NAPA, Calif., (Nov. 26, 2025) – VA Filtration Services’ Scientific Approach, Innovative Solutions from Napa Valley At VA Filtration Services, our mission is to empower winemakers to produce wines of the highest sensory quality. One of the challenges in modern winemaking is managing undesirable levels of pyrazines, particularly methoxypyrazines, which can impart green, herbaceous aromas that mask fruit character and complexity. Winemakers are left with two options: cover up the pyrazine (and potentially other attributes) or remove it through advances in pyrazine remediation practices. The Problem: Pyrazines in Wine Methoxypyrazines are naturally occurring compounds in certain grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. While subtle concentrations can add a sought-after freshness, excessive amounts lead to pronounced bell pepper and grassy notes, often perceived as faults—especially in premium reds. Often pyrazines present in wine due to enviro

The Post-Harvest Drop-Off Fall brings a flurry of activity to wine country. Tasting rooms fill with eager visitors, social media buzzes with harvest photos, and the energy is palpable. Then November arrives, and for many wineries, engagement plummets. According to Silicon Valley Bank's 2024 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey, the average winery converts less than 15% of harvest event attendees into repeat customers by year-end. This represents an enormous missed opportunity. The wineries that thrive year-round don't view harvest as a seasonal peak but as the starting point of a strategic customer journey.  Harvest Is Your Customer Acquisition Funnel Stop thinking of harvest events as isolated experiences and start viewing them as the top of your sales funnel. Smart consumer brands recognize that seasonal events provide a prime opportunity to collect valuable customer data while creating memorable brand experiences. These touchpoints become the first step in an ongoing relat

AI is changing how customers discover, research, and buy wine online — and that means your website strategy needs to change with it. We’re moving beyond the days of traditional, keyword-heavy SEO. Today’s search landscape is driven by generative AI — platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Bing Copilot, and Google’s AI Overviews — which don’t just show links. They summarize information, cite sources, and even recommend brands directly in the search results. For wineries, that means success is no longer just about ranking on page one. It’s about becoming the trusted source these AI systems quote, reference, and build their answers from. Here are five practical ways to make sure your winery’s site is ready for the AI era — and positioned to be discovered, cited, and recommended. 1. Make Sure AI Can Access and Understand Your Website AI visibility starts with technical accessibility. If AI crawlers can’t reach or interpret you

Beyond SMS & Email: 2 Proven DTC Channels for More Wine Sales in 2025 New Direct Mail Strategies & Affordable Mobile Apps Deliver Quick Wins As we barrel into OND — the most critical sales quarter for wine brands — many DTC marketing teams are staring down a sobering reality: sales are slumping, inboxes are saturated, and SMS campaigns are losing steam.  The two primary direct marketing channels most wineries rely on — email (used by 85% of brands) and SMS (used by 15%) — are showing serious signs of fatigue. Promotional emails are increasingly buried in spam folders, and just last week, some of the industry’s leading SMS providers urged wineries to limit their use of SMS this holiday season due to deliverability concerns. So what now? If you’re a wine marketer looking for incremental sales this year without taking big risks, it’s time to revisit two proven channels that have quietly regained their edge: direct mail and affordabl

Second-Year Sponsorship Highlights American Wine Industry’s Economic Impact and Community Building Mission  WineAmerica, the National Association of American Wineries, announced today its proud sponsorship of the 2025 Come Over October Congressional Wine Caucus press conference and reception, taking place on October 8th in Washington, D.C. This marks the second consecutive year WineAmerica has supported this important invitation-only industry event, demonstrating the organization’s continued commitment to fostering bipartisan support for America’s burgeoning wine industry.  The reception will showcase wines from across many states, celebrating the breadth, diversity and quality of American wine production from coast to coast. This comprehensive representation underscores the truly national scope of the American wine industry, which now includes 10,637 wine producers operating in every state. Economic Powerhouse Supporting American Communities WineAmerica&r

Last month at the ATMO Summit (June 11, 2025), our COO, Scott Timms, hit the stage to share a real-world case study featuring our Elite 290 propane chiller in action at New Belgium Brewing. It was a great chance to show how natural refrigerants—especially R290 (aka propane)—aren’t just better for the environment, but also a smart, real-world solution for a wide range of industries. From breweries and food processors to industrial facilities and beyond, propane is proving it can deliver serious cooling power—without the climate cost.  Why Are People Switching to Natural Refrigerants? Let’s face it—HFCs are on the way out. With new rules rolling in and environmental pressure mounting, more businesses are looking for refrigerants that are low-impact, energy-efficient, and future-proof. That’s where propane (R290) comes in: Ultra-low GWP (Global Warming Potential) High efficiency = lower energy bills It’s been used safely in system

Discover Pragmatic AI Tools to Help Wine Marketers in 2025 Cut through the hype with AI Wine Marketing News Believe it or not, it's been two years since AI tools made their debut in DTC wine marketing. First-generation tools, such as ChatGPT, found a productive niche in copywriting, image generation, and video production.  Now, "AI Agents" are stealing the headlines with hyped-up promises paired with perilous predictions of doom. That's why VinterActive publishes AI Wine Marketing News -- a bi-weekly news digest -- featuring only trustworthy AI news items relevant to wine marketers. CLICK HERE TO READ THIS WEEK'S EDITION In this week's edition, we're featuring 5 news items:     Apple: The Illusion of Thinking Salesforce AI Research: Study shows AI agents struggle with CRM and confidentiality Futurism: ChatGPT "Absolutely Wrecked" at Chess by Atari 2600 Console From 1977 MIT Media Lab: Your Brain on ChatGPT Princeton: Ho

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

Wine Marketers: You’re Probably Using AI Wrong Here's the way to work with your AI Marketing Assistant... Earlier this year, I leaned into GenAI to learn how it might help wine marketers survive a challenging time. Like many wine marketers, I initially viewed AI as another traditional business tool.  I’d ask a question (input) and wait for the computer’s answer (output).  Results? Sometimes insightful or artful, but often decidedly less so. It turns out I was using GenAI wrong when I first approached this unique beast. Here's what I learned... WORKING WITH AI AS A COLLEAGUE...NOT A TOOL Working with GenAI as a colleague, instead of using it as a tool, made all the difference in the world for me.  Instead of simply saying “write a business plan,” I ask my AI assistants to ask me questions about my goals and limitations, enabling them to do their best work tailored to my needs. Then the give-and-take of my conversations with Gen

In today’s competitive market, knowing your customers is not just an advantage—it’s essential. Data appends offer businesses a way to enrich their customer data, providing deeper insights that can transform marketing strategies, improve customer experiences, and drive revenue. What Are Data Appends? Data appends involve adding new information to your existing customer database. This could include demographic details, email addresses, phone numbers, or behavioral data. The goal is to build a more comprehensive profile of your customers. Think of your friends or coworkers. If you knew one thing about them – Joe likes Cabernet Sauvignon – it would be tough to carry on a conversation with Joe for very long. You’d run out of things to say. But if you also know that Joe likes reading historical fiction and woodworking, is taking adult education classes in painting and art appreciation, and has traveled to Asia several times, you could converse all even