Wine clubs have long been the backbone of direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales. But with shifting consumer expectations and the rise of subscription culture, from streaming services to meal kits, wineries are rethinking the traditional club. Subscription models promise flexibility for customers, stability for wineries, and in many cases, less operational strain. We asked four leading technology providers (Awtomic, Commerce7, OrderPort, and VinSuite) to share their insights on how wineries can successfully add or adapt subscriptions. We also gathered a few winery examples to show how creative models are being used today. This list is in no way exhaustive, there are many winery DTC software/SaaS providers with options, and the landscape is continuously evolving. For a deeper dive, check out this article by WineBusiness Monthly with all the providers, trends, and a very helpful comparison chart. What Are Wine Subscriptions? At their core, wine subscriptions are a modern twist on the tradi

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

JUNE 28, 2024 – Winners have been announced in the 17th annual Women’s International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWWSC). The competition, which took place June 10-12 in Santa Rosa, Calif., was founded on the premise that the majority of wine purchased for home consumption is bought by women. The IWWSC judging panels consist entirely of professional women in the wine and spirits industries — winemakers, distillers, marketers, buyers, sommeliers, educators and journalists.  “As always, the International Women’s Wine & Spirits Competition shined a spotlight on hundreds of deserving wines,” says Debra Del Fiorentino, owner of Wine Competitions Management & Production, which organizes and presents IWWSC. “And even though entry is open to all winemakers regardless of gender, I found it gratifying that six of this year’s sweepstakes wines were created by women. And our overall wine winner also was named Best Woman Winemaker

Afternoon Brief, April 24th

Is the Industry Ready for CBD Wine?: CBD wine, which combines the properties of CBD with traditional wine, has been forecast to see “explosive growth” in the next few years...