POSTED BY  Theresa Barton Cray As we near the close of a challenging year for the alcohol beverage industry, suppliers are understandably looking for creative marketing campaigns to boost sales. Unfortunately, given the highly regulated world of alcohol beverage marketing, creative marketing ideas can sometimes hit the proverbial brick wall of regulatory restrictions. All is not lost, however, and there is still room for creativity provided suppliers work within the parameters of alcohol beverage regulations. To start, below are some common pitfalls that suppliers should avoid when marketing their alcoholic beverages in California and elsewhere. Retailer Partnerships Suppliers should closely examine any new marketing programs that involve or mention licensed alcohol beverage retailers. Partnerships with, or sponsorships of, retailers are in most cases going to run afoul of the tied-house laws in California, and in most other states, which prohibit suppliers from giving (directly

One standard marketing principle is “Don’t market to yourself.” In other words, just because a message or strategy makes sense to you, it does not mean it will resonate with your audience. We are human, and it is easy to fall into the trap of viewing the category, consumer, or competitive set in a way that may be informed but not relevant to the marketing challenge ahead. For instance, you may be considering Chardonnay as your competition, but consumers are making purchase decisions between your Chardonnay and all white wines on the shelf under $15. Talking directly to your customers is invaluable for confirming theories and aligning your messaging. Conducting research yourself—directly and intentionally—is often the most reliable way to avoid internal bias and align your strategy with actual consumer perspectives. One of the most accessible and common forms of primary research for wineries involves reaching out to their wine club members. Many wineries c

Wakefield Taylors Wines and 1800 Milenio Take Top Honors July 14, 2025 — Winners have been announced in the 18th annual Women’s International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWWSC). The competition, which took place recently 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.  This year, Wakefield Taylor Wines 2024 Estate Riesling and 1800 Milenio Extra-Aged Añejo took top honors. Wakefield Taylor, a heritage winery in Australia’s Clare Valley (a region known for quality Reislings), wowed judges with its “mouthwatering citrus blooms” and “gentle salinity.”  A representative from 1800 Mileno remarked, “1800 Milenio is backed by 11 generations of tequila-making e

As we move into the summer shipping season, the overall supply chain remains relatively stable – though a few indicators are beginning to shift. Here’s what we’re seeing across the key areas impacting glass packaging and logistics. Glass supply is holding steady, with no significant disruptions reported across domestic or international sources. Availability has remained neutral for several months now, though specific bottle types and molds still see some intermittent constraints. That said, there is a growing awareness in the industry of potential pressure on furnace capacity later this year. Conversations are underway about potential closures in Q4, which could result in tighter availability in early 2026 if demand remains stable or increases. Diesel prices edged downward in May, offering slight relief for overland freight. The national average fell from $3.567 per gallon in April to $3.499 in May. This small but welcome drop comes at a time when other transportation

Garrison Brothers Distillery and Ledson Winery Take Top Honors  (March 17, 2025) — Winners have been announced in the fourth annual Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge. A merlot from Ledson Vineyards & Winery (Sonoma County, Calif.) and a small batch bourbon from Garrison Brothers Distillery (Hye, Texas.) topped their fields to be named Best of the Best. The competition was established in 2022, in conjunction with Los Angeles-based beverage professionals (representing both the on- and off-premise channels), to highlight the best of the best wine and spirits producers in the world, and to introduce those producers to the largest market of consumers in the United States. Judging took place February 25-26, 2025. Says event producer Debra Del Fiorentino of Wine Competitions Management & Production, “Year after year, our judges continue to be impressed with the depth in each category. The quality of product was fantastic!” Competition this ye

[This third in a series of articles on the art of event marketing is a guide that focuses on all the main event. Reference post #1 post, Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail, to discover proactive tactics to complete first, followed by #2: It’s Showtime, to grab quick lessons on game-time decisions at the event.] Don’t Stop Now You’ve planned for the conference. You’ve attended the conference, and you hit it out of the park. The booth garnered oohs and ahhs. Attendees came from far and wide to learn more about the brand with the coolest setup on the floor. It would be easy at this stage to deem the event a success and call it a day. Not so fast. A successful event program depends on post-event activities as much as it does on the event itself. As you wind down one event, you’re already preparing for the next by reflecting on how the event unfolded. What worked? What didn’t? Did we meet our goals? Can we do better? Check out our all-in-one Confere

Read this first! As agricultural consultants in California, irrigation consulting during the growing season is our bread and butter. A lot of times, especially in vineyards with lighter soils where I recommend short and frequent irrigations, I know my desired schedule amounts to a tall order. Not everyone can feasibly do two hours, three times a week. No matter what’s best for the vines, I have to work with a human irrigator, who is still going to turn the valve on at 5 pm and turn it off at 7 am the next day. In a lot of cases, this amounts to a vineyard that is both over- and under-watered: the 14-hour irrigation percolated past the rootzone in under 3 hours and the rest of the week (after the root zone water was depleted) the soil was dry as a bone. So, I’m happy to see so much interest these days in valve automation. I’m also apprehensive because I’ve automated valves and it’s not a silver bullet. It’s not any bullet. It’s a useful tool t

Election Results: Trump 47 After many months of campaigning, vitriol, and intrigue, the 2024 election is over, and Donald Trump will be the second person in history to serve two nonconsecutive terms as President. His win was decisive in the Electoral College and the popular vote reflecting several major shifts among the American electorate. The Senate also flipped from Democratic to Republican control, with a couple of seats still to be called. Control of the House is also still uncertain, as votes are still being counted in California, but it looks like it could go either way, meaning either a total sweep for Republicans or a divided government if the Democrats prevail. It’s still too early to assess what all this will mean for the wine industry. Still, we know some key issues will be on the table, including the Farm Bill, regulatory changes, the dietary guidelines, the possibility of tariffs, and others. Once the key players in the Administration are in place, predicting direct