A few years ago at the DTC Wine Symposium, a panelist joked about the modern winery website formula: the guy, the dog, the truck, and the vineyard. Beautiful backdrop, strong lifestyle photography, a thoughtful founder story. Polished, absolutely. Strategically distinct, rarely. The critique wasn’t about branding. It was about structure. Most winery websites aren’t broken, but they aren’t built as decision environments either. Calls to action are unclear, revenue pathways are buried, shipping surprises appear late, and wine club often lives in isolation instead of throughout the buying journey. After auditing winery sites across regions and production sizes, the pattern is consistent: performance is constrained by friction, not effort. Most wineries don’t have a traffic problem. They have a conversion architecture problem. Before increasing ad spend or launching another promotion, run a winery website audit — on your phone. Start at the homepage and move t

Cyber Week Winery Marketing: Planning Smarter, Selling Stronger Cyber Week is almost here, and consumers are primed to buy. For wineries, it’s not just a chance to move inventory — it’s a chance to win new fans, reward loyal members, and end the year strong. The goal isn’t simply to discount — it’s to strategically position value, create urgency, and make buying feel effortless. Whether you’re a small family-run tasting room or a multi-location brand, these proven strategies will help you get the most out of the week. 1. Build Anticipation Before the Week Begins Cyber Week success starts long before Friday. The wineries that win start warming up their audience early — building curiosity, boosting email sign-ups, and reminding people why they love their brand. Ideas to get the buzz going: Add a countdown banner or homepage teaser with “Our biggest offer of the year starts soon.” Send a “save the date” email to your

Over the past few years, wineries have seen tasting room visits decline as consumer habits shift. With more options than ever, visitors are looking for something special—experiences that go beyond just sampling wine. For many wineries, this means rethinking how they engage guests and creating a place people want to come back to. This guide explores how wineries across the country are turning their tasting rooms into destinations—balancing local charm, modern convenience, and genuine hospitality. Create Unique, Social Experiences In today’s market, wineries that stand out provide more than just a tasting—they create memorable, shareable experiences that make guests want to stay longer and come back. Enhancing the Atmosphere with Music: Music adds energy and can make an ordinary tasting feel like an event. Hosting live music, whether it’s a local band or acoustic performer, brings people together and keeps them engaged. Many wineries schedule music on weeke

Wine clubs have long been the heartbeat of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) revenue for wineries. With dependable quarterly allotments, they’ve offered a level of predictability that few other channels provide. But as wine club expectations evolve and consumer lifestyles shift, managing them with outdated systems isn't just inefficient—it's unsustainable. The reality? Many wine club managers are still losing sleep (literally) over club processing. They're spending hours—sometimes days—navigating clunky systems that should have made their jobs easier. Instead of focusing on member engagement, personalization, and loyalty building, they’re stuck in a loop of manual tasks, system errors, and reactive troubleshooting. It doesn’t have to be this way. Let’s talk about why modern tech should support your wine club manager’s time—not steal it—and how Corksy is leading that change. The Burden of Traditional Club Processing We&rsquo

Sonoma, CA, April 22, 2025 – Free Flow Wines announced the winners of the 12th annual KEGGY Awards, honoring wine on tap leaders for their extraordinary environmental impact and commitment to sustainability. For the first time, the awards are being celebrated in April to align with Earth Month, reinforcing Free Flow’s mission to drive a more sustainable future for the wine industry with reusable steel kegs – a truly zero-waste package. Additionally, Free Flow expanded award categories this year to also recognize winery partners who have saved over 50K and 2MM bottles from the landfill.  “We changed the award schedule to Earth Month to reflect one of our core values: sustainability.” said Rich Bouwer, CEO of Free Flow Wines. “It is an exciting time to be talking about our wine on tap partners. Despite ongoing challenges in the alcohol beverage sector, keg shipments through Free Flow Wines have continued to grow—proving that wine on tap is n

The wine industry is steeped in tradition, but let’s be real—it’s time to shake things up. Younger demographics aren’t buying into the same old wine marketing tricks or outdated experiences. Want to grab their attention (and their dollars)? Then it’s time to think bold, fun, and modern. You Don’t Have to Do It All—Start Small and Stay True to Your Brand Attracting younger wine lovers doesn’t mean you need to overhaul everything or abandon your roots. Instead, consider making a few strategic shifts that align with your brand. Maybe your website keeps the traditional tasting notes, but you have fun with social media. Maybe your weekends are reserved for 21+ reservation-only tastings, but your weekdays are more relaxed and family-friendly. The key is finding what works for you and your audience. Now, let’s dive into some ideas. 1. Flex Your Wine Club Options Your wine club isn’t working for everyone. Sure, your loyal members lov

Over the past few years, wineries have seen tasting room visits decline as consumer habits shift. With more options than ever, visitors are looking for something special—experiences that go beyond just sampling wine. For many wineries, this means rethinking how they engage guests and creating a place people want to come back to. This guide dives into fresh ideas to help your winery stand out, turning it into a destination where visitors feel welcome, excited, and connected to what you offer. Create Unique, Social Experiences In today’s market, wineries that stand out provide more than just a tasting—they create memorable, shareable experiences that make guests want to stay longer and come back. Enhancing the Atmosphere with Music: Music adds energy and can make an ordinary tasting feel like an event. Hosting live music, whether it’s a local band or acoustic performer, brings people together and keeps them engaged. Many wineries schedule music on weekends to attr

As the busiest time of year for wineries approaches, it’s critical to plan ahead for the holiday season, specifically the OND period (October, November, December). With so many opportunities—Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's—wineries need to strategically market to capture sales and build lasting customer relationships. Here’s a detailed guide, based on our Holiday Marketing Webinar, to help you create campaigns that will maximize your success this holiday season. Why Holiday Marketing is Critical for Wineries The holiday season often represents the most lucrative time of year for wineries, with up to 30% or more of annual sales generated during OND. This period provides opportunities for increased engagement, new customer acquisition, and deeper loyalty with existing customers. The biggest reason for the spike in holiday sales is the gifting mindset. During the holidays, customers are not only buying for themselves but als

Introduction ‘Tis the season to uncork success and sell more wine! December is the perfect time for wineries to engage customers, boost sales and spread holiday cheer. In this article, we’ll unveil 12 creative holiday campaign ideas to ensure a festive and profitable December. 1. Virtual Tastings & Experiences Bring the winery experience to customers’ homes with virtual tastings and events. Host live sessions where enthusiasts can sample wines with the winemaker and interact with the winery team. Offer the wines in a bundle ahead of the event to encourage sales and provide attendees with a special discount code at the end of the event to promote additional purchases! Kivelstadt Cellars offers discounts at different price points. Courtesy of kivelstadtcellars.com.2. Festive Gift Sets Curate special holiday gift sets, pairing wines with complementary items such as gourmet chocolates and other snacks or custom wine accessories. Offering bundles can increase the avera

Afternoon Brief, August 22nd

Sherry Lehmann’s Landlord Sues Iconic Wine Shop over $3.6 Million in Unpaid Rent: Sherry-Lehmann’s landlord is suing the iconic wine retailer as well as its former owners over $3.6 million in unpaid rent – and is demanding that its shuttered store on Park Avenue be cleared out immediately, according to a court filing...