Hat’s off to winery compliance officers! Managing a successful wine business without running afoul of state & federal laws has never been easy. Without you – our unsung heroes – our industry would only exist in the shadows. With wine sales down and more consumers craving convenient connections with their favorite brands, you’ll probably soon hear your sales/marketing teams asking for guidance as they deploy automated SMS messaging.   A Brief Overview of SMS Wine Messaging Compliance Since business texts are subject to unique laws and regulations at the state and national levels, we asked SimpleTexting, the world’s leader in SMS alcohol messaging, for guidance we could share. And here it is – a virtual “SMS Compliance Bible” for wine marketers looking to profit from compliant text messaging: SMS compliance for business text messaging: A refreshingly brief overview of the essentials and best practices. To help wine marketers look

Washington State Riesling Wins Top Honors in International Competition: Long Shadows’ 2022 Poet’s Leap Sweeps Four Categories

Recognition Includes White Wine of the Year and Wine of the Year by Country at the 2024 Sommeliers Choice Awards. Walla Walla, WA – June 21, 2024 — Long Shadows’ […]

Afternoon Brief, June 25

TUESDAY, JUNE 25 TRENDING STORY   Are Things Getting Better for the Wine Industry? SVB Says Yes — and No The news is mixed in Silicon Valley Bank’s 2024 Direct-to-Consumer […]

Afternoon Brief, March 6th

Couple Jailed in Spain Over 1.6 Million Euros Wine Heist: A Spanish court on Monday jailed a couple for stealing 45 bottles of wine worth over 1.6 million euros from a hotel restaurant in what police called a "meticulously planned" theft...

Afternoon Brief, September 1st

Walmart Move Threatens Oklahoma Wine Retailers: The retail giant is pushing to dominate the state's wine and spirits market, at the expense of smaller, independent retailers...

With Less Than a Week Left to Vote, Walla Walla Valley Holds a Narrow Lead for “Best Wine Region” in USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards

Long Shadows Vintners sits in second place in Best Wine Tasting Room category; public is encouraged to vote daily between now and Aug. 2 July 27th – (WALLA WALLA, Wash.) — With less than one week remaining to vote, Visit Walla Walla and the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance are asking the public to solidify the […]

While we've been fighting the Pandemic, another public policy battle surrounding health has been quietly fought in the shadows, the goal of which is to reduce or eliminate wine consumption by painting it as cancerous and unhealthy. This battle has been going on for a very long time, but the wine business hasn't responded or pushed back on the subject for 20 years. Recent Warnings I honestly had been living in the past with the belief that the French Paradox, the Mediterranean Diet, and Dr. Arthur L. Klatsky's extensive work on the cardiovascular health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption still maintained a place in the consumer's mind today. But I was shocked out of my sedated state in 2018 when I discovered the extent to which I was wrong, and started trying to get the industry's attention. In the 2019 State of the Industry Report, I issued warnings about the rise in neo-prohibitionism; a loosely aligned movement with the World Health Organization as a

The numbers tell part of the story, but what really makes us proud is our relationships. Since Outshinery was founded in 2016 we’ve served 350+ clients and 800+ brands and we are thankful for each and every one.  What else has happened since our first days as a visual asset creation agency for the wine industry? Here’s a look at the past four years by the numbers. When Laurie Millotte created Outshinery, she had dinosaurs on her mind. FOR REAL. Walking home after watching Jurassic World at the cinema in 2015, an idea hit her: “If computers can make dinosaurs look that realistic, surely we can do the same for a wine bottle!” At the time, Laurie was working as a designer, creating beautiful wine labels for her clients. The bottles would be stunning, but when the likeness appeared in marketing efforts, she could see that her clients were often disappointed by the lackluster visuals. Glare, shadows, reflections—these distractions polluted the ima