My positive takeaways from Oregon Wine Symposium 2026 is that the wine industry has no shortage of opportunities right now. What is changing however is how clearly those opportunities are communicated and discovered. As consumers increasingly turn to AI to help them choose what to drink, where to go, and what fits their lifestyle, the wineries that articulate these wins clearly will be the ones that show up in the world of 'AI intent!' Here are my 10 ways the wine business can win in 2026 and why embracing AI now can help make them visible. Top 10 Ways the Wine Business Can Win in 2026 1. Lead with flavor, not labels Consumers want to know what it tastes like, not what it’s called. Clear flavor language helps AI and people understand wines faster. 2. Whites and lighter styles are growth engines White wines and blends align with affordability, freshness, and everyday occasions. Explaining why they fit modern lifestyles improves discovery. 3. “Better for you” ne

The wineries with the most loyal wine clubs aren't the ones with the best discounts. They're the ones with the strongest emotional identity. This will sound counterintuitive to anyone who's ever tried to stem club churn by sweetening the deal with free shipping or an extra bottle. But the data tells a different story. Companies with strong emotional connections to customers outperform competitors' sales growth by 85%. Not 8.5%. Eighty-five percent. The question isn't whether emotional connection matters. It's how you build one. Enter brand archetypes: a framework rooted in Jungian psychology that helps wineries create the kind of deep, identity-based loyalty that discounts can never buy. When wineries align their story, experience, and messaging with a core archetype, wine club loyalty stops being a battle against churn and becomes a natural expression of who they are. What Are Brand Archetypes? (And Why They Work in the Wine Industry) Brand archetypes are 1

Why Proper Fermentation Mixing is Essential It’s a common myth that fermentations “self-mix" when in fact this is only true during the most active stages of fermentation. Recent research (Schwinn et al., 2019) has shown that without manual mixing, yeast can struggle to stay in suspension, causing yeast stress and other unwanted impacts. The Benefits of Mixing LIMIT STRATIFICATION Without mixing, yeast and nutrients can crowd the bottom of the tank, leading to different fermentation rates and progression in different parts of the vessel.  PREVENT OFF-AROMAS Ensuring even distribution of yeast and nutrients limits stress, reducing the risk of off-aromas like hydrogen sulfide, acetic acid, and acetaldehyde.  IMPROVE YEAST PERFORMANCE Even distribution of yeast and nutrients also keeps yeast healthy, active, and efficient, improving fermentation kinetics and tank turnover. WHEN TO MIX Mixing is most important during early fermentation and near the end. At both o

Most people design the label. Fewer design the surface. But in direct-to-glass screen printing, the surface is the label. And for brands looking to differentiate, it might just be the missing layer.  Labels can be beautiful — but they’re temporary Screen print becomes part of the object itself And when you print directly to glass, the label becomes… permanent It’s not just aesthetics. It’s perception. Take Melorosa, for example. The brand chose to skip the paper entirely. Instead, we screen printed an architectural illustration directly onto the bottle — a story about legacy, migration, and craftsmanship told in a single line of ink. No label to peel. No glue to fade. Just memory held in form. Or Suerte Tequila — a brand that channels ancient Aztec mythology into its packaging. Their iconic rabbit was printed in two colors right onto the glass. Every agave tattoo, every etched line — fused into the bottle itself. Not just for bea

The fear of alienating one’s customers is warranted, considering AI-suggested ad copy tends to feel like a supermarket birthday cake: the tepid intersection of everyone’s tastes, perfectly inoffensive and underwhelming, pleasant but forgettable. In Wine & Spirits especially, it’s tempting to treat AI’s role in our marketing output like a zero sum game: a choice between efficiency or meaning, novelty or tradition, quantity or quality, transaction or connection.  Fortunately—with the right approach—it’s actually not all that difficult to retain one’s soul despite dramatically improving one’s productivity in any role. While this does sound like something Chat GPT would write (looking at you, em dashes)—well, there’s nothing I can say to convince you I’m human right now, is there? On second thought, maybe it’s best to just read on. It’s Worth It. Used judiciously, AI is the great equalizer.

Dispelling Myths About Wine and Health: Turning The Tables on Tony Edwards

By Carl Giavanti Tony Edwards is a former BBC TV producer-director-writer with more than 80 science documentaries to his credit (including programs such as PBS’s Nova). His work has received [...]

Farmers and agricultural experts indicate that better access to ongoing education is crucial to advance their businesses. Recognizing that advancements in science and technology are constant, Vineyard Team launched a series of online courses to deliver the latest education on sustainable winegrowing.  Courses feature insights from experienced farmers, researchers, and UC Extension. Best of all, viewers can access these courses for free (saving $380)! All courses within Sustainable Winegrowing On Demand include valuable continuing education hours (11.5 Department of Pesticide Regulation, 34 Certified Crop Advisor), and a train-the-trainer kit so viewers can easily educate their team. Through this program, there is a unique opportunity to connect with other sustainable winegrowers through roundtable discussions. Larry Witted, PCA and CCA from Lodi, California shares, "The Sustainable Winegrowing education from Vineyard Team allows me to view cutting-edge educational pro

MODERN WEBSITE DESIGN TRENDS PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD ONLINE. As humans, we have many good and bad qualities, but one thing we excel at is the ability to make rapid judgments. In fact, studies suggest that it takes merely a fraction of a second—about 50 milliseconds or 0.05 seconds—for individuals to form an impression of a website. (This has been confirmed by Google research). This initial perception significantly influences our decision to either engage further or navigate away. Just as we evaluate people at lightning speed, the same principle applies to websites online. And these impressions matter. Research has proven that the better the first impression, the longer a visitor will stay on a page. So, what makes up that first impression? A British study showed that 94% of initial opinions were design-related, and only 6% content related. (We’re not just saying this because we design websites, honestly!) It is absolutely essential to your business’s success

Vineyard Team's introduction of Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand in 2023 brought forth a game-changing initiative. This program includes no-cost online courses that explore essential subjects like soil health, pest management, nutrition, and climate change, benefiting winegrape growers and industry professionals alike. Get instant access to 20 courses - absolutely free! -These courses prioritize sustainable winegrowing methods and all count towards valuable Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) or Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) continuing education hours: Trunk Renewal for Management of Trunk Diseases | DPR 1 - O; CCA 1 - IPM Waves of Innovation in Virus Vector Disruption: Vine Mealybug | DPR 1 - O; CCA 1 - IPM Improving Nursery Practices to Prevent Fungal Contamination and Biocontrol Strategies Against Grapevine Trunk Diseases | DPR 1 - O; CCA 1 - IPM Beyond Climate Change: The Agricultural Response and the Concept of Climate Smart Agriculture | CCA 1 - SWM Biologicals Upda

Join Karin Strykowski, Director of Client Change Management at Wineshipping, on May 16th at the Wine Sales Symposium in Santa Rosa, CA. She will be speaking on Strategies for Increasing Delivery on the First Attempt. During this session, she will unravel the widely held myth surrounding shipping on Mondays and discover why this strategy may not be as effective as once believed. Karin will also delve into proven strategies that increase delivery on the first attempt and discuss  See more details and register here. Use promo code WINESHIPPING2024 for $50 off!