we got worse at what we do. It’s because the customer changed. What they want. How they behave. Where t

The conversations I have about quality tend to focus on red wine. This is especially true in California, where Napa Cabs have historically garnered high prices, followed up by Coastal Pinot noirs and red Rhones. Honestly, in most places I’ve been where the climate allows for ripening red grapes, the reds are the main event with the whites being more of a warm-up act or even an afterthought. As a result, we know a lot about how to grow red grapes for quality – and less about how to grow whites. Consumer tastes are shifting though, and the big reds of yore are taking a back seat. Drinkers want lower alcohol wines with a lighter style and wineries are taking fewer risks with wine they can turn around in under a year. As a result, white varieties are in hot demand. If you’re a grower who can’t sell your grapes, you may very well be considering grafting some of your reds over to white.  So how do you grow a good white? In many ways whites are harder than their r

Elevate Your Vineyard's Appeal to Grape Buyers with In-Season Berry Phenolic Testing CVC Ag is excited to offer weekly berry phenolic tracking. Our precision sampling and analysis services help you monitor key wine quality markers—essential for color, tannin structure, mouthfeel, and aging potential. Why Phenolic Tracking Matters Data-Driven Harvest Decisions – Go beyond Brix and acidity to pick at peak phenolic maturity. Consistency & Quality Control – Achieve uniform phenolic expression year after year. Maximize Grape Value – Deliver fruit with premium quality metrics that buyers demand. CVC's Phenolic Analysis Services Total Anthocyanins – Monitor seasonal color evolution to ensure optimal grape maturity and wine quality. Catechins (Tannins) – Measure seed-derived tannins known for their impact on bitterness, astringency, and aging potential. Total Polyphenols – Track polyphenol development, key cont

‘Tis the season! Well, not quite, but for event and brand marketers, the time to think about holiday merch is upon us. I am delighted to share our 2024 Holiday Lookbook to inspire and guide you in choosing the top trending swag and promo items to dazzle your customers, prospects, and employees. How We Identified Top Trends: Our Methodology  My team reviewed hundreds of recent orders from top brands, particularly in our specialty industries: cybersecurity, entertainment, healthcare, tech, and wineries. We collected and featured the most popular items, plus a few hand-selected favorites we’re seeing this year that we’re super excited to share. While any promo items may be customized or expanded, these are the favorites we’re seeing companies use to activate their brands for the 2024 holiday season. Holiday Branded Merch Ideas and Inspo Leverage the 2024 Holiday Lookbook as a visual and conceptual guide to spark ideas and deliver tangible s

Name a subject that people think of talk about while tasting WINE: We're no-doubt dating ourselves with the Family Feud reference, but whether you're Generation-Steve Harvey, Louie Anderson or Richard Dawson - the answer is clear: WE LOVE OUR KITCHENS, OUR PETS AND TO TRAVEL! So, TopNest Designs has developed a Wine Country-related offering in these categories for 4th Quarter Gifts & Sales, all of which are: Customized with your full-color logo, label, photo, etc. Minimum order of 24 pieces Delivered within 2 weeks Printed in the USA FOOD + KITCHEN Swedish Sponge Cloth - $6.50 Coaster with Cork Backing - $5.50 Tea Towel - $10 Canvas Placemat - $10 DOGS + CATS Pet Collar - $11 Pet Leash - $19 Dog/Cat-Dana - $10 TRAVEL + CAR Luggage Tag - $8 Key Chain - $6.50 Stainless Mug - $18.50 Coin Purse - $8.50 And if you're in the market for anything else for your Holiday Events, Club Gifts or Tasting Room, check our downloadable catalogues here. We just need your desired

Perhaps you have been in this situation before. There I was preparing for my next promotion. I was ready, new clothes, new haircut, new attitude. I had seen folks promote to this point my whole career and now it was my turn. I felt I was ready because I had been preparing for more than 12 years. I had expectations that my work-life balance would be easier, after all, that is what my impressions were of folks who promoted before me. I thought the day-to-day grind was behind me and I would experience a greater connection to the mission and people as a result. Boy was I wrong! What I expected and what the reality was were two different things and I immediately began to question my choice to promote and even my career path for that matter. If this sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone. This is common theme in our executive coaching clientele. We are groomed to prioritize upward mobility and overlook the potential consequences, certainly in my generation. While the path to pro

wine-n-gear’s wholesale Wine Polishing Cloth (10″ x 10″) is a necessity for every bar. These microfiber wine polishing cloths remove water marks, leaving your glassware spotless with renewed brilliance. Available in a variety of color options and customizable with pad printing, these cloths make a personal and practical gift. Free Mock-Ups / Free Worldwide Shipping / Fast Turnaround https://www.wine-n-gear.com/product/wholesale-polishing-cloth/ 

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) approved a long-awaited indoor heat-illness standard on June 20, 2024. Before going live, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) will have 30 days to approve or deny the standard. Cal/OSHA has requested that it go into effective immediately after OAL approval, so it could very well go live in a month. The standard, Section 3396, requires employers with indoor workspaces of 87 degrees Fahrenheit and above to reduce the room temperature and offer workers other cool-down options. For indoor workers who wear poor ventilating protective clothing or work near a heat source, employers will instead have to provide cool-down options when the inside temperature reaches 82 degrees Fahrenheit. What California Employers Will Need to Prepare While California has had an outdoor heat illness standard since 2006, indoor workers have been left unprotected. Cal/OSHA has been developing this rule since 2017 but has se

The winery eCommerce landscape is constantly evolving, creating both challenges and opportunities for wineries looking to boost their online sales. With the rise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales channels, wineries have a golden opportunity to expand their reach and connect with their customers in more meaningful ways. Below are some tips to help wineries enhance their online presence and sales. Understanding the Current eCommerce Landscape The global pandemic has significantly accelerated eCommerce adoption across various industries, including the wine industry. Consumers now expect a seamless online shopping experience, whether they’re buying clothes, groceries, or wine. For wineries, this shift presents a unique opportunity to expand their reach beyond the tasting room and into the homes of wine lovers worldwide. The Rise of Wine Clubs Models: Winery eCommerce Staples Wine clubs are at the forefront of winery eCommerce strategies, offering a steady revenue stream and a dire