These wineries and leaders are setting the standard for innovation, engagement, and operational excellence across our community. Active Participant 🔹 Galen Becker Drace — Arkenstone Estate Winery Continuous Learner 🔹 Angela Walker — Corison Winery Community Champion 🔹 Truman Prewitt — Sculpterra Winery & Vineyards  The Unity Award 🔹 Karen Darling — Bella Vineyards Feedback MVPs 🔹 Adam C. — Somerston Estate 🔹 Marian Kildahl — Imagery Estate Winery  Super Users 🔹 Harry Bagnaschi — Treasury Wine Estates 🔹 Doug M. — The Duckhorn Portfolio 🔹 Jessica Hartin — JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery Early Adopter Excellence 🔹 Far Niente Wine Estates 🔹 Hess Persson Estates  🔹 Laurel Glen Vineyard 🔹 Sangiacomo Family Wines Transformation Champions 🔹 Alyssa Kosan 🔹 Eric Mueller — Antica Terra 🔹 Kevin Jessen — Firstleaf User of the Year 🔹 Rebbecca Ingalls — Crimson Wine Group Congratulations to our 2026 honorees! Lea

FAMILY FRENZY IN WINE COUNTRY: THE CASE FOR KIDS AND CANINES Let’s kick things off with a dose of reality. We’ve all been there: it’s a bustling Saturday morning in July, you’re bracing for a packed day at the Tasting Room, and Murphy’s Law is in full effect. Two of your staff are out sick; another is off serving the crowd at an art and wine festival downtown. You unlock the door at 10:01 AM, only to be greeted by a frazzled family of five: mom, dad, and three rambunctious kiddos. The younger two are reenacting a wild-west shootout with gravel as ammo, while the third is glued to an iPad, deep in the latest YouTube Kids saga. Mom and Dad look like they’ve just survived a hurricane, and you have a “high-roller” group arriving in fifteen minutes. And then comes the kicker: “Can we bring in our German Shepherd?” You contemplate if it’s too late to call in sick. INCLUSIVE IS THE NEW BLACK If you have yet to hear, exclusive

Afternoon Brief, March 6th

First-of-Its-Kind Industry-Wide Initiative Launches to Address Sexual Harassment in Beverage Alcohol and Hospitality: 86 Harassment is a free industry resource providing employers and employees with access to training, education, a confidential hotline, and prevention tools from industry experts...

Afternoon Brief, December 29th

What Were Wine's Biggest Deals of 2023?: In uncertain times for wine, stronger players are scooping up small but promising vintners...

Afternoon Brief, December 19th

Genetic Diversity of Wild North American Grapes Mapped: Research identifies traits that could advance grape breeding, sustainability...

Afternoon Brief, December 15th

WSTA Debunks Pesticide Report: Recent results from a UK government testing programme have suggested a dramatic increase in the proportion of wine that contains multiple pesticide residues – up from 14% in 2016 to 50% in 2022...

What To Make Of The Online Advertising Crash. As we’re planning with our clients for 2023, one question frequently popping up is the viability of Meta (the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, What’s App, and Messenger) and Google as advertising platforms. We understand the scrutiny, as 2022 has not been kind to the tech sector. The stock market saw seven years of gains erased in 10 months this year. The headlines are brutal, calling Meta a “risk,” a “loser,” or in what CNBC named a “death spiral.” Every other day there is news of another large marketer pulling out of the platform. Meta’s meltdown is shocking but not singular. Google is down 40% this year, Amazon 45%, and Snap 80%. Add the absolute insanity with Twitter, and even the boldest marketer is wondering how much budget to attach to social media in 2023. We must break down the causes of these market shifts to answer those questions and apply them to the wine business.