When the Super Bowl and Olympics approach, we celebrate the performance we see on the field. What we don’t see is the year-round conditioning, repetition, and skill-building that made that performance possible. Winning teams don’t train only when the lights are brightest. They train all year long. The same principle applies to winery DTC teams. Downtime Is Where Advantage Is Built Periods of slower visitation or economic uncertainty can feel like a signal to pause. But research shows that the opposite approach separates leaders from laggards. A landmark study published by Harvard Business Review analyzed more than 4,700 companies across multiple recessions. The findings were striking: “Only 9% of companies emerged from recession stronger than before.” Even more telling: “Companies that balanced cost discipline with continued investment in people and capabilities recovered faster and gained market share.” Training Is a Growth Strategy,

Napa, CA (January 6, 2026) – Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty (DP&F) is pleased to announce that attorney Tracy Genesen, former Vice President and General Counsel for Wine Institute, has joined the firm’s Alcohol Beverage Law and Compliance (ABLC) practice group. Tracy is internationally recognized for her legal work in the alcohol beverage industry. At DP&F she will continue providing incisive, strategic counsel to help business owners and operators successfully navigate the challenges inherent to highly regulated industries, including those for wine, spirits, and ready-to-drink beverages (RTDs). “We are thrilled to have Tracy join our team and further expand our deep bench of attorneys with expertise in the alcohol beverage space,” said DP&F managing partner John Trinidad. “She has been at the forefront on the key legal and policy issues – both domestic and international – that alcohol beverage businesses face: advertising a

The Perils of Using AI to Replace Entry-Level Jobs EXCERPT FROM: AI Wine Marketing News by VinterActive Perhaps you’ve read the headlines about entry-level workers struggling to find jobs due to the rise of AI.  And especially if cash flow is tight, it’s mighty tempting to target entry-level jobs that might be done at lower cost by AI assistants controlled by seasoned marketers.  On the other hand, Harvard Business Review warns: “Replacing entry-level jobs with AI may harm long-term competitiveness by eliminating critical training grounds for future leaders.” — Harvard Business Review What does that mean for wine business managers? As you probably know, AI works best as an assistant, not a replacement.  So, if you don’t have entry-level marketers learning from your experienced leaders, what do you do when senior leaders move to greener pastures? The answer is to challenge leaders to identify repetitive work that AI c

Just yesterday, more than 500 wineries received a DTC "Success Guide" in their Inboxes, courtesy of Silicon Valley Bank's Wine Division. Enolytics is proud to have contributed our computational power to process and decode a redacted set of SVB survey data, in support of Rob McMillan and his team's creation of the first-ever Success Guide. If you responded to the SVB DTC survey this year, the Success Guide was SVB's way to say Thank You for participating. We're saying Thank You, too, for your part in Enolytics' ongoing efforts to enhance the wine industry's "leveling up" through technology and data analytics in particular. Whether you're using our software, or you're an ENO Insights participant, or we're helping you migrate from one DTC system to another, or you're interested in our wine data literacy course, or you've expressed your interest in some other way... Thank you. It all helps. And the business of wine is getting

It's the first of its kind, and you get to have a front row seat. Wine data literacy + AI. It's a course created by the Harvard Data Science Review, where I'm proud to serve on the Advisory Board. We'll be piloting the course live in Switzerland in just a few weeks, and registration is open now for the half-day online learning experience. We'll be building that mini-course into a week-long version available on demand. So even if you can't join on June 24, there will be more chances coming up. I can imagine some questions you might be having, such as why is Harvard so interested in the wine industry? I wondered the same thing tbh. These are world-class data scientists and AI specialists, and no, their "day jobs" are not in wine. I'm the outlier in that regard, offering boots-on-the-ground perspective from Enolytics about the applications of data analytics in our industry. It's just that they love wine - like, really love wine - and they

Wine Marketers: You’re Probably Using AI Wrong Here's the way to work with your AI Marketing Assistant... Earlier this year, I leaned into GenAI to learn how it might help wine marketers survive a challenging time. Like many wine marketers, I initially viewed AI as another traditional business tool.  I’d ask a question (input) and wait for the computer’s answer (output).  Results? Sometimes insightful or artful, but often decidedly less so. It turns out I was using GenAI wrong when I first approached this unique beast. Here's what I learned... WORKING WITH AI AS A COLLEAGUE...NOT A TOOL Working with GenAI as a colleague, instead of using it as a tool, made all the difference in the world for me.  Instead of simply saying “write a business plan,” I ask my AI assistants to ask me questions about my goals and limitations, enabling them to do their best work tailored to my needs. Then the give-and-take of my conversations with Gen

The Political Tug-of-War The title of this post reflects the actions the Surgeon General is promoting. It's part of a long-term, well-thought-out, and well-funded campaign against consuming alcohol - any amount of alcohol. The campaign runs circles around anyone wanting to point out the other positive health science behind moderate consumption. But this report shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.  In a  September 2019 blog post titled "Get Ready For Cancer Warnings on Wine Labels," I discussed the developing impact of the Cumulative Negative Health Message spread by neo-prohibitionists. Even then, there was a growing push to add enhanced cancer warning labels. By now, you've undoubtedly heard the latest iteration of this skirmish, but if not, let me get you up to speed. On January 3rd, when many were resetting their circadian clocks back to work time after an extended holiday break, the outgoing Surgeon General released an advisory about alcohol consumpti

The fog along the California coast is alive — it flows from the Pacific Ocean up through passes in the protective coastal ranges and into the valleys like a tide. It rises into the hills and breathes before slowly receding to the valley floors and retreating through the mountains, across the sands and into the ocean waters. Toward the north, these fogs nurture the redwoods, and all along the coast, they provide relief from hot daytime temperatures for many wine country vineyards. The Niner Estate vineyards are near Paso Robles, about 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean. They are protected from the cold maritime winds by the Santa Lucia mountain range that parallels the coastline. One of the valleys the fog creeps through is the nearby Templeton Gap. For over a decade, Niner Wine Estates’ winemaker Patrick Muran has been crafting the Fog Catcher Bordeaux blend that he says is “named after the cool banks of fog we often see drifting over our vineyards on early mornings in

Afternoon Brief: Harvard Researchers and Leading Statistician Stand up to WHO

Medical researchers, e.g. from Harvard University, disagree with the WHO's advice against drinking any alcohol. And even Tim Stockwell, one of the people most closely associated with that messaging says that the risks from 'low level' drinking are 'tiny'...

DEC 14, 2023 TALKING TO THE QUEEN OF WINE INDUSTRY DIGITAL ENDEAVORS ABOUT HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR SMALL WINERY WEBSITE IN 2024… To round out 2023 on a high note, this week we have an interview with the incredible Susan DeMatei of WineGlass Marketing, talking about how small wineries can maximize their websites in 2024. Susan is the absolute guru when it comes to the unique challenges and opportunities that wineries have in the digital space, and I’m beyond thrilled that she has agreed to talk us. WHAT ARE SOME MISTAKES THAT YOU SEE SMALL WINERIES MAKING ON THEIR WEBSITES? Underestimating the impact of the internet. I get it. As a small winery you’re forced to deal with the fires right in front of you: The machinery that needs fixing, the staff that needs your attention, the utilities that need to get paid and the customers coming to your door. But while you’re doing those very important things, hundreds, if not thousands, of people will see your website this mon