Texas Just Changed the Rules for SMS Marketing Here's What DTC Wineries Need to Know If you’re a U.S. winery using SMS marketing -- or even just considering it -- you need to know about a new Texas law that quietly went into effect on September 1, 2025.  Senate Bill 140 (S.B. 140) expands the state’s telemarketing laws to include promotional text messages, and it applies to any business texting Texas residents, regardless of where that business is located. For small, family-owned wineries already navigating a shrinking market, this law could introduce new compliance risks, legal exposure, and operational headaches.  And while I’ve long been an advocate for SMS wine marketing, we can no longer recommend it for most wineries unless they’re either exempt from S.B. 140 or have a customer base concentrated in Texas. Let’s break down what’s changed -- and what you can do about it. ⚖️ What S.B. 140 Actually Says S.B. 140 updates the

Afternoon Brief, February 19th

US Grocer Merger Could Mean Less Shelf Space for Wine: Two giant retailers are proposing a merger. If it goes ahead, it could have a significant impact on the American wine market...

Afternoon Brief, August 28th

Brock Lindsay of Lake Chelan’s Succession and Alta Wineries Dies at 40: Brock Lindsay, winemaker and co-owner of Succession Wines and Alta Cellars in the Lake Chelan appellation, died August 26th due to traumatic injuries caused by a utility vehicle rollover accident. He was 40-years old...

Afternoon Brief, February 14th

Beckstoffer Vineyards Sues Last Bottle for Trademark Infringement: The Complaint, filed on February 11, 2023, alleges that Blicker Pierce Wagner Wine Merchants, LLC and its affiliated companies, Sleeper Cellars and Last Bottle, willfully committed trademark infringement by placing the Beckstoffer trademark on the front label of a wine without authorization...

In the introductory blog in the Wine Series, we took a look at why it is important to rehydrate yeast properly. In the future, we will talk about and compare and contrast specific strains of yeast. But before we get into what the differences are between specific yeasts, we should take a look at how the yeasts used in winemaking came to be what they are today. Yeast is not new. It didn’t get invented. The fungus occurs naturally and has always been here with us and has changed along with us humans. Sometime, possibly around 5,000 years ago, humans realized yeast could be a tool and domesticated for our own purposes – whether that’s making bread or alcohol. In breadmaking, the yeast gives the bread CO2 bubbles to make the dough rise. Back then, people didn’t know about potassium bitartrate or other chemical means of making dough rise, so all bread was naturally fermented by using yeast and/or sourdough bacteria. In nature, yeast divides and makes a clone of itself

Afternoon Brief, October 27th

On-Premise Recovery “Back On” in September After a Brief Stall in August: Incomparable Data Sheds light on Off- and On-Premise Channel Changes at the Product Segment Level – Nationally and in U.S. Regions...

The “Latinx State of the Wine Industry” Concludes with a Successful Inaugural Summit and Reveals the Nonprofit Organization Benefiting from Event Proceeds

Presented by Hispanics in Wine and Uncorked and Cultured, the Summit Featured Engaging Panel Discussions, Powerful 1-1 Conversations and Successful Networking Sessions, hosted by Gabriela Fernandez of KVON’s The Big Sip New York, NY – October 25, 2021 – Hispanics in Wine held its first-ever “LatinX State of the Wine Industry” Virtual Summit on October […]

2016 Tor Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley Wins Event Panel Vote at Cultured Vine’s Judgement of Napa on October 6, 2021

Luxury Napa Producer is Crowned the Top Cabernet Sauvignon/Red Blend at Monumental Tasting Held on the 45th Anniversary of Stephen Spurrier’s Famed Judgement of Paris (St. Helena, Calif.—October 8, 2021) – TOR Napa Valley, an iconic producer of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, today announced that TOR’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville, […]

Afternoon Brief, July 27th

Wine Industry Network Launches packXplore: