Afternoon Brief, March 30th

North Coast Wineries Should Prep for More Diverse Tasting Room Visitors: North Coast vintners should prepare for tasting-room visitors who are younger and more ethnically and financially diverse than they may be used to, according to a panel of tourism and wine industry experts Tuesday...

Afternoon Brief, March 6th

Couple Jailed in Spain Over 1.6 Million Euros Wine Heist: A Spanish court on Monday jailed a couple for stealing 45 bottles of wine worth over 1.6 million euros from a hotel restaurant in what police called a "meticulously planned" theft...

The Annual North Coast Wine Industry Expo (WIN Expo) is the largest trade show and conference focused exclusively on Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, and is the second largest wine industry show in North America. By Barbara Barielle When I approached Wine Industry Network President & CEO George Christie for a story about the 10-year anniversary of WIN Expo, I asked about exhibitors that have been involved in the event. He replied, “The industry’s best suppliers exhibit year after year and they have been since the beginning.” George Christie, Wine Industry Network President & CEO  That, in a nutshell, demonstrates the success of the North Coast exhibition, which brings industry suppliers together with  winery and vineyard professionals during the down time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Still intimate (but not small, by any means), this one-day event in the heart of Wine Country is now the second largest wine trade show in the coun

Mark your calendars for the 2022 conference The Show Me Grape and Wine Conference will be held March 9–10, 2022, at the Hampton Inn and Suites at the University of Missouri. Beginner Grape School will be held Friday, March 11, at the Hampton Inn. Click here for more info

December’s conference kicks off with a new format to engage professionals in all sectors of wine. —Barbara Barrielle Wine Industry Network continues its tradition as a leader in wine and wine-related conferences with its annual Wine Industry Expo Trade Show (WIN Expo), scheduled for December 2, 2021 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. This year’s event includes an increased focus on education, with industry seminars, lectures, and interactive winemakers’ trial tastings. For the first time, WIN Expo will offer four tracks for attendees—Winemaking, Sales & Marketing, Strategy & Leadership, and Viticulture—the latter of which is a new addition to the program. The day will be a learning and sharing vehicle no matter what segment of the wine industry attendees work in or want to explore. WINExpo’s importance to the wine industry means that the voices and ideas that are shaping the future of winemaking and wine marketing come together to share

We are looking for enthusiastic sales representatives in Long Island and NJ that want to grow with us. The successful candidate will establish, develop, and maintain new territories from scratch. This means you must be willing to roll up your sleeves, be organized, and diligent. These positions offer significant upside without territory competition. See more details and apply:https://www.wineindustry.jobs/jobs/52161368-sales-representatives-long-island-ny-and-southern-nj-at-wine-for-the-world

If you want to grow a luxury wine brand, marketing to more affluent customers can be a winning strategy. Affluent customers-- or, if you prefer, “high net worth” customers-- have the disposable income to spend on luxury items (like wine) and enjoy exploring new brands. The key to marketing to this demographic is changing your perceptions of what the affluent are like. What do you picture when you hear the word “affluent”? An older couple, sitting in the back of a limousine, drinking champagne and talking about their place in the Hamptons?  No doubt those people exist, but the face of affluence has changed dramatically in recent years. They can be of any generation--large numbers of the affluent are millennial or Generation Z. They are into social causes more than conspicuous consumption. And they are very tech savvy. All this means that the playbook that worked 10 or 20 years ago needs to be tossed and replaced with something different. He