The Wine Enthusiast 2025 report, “As Wine Production Plummets in California, Small Producers Seize the Moment” (https://bit.ly/44bcfAC), captures a truth the industry has felt for several seasons: California’s production environment has shifted from abundance to constraint. Lower yields, more variable conditions, and rising operating costs have altered the familiar supply landscape. But the most interesting development isn’t the decline itself — it’s the redistribution of opportunity. As the article notes, independent wineries are not simply surviving the contraction. They are stepping into the foreground, leveraging their flexibility, proximity to the consumer, and their ability to act without the institutional drag that can encumber larger producers. This is the story of a sector rebalancing around agility rather than acreage. Operational Discipline as a Growth Strategy Independent wineries are discovering that growth in this new era has less to do

Wine Industry Sales Education (WISE) is proud to announce the launch of the WISE Rising Star Scholarship Program, three professional development scholarships designed to invest in the people shaping the future of the wine industry. Now in its 16th year supporting winery DTC, WISE continues its commitment to helping winery professionals grow through hands-on education, coaching, and certification. The new scholarships support both emerging professionals and rising managers who demonstrate heart, hustle, and a commitment to excellence. Recipients will be recognized at the 2026 Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium, held in Monterey California January 20-22, 2026. Two Tracks, One Goal: Empowering DTC Growth Rising Star Professional Scholarship (Value: $1,275) One Available. For individuals new to the wine industry or early in their DTC journey. Includes: WISE #111 Tasting Room Professional OR WISE #113 Wine Club ProfessionalWISE #116 Outbound Phone Sales Professional WISE

The global wine industry is facing its most significant disruption in decades. Consumption has declined since 2018, vineyard yields are down, and consumer habits have shifted toward spirits, seltzers, and cannabis-based alternatives. (Source: Eric Asimov, New York Times, Oct 14 2025) Meanwhile, costs continue to rise. Labor, glass, freight, and compliance add expense at every stage of the value chain, while tariffs and climate volatility erode margins. For small producers — the cultural backbone of the industry — survival now depends on efficiency, transparency, and direct engagement with consumers. Market Overview Global wine sales peaked near $360 billion in 2018. Since then, total volume has fallen roughly 10%, with the steepest drop in entry-level wines. Premium segments have fared better, reflecting a long-term 'drink-less-but-better' trend. Within the U.S., per-capita wine consumption has retreated to pre-2015 levels even as total beverage-alcohol spending gr

How Long Will This Last? Now it feels like it's 2025. The new year's cobwebs are clearing, and the events are starting, including the release of the Annual SVB State of the Industry Report, the DTC Wine Symposium, and next week, the Unified Wine Symposium will be in full force. The main goal of presenting the SVB State of the Industry Report is to provide a forward view and be as transparent as possible. I understand that many in this industry don't like to hear 'doom and gloom.' Who does? But that is exactly the comment I received several times over in the 2019 report when I said: With a good 2018 in the books, it would be easy for winery owners to just keep doing what they do now, hoping the multitude of challenges creating the current retail sluggishness will be solved. This would include consumers finding more discretionary income, labor and migration issues becoming disentangled, and the emergence of digital platforms and strategies to unravel the many pr

Join us this Wednesday, October 2nd at 10 AM PST for the next exciting installment of eCELLAR's Speaker Series — The Pulse! We’re thrilled to host a dynamic discussion featuring industry leaders Jennie Gilbert of Red Chirp, Jennifer Sullivan (Oaks) of Benziger Family Winery and Imagery Estate Winery, and Tracy McArdle COO at eCELLAR. This session will deep dive into how texting can revolutionize your customer communication, boost engagement, and supercharge your sales. Don't miss out! Secure your spot now: https://lnkd.in/gjUdrMdA

Read more here. The 17th annual Direct-To-Consumer Wine Symposium stands out as the go-to event for wineries eager to stay on top of the latest developments in the wine DTC industry. WineDirect is proud to continue its platinum sponsorship of the event, with fundraising going to Free the Grapes! - a national grassroots coalition of wine lovers and wineries who seek to remove bans and streamline restrictions in states that prevent consumers from purchasing wines directly from wineries. Having eagerly attended the event, the WineDirect team is thrilled to share our top takeaways.

Save the date! DTC Wine Symposium: January 17-18 2024. Presented by and a fundraiser for Free the Grapes!, the DTCWS is celebrating its 17th year as the nation’s premier winery DTC sales and marketing conference. The symposium will be held January 17-18, 2024, and will again include keynote speeches from industry leaders and thought leaders outside the industry, practical workshop sessions, town hall-type discussions, as well as a trade show featuring the industry’s top suppliers.  Event Website

Join Commerce7 and Sovos ShipCompliant for a look at the latest stats and trends in direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine, and how you can leverage them in growing your business. Specifically, experts from each team will share findings from the Commerce7 2022 Data Book and the Sovos ShipCompliant 2023 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Report, which is produced in partnership with Wines Vines Analytics, including: Insights on successful wine club programs Ecommerce best practices that drive bigger carts Tasting room tactics that feed DTC success DTC shipping trends by region, varietal, average bottle price and destination state This webinar will be of interest to wineries of all sizes that are selling and shipping direct-to-consumer via website, club, subscription and tasting room channels. May 18th, 10:00am PT REGISTER HERE (You will be taken to Sovos' website) *Can’t attend the live webinar? Register anyway and we’ll send you a link to the recording afterwards! SPEAKERS:

Recently, I talked to a brand-new winery, opening in the spring. They want to use Clover, Woo Commerce, and Mail Chimp. They called me to see how to best run clubs and memberships. They had not yet thought about shipping and reporting. When I asked if they had ever thought of combining all of that into a single platform, they didn't even know there was such a thing. Boy was it fun showing them how much easier their life could be with Activ8 Commerce. New Year Resolution #2 - Stop wasting time and money with disconnected apps. Be efficient and smart! You really must see it to believe it. Book your Activ8 Commerce Demo, it will be productive time spent on how to best drive DTC sales. And come see us January 18 and 19 at the DTC Wine Symposium in Concord, CA.

Kick-off 2023 with modern commerce solutions you will love. If your New Year's Resolution includes a boost in wine sales, it is time to work with VinesOS.  Schedule a demo for Q1 today and finally, take a break and start enjoying the season. Hit the ground running in Q1 with one platform to sell your wine, grow your clubs, subscriptions, and allocations, and manage reservations. No extra software or apps. Flat-rate pricing. No hidden fees. No contracts. No commitments. Meet the VinesOS team and explore our DTC solutions at the 2023 DTC Wine Symposium in Concord, CA, on January 18-19, 2023. If you've been looking for a new DTC solution for your wine sales, you'll want to make time for this! Attend our Symposium session 'Cutting the Friction - Accelerate Your DTC Sales' to learn what today's buyers expect online, on-premise, and from clubs to accelerate sales, reduce friction and grow your DTC. Happy Holidays and off to a new refreshing DTC solution in 2023,