For a few months now, we've been keeping an eye on ROBIN. Robin is the AI tool that we introduced in March this year, that anyone who uses Enolytics can access at any time. Robin is smart, friendly and humble, and she is constantly learning (that is, being trained) from new content and especially from the questions that wineries have asked. This week I'd like to pull back the curtain a bit on what those questions are. Here are six examples. How would I pull a report that shows me how many tasting fees (count) that we collected? How can I build a report showing total Club signups by month, that includes sales associate, Club name, customer first and last names, and email? What features can help me analyze my customer data during the migration to another DTC system? How long will it take to update when I correct missing information? What is the best report to compare the performance of my new distributor in California against the previous one? What specific details or challenges

Wine clubs have long been the heartbeat of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) revenue for wineries. With dependable quarterly allotments, they’ve offered a level of predictability that few other channels provide. But as wine club expectations evolve and consumer lifestyles shift, managing them with outdated systems isn't just inefficient—it's unsustainable. The reality? Many wine club managers are still losing sleep (literally) over club processing. They're spending hours—sometimes days—navigating clunky systems that should have made their jobs easier. Instead of focusing on member engagement, personalization, and loyalty building, they’re stuck in a loop of manual tasks, system errors, and reactive troubleshooting. It doesn’t have to be this way. Let’s talk about why modern tech should support your wine club manager’s time—not steal it—and how Corksy is leading that change. The Burden of Traditional Club Processing We&rsquo

US’ Shamier Little passes on the baton to Bryce Deadmon in the mixed 4x400m relay heat at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP It began years ago, and every day, we have the chance to cross the finish line strong. How we got here is not by accident; rather, it is the result of vision, dedication, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. It started years ago with a vision of a brand. The starting gun may have shot off generations ago, or perhaps it was more recent. Someone somewhere had the idea to set down roots and create a brand. Significant investment was made in the vineyard sources, the winery and production facility, and of course, in the tasting room. The vineyard crew has one of the hardest jobs in our industry. From being outside in the early pre-dawn hours in the cold to working in soaring temperatures during the heat of harvest, these crews show up and are rarely recognized. They face spiders, snakes, and yellow jackets that want to leave a mark. They

Every year, we are always amazed at how much the wine industry changes—and at the ways in which wineries and their partners find ways to innovate. 2023 was no exception. What we are seeing is shifting patterns, including shifts in small parcel carriers, consumer purchase behavior, job creation, the use of technology, and more. We also see a lot of opportunity for savvy wineries going into 2024. So what were some of these key patterns in 2023 that will influence how the wine industry will (and should) react in 2024? Small Parcel Carriers Lend Stability to DTC It’s no secret that DTC wine shipping is disproportionately dependent upon small parcel carriers. So it was great news when UPS came to terms with its drivers union and avoided a major shut down this past summer. Meanwhile, Fedex is consolidating its ground and air business into one operating company, with an anticipated completion date of June 2024. The long term stability for UPS, combined with efficiency improvement

Imagine this – you start your workday by looking at the first table reserved. “Ok – John Doe is coming in with 3 other people.” So, you look up John Doe in your system. Not only do you see his email address, but you see his wife’s name is Jane and last time he visited, your coworker noted that he brought a dog named Skip. So, you find the dog bowl and write “Welcome John & Friends” on a reservation tent. A group of four arrive, clearly 2 couples, along with a dog. As they approach the door you say “Welcome, you must be John?” John’s friends are impressed, which makes John feel cool. You seat them and give them a splash of wine (and the dog some water). The tasting goes very well – they clearly had a great time and they purchased cases of wine. John and Jane joined the wine club and now you have their friends on the mailing list too. The cycle continues…now imagine how much different this experience would have

We all became unusually preoccupied in the U.S.starting somewhere around March 15th, 2020. I don't know about you, but the picture above was how I felt at that point in time. Since then, all of our thinking and behavior has evolved in a myriad of ways, and some of that evolution is permanent.   I'm hopeful we are nearing the end of this queird social, economic, and health experiment. After getting sucked out of our realities by the COVID tornado, I think we are finally on the glide path that will land us in Oz. I know it won't be Kansas anymore when we lift from our comatose fog. It will be something different and probably in Technicolor. But whatever it is, it's going to be better than the last two years! Anyway, with all the distractions since 2020, I've been remiss in posting this blog. In my defense, I thought this post probably didn't matter given the other issues we were all facing. But the smoke is clearing, the vaccines and boosters are helping, Omi

Family-owned and operated, our Client is guided by two essential principles: a passion for winemaking and a deep connection to the land where they live and farm. They are in the middle of the Willamette Valley in the Van Duzer Corridor AVA. The Direct to Consumer Sales and Marketing Director is a dynamic opportunity for an experienced wine industry professional to oversee all areas of the Direct to Consumer and Marketing business. The Director will lead and oversee all direct sales activities driving customers to the following channels: Tasting Room, Wine Club, e-Commerce, Telesales and Events – executing the Client’s vision through the direct sales channels, carrying accountability for sales and providing strategic, financial and tactical leadership for all direct sales channels. The ideal Director possesses a unique combination of skills. Bringing together strong business management and savvy rooted in sound analysis, an innate understanding of hospitality and beyond-expe