The Vineyard to Market Workshop Series launches this spring as a three-part program designed to support Lake County growers in navigating today’s market landscape. Each session will focus on a critical piece of the grower-to-buyer relationship, from understanding winery expectations to refining how vineyards are positioned and communicated, to gaining clarity around contracts and negotiations. Workshop 1 | April 29, 2026, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Buyer Perspectives: What Wineries Are Looking for From Growers An inside look at how wineries evaluate vineyard partners, including current market conditions, quality expectations, and key factors influencing purchasing decisions. Speakers:  Ben Byczynski, Director of Vineyard Operations, Draxton Wines Ryan Decker, Owner, DeckerVIT Workshop 2 | May 20, 2026, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Vineyard Branding & Messaging: Communicating the Value of Your Vineyard A practical session focused on how to clearly position and communicate vineyard value. To

Kamee KnutsonM. A. Silva USA, the leading and award-winning manufacturer of premium corks, glass and packaging, announced today it has hired two account managers for its California-based sales team: Kamee Knutson and Tod West. Kamee Knutson has been in the winemaking business for over twenty years and brings her extensive knowledge and expertise of the craft to her new position. Commenting on her hire, M. A. Silva’s General Manager, Mike Bartlett said, “We are excited to have someone with Kamee’s extensive winemaking experience join the M. A. Silva family. Her experience and knowledge will make her a valued advisor to our customers and our team.” For Kamee, this new position is a way to stay connected to the craft and community that shaped her. “The closure is the last thing to touch a wine before it is poured, and I can’t think of a better partner, in that moment, than M. A. Silva.” Tod WestTod West, a wine industry veteran, will be responsibl

Afternoon Brief, October 19th

Vintners union vows to stop cheap imports from entering French market and says the government ‘bears a heavy responsibility’...

Mark Ryan Winery Announces New Woodinville Tasting Room

The celebrated Washington State winery now offers two tasting room locations in the city, featuring enhanced experiences and event space WOODINVILLE, WA (October 19, 2023) – Mark Ryan Winery, a renowned Washington producer […]

Afternoon Brief, April 14th

California Vintners Welcome Higher Last-Resort Fire Insurance Limits but Await Return of Private Market: The Golden State raises coverage limits on its last-resort policies after billion-dollar wildfire losses at wineries, vineyards and other ag properties. Here’s how North Coast wineries are coping...

WineAmerica, the National Association of American Wineries, recently installed new members on its Board of Directors and discussed the outlook in Washington heading into 2023. The annual Fall Retreat, this year held at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington on November 14-15, also included updates on the organization's membership, government affairs activities, and 2022 National Economic Impact Study. "This was an excellent and productive gathering reflective of WineAmerica's continuing evolution," said WineAmerica President Jim Trezise, who served on the organization's Board and Executive Committee for 25 years before becoming President in 2017. "The new Board members bring fresh perspectives and energy to blend with the dedication and experience of longtime Directors." The newly installed Directors, elected by the membership in October, are Michelle Kaufman of the Stoller Wine Group (OR), Edward Matovcik of Constellation Brands (NY, CA, WA),

Afternoon Brief, January 27th

Wine Bottle Shortage Is a Myth Says Glass Packaging Institute President: In his remarks and presentation to the press DeFife stated that: “A glass shortage is not an accurate description of the current state of the market. We understand some end-market customers may have issues with getting bottle stock, but that is not a “glass shortage.”...

Bennet Valley winery Coursey Graves is one of several wineries to start off 2022 by launching RedChirp during the first week of the new year. Immediate Results To get started, four team members were trained over Zoom on Tuesday afternoon. They plan to expand RedChirp to additional tasting room staff by the end of the week. Coursey Graves received their first incoming text request - a question about booking a tasting in their Healdsburg Lounge - less than 3 hours after RedChirp’s web chat feature went live on CourseyGraves.com. Incoming, Outgoing, Promotional, and Operational Texting Adam Ryan, Director of Sales and Marketing at Coursey Graves, has put together a comprehensive plan to leverage the power of text messaging throughout the organization. “Text message marketing will be integrated as an ancillary service to our email marketing campaigns,” says Adam, who plans to use RedChirp to communicate promotions, follow-up after purchases, billing reminders, and more.

Now Commerce7 users can seamlessly manage tasting room reservations, increase event sales, and elevate the guest experience.  [Vancouver, B.C. September 2, 2021] — Leading direct-to-consumer wine e-commerce software maker Commerce7 announced today it has officially integrated with Tock, which provides the hospitality industry with an all-in-one online reservations, table management, takeout/delivery, and events system. This latest upgrade makes it easier for wineries to leverage the power of both platforms, helping them increase sales and integrate data across multiple channels by offering a complete view of their guests and customers. Additionally, the Tock integration further expands the fast-growing Vancouver-based e-commerce company’s capabilities, which also offers POS, e-commerce and CRM capabilities for wineries. Tock allows wineries to seamlessly manage tour and tasting room reservations, improve and simplify event sales and marketing, and elevate guest experie