In today’s wine industry, tasting room reservations are not just operational tools — they are strategic levers. According to the 2025 SVB State of the Wine Industry Report, tasting room visitation remains one of the most powerful drivers of Wine Club acquisition and the second-largest contributor to direct-to-consumer (DTC) revenue, following wine sales themselves. Yet, as consumer visitation patterns evolve, how wineries manage reservations — whether through third-party platforms or built-in tools — has become a critical decision. The right choice can impact everything from guest satisfaction and Wine Club conversion to brand control and long-term revenue growth. Let’s explore the two primary approaches wineries use today:     •    External reservation platforms (e.g., Tock)     •    Built-in reservation flows on the winery’s own website External Reservation Systems: Convenience with Constraints

Afternoon Brief, April 28th

Traditional Method and Charmat Do Not Produce Different Sparkling Wines: Researchers from the University of Rio Grande in Brazil claim that secondary fermentation produces the same wines, irrespective of whether they are produced using the traditional method, in bottles, or in closed tanks, using the Charmat technique...