Turning Summer Visitors into Long-Term Customers How to make sure they come for the pour and stay for the story Summer is finally here, and tasting rooms are buzzing with sunhats, selfie sticks, and road-trippers on the hunt for their next favorite wine. The influx is real: tasting room visitation peaks between May and September, with over 45% of annual winery visitors arriving in Q2 and Q3, according to data from the Silicon Valley Bank State of the Wine Industry Report. But here’s the challenge: for many of these guests, the experience ends with the last pour. One weekend, one flight, one forgotten name. So how do you turn that quick hello into a lasting relationship? The secret isn’t more marketing noise—it’s thoughtful connection. Think of your summer surge as the top of a funnel. If you treat each guest like a one-time transaction, you’re throwing away the most valuable part of that funnel: the chance to turn casual tasters into year-round customers

Afternoon Brief, April 10th

Scientists Launch Wine Bottle Washing Project in Finger Lakes, New York: Glass scientists in New York State are studying ways to wash and reuse wine bottles in order to mitigate rising costs for Finger Lakes producers...