A few years ago at the DTC Wine Symposium, a panelist joked about the modern winery website formula: the guy, the dog, the truck, and the vineyard. Beautiful backdrop, strong lifestyle photography, a thoughtful founder story. Polished, absolutely. Strategically distinct, rarely. The critique wasn’t about branding. It was about structure. Most winery websites aren’t broken, but they aren’t built as decision environments either. Calls to action are unclear, revenue pathways are buried, shipping surprises appear late, and wine club often lives in isolation instead of throughout the buying journey. After auditing winery sites across regions and production sizes, the pattern is consistent: performance is constrained by friction, not effort. Most wineries don’t have a traffic problem. They have a conversion architecture problem. Before increasing ad spend or launching another promotion, run a winery website audit — on your phone. Start at the homepage and move t

The “Magic of Wine" is many things–farming, art & science, poetry, toasts, tastes, friendship, and much else—but first and foremost, it’s the people behind all those things and the passion they bring. “The product is a pleasure, but the people are the treasure.” We at WineAmerica are proud that the 2024 Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards nominees include three people or wineries on our Board of Directors. Jason Haas, nominated for Person of the Year, is a Partner and General Manager at Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, CA. He is well-known and widely respected for combatting inequity and implementing sustainability both in and beyond the vineyard. WineAmerica’s annual fall meeting in November will be held in Paso Robles and will include a special tour of the vineyard as an example of regenerative viticulture. Jason has been an active member of our Board for the past two years. The Vineyards at Dodon in Davidsonville, MD, is co-o

By Chelsea Franchi Tablas Creek is well-versed in the meaning of partnership.  After all, in business and practice, we are a partnership ourselves.  This winery was built upon the personal and professional relationship of two esteemed families: the Perrin Family of Chateau de Beaucastel and the Haas Family of Vineyard Brands.  This initial partnership not only shaped our present approach to business but also serves as a guiding principle in nurturing future collaborations.  We take great pride in the work we put forth in the vineyard, the cellar, and the business, so any ancillary associations we forge have some high standards to live up to. Infinity Bottling in American Canyon In addition to taking pride in how we conduct ourselves with others, we prioritize sustainability and recognize the profound impact our actions have on the planet.  In 2022, we released our first wine packaged in the bag-in-box format.  This radical decision was driven by several fa

Join Vineyard Team at Tablas Creek Vineyard for a discussion on establishing and farming a dry farmed vineyard.  Learn from Jordan Lonborg (Vineyard Manager) and Neil Collins (Executive Winemaker) about their floor management, soils, stormwater management, establishment considerations, and lessons learned from their dry-farmed blocks. REGISTER Coffee and pastries will be provided. Please wear sturdy foot wear as we’ll be in a pretty rugged location. There will be an opportunity at the end of the meeting to hike to the top of the hill to see part of the planting that is well established.   Directions: Follow Google Maps directions to this dropped pin. Carpooling is encouraged!   Project Partners: California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Vineyard Team We would like to thank the Department of Water Resources for providing funding for education on dry farming in coastal winegrapes.    CCA 2 - SWM REGISTER

Join Vineyard Team at Tablas Creek Vineyard for a discussion on establishing and farming a dry farmed vineyard.  Learn from Jordan Lonborg (Vineyard Manager) and Neil Collins (Executive Winemaker) about their floor management, soils, stormwater management, establishment considerations, and lessons learned from their dry-farmed blocks. REGISTER Coffee and pastries will be provided. Please wear sturdy foot wear as we’ll be in a pretty rugged location. There will be an opportunity at the end of the meeting to hike to the top of the hill to see part of the planting that is well established.   Directions: Follow Google Maps directions to this dropped pin. Carpooling is encouraged!   Project Partners: California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Vineyard Team We would like to thank the Department of Water Resources for providing funding for education on dry farming in coastal winegrapes.    CCA 2

Join Vineyard Team and the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance for an educational event that brings together wine industry professionals and energy partners for a half-day of sessions and networking focused on sustainable energy. THURSDAY, MARCH 14 8:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. SPRINGHILL SUITES BY MARRIOTT 900 EL CAMINO REAL, ATASCADERO REGISTER Itinerary: 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. …………….. Check-in, Coffee & Networking 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. …………….. Program Begins & Introductions 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. ……….….. Session 1: Energy Shift for the Wine Industry 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. …………. Session 2: Building Resiliency 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m......… Session 3: Leveraging Energy Sustainability 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. …………… Networking Lunch REGISTER SPEAKERS & TOPICS INCLUDE: Energy Shift for the Wine In

Join Vineyard Team and the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance for an educational event that brings together wine industry professionals and energy partners for a half-day of sessions and networking focused on sustainable energy. THURSDAY, MARCH 14 8:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. SPRINGHILL SUITES BY MARRIOTT 900 EL CAMINO REAL, ATASCADERO  REGISTER   Itinerary: 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. …………….. Check-in, Coffee & Networking 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. …………….. Program Begins & Introductions 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. ……….….. Session 1: Energy Shift for the Wine Industry 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. …………. Session 2: Building Resiliency 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m......… Session 3: Leveraging Energy Sustainability 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. …………… Networking Lunch  REGISTER      SPEAKERS &

Shutdown Postponed A few days before the November 17 deadline, the House passed a two-step Continuing Resolution that was accepted by the Senate and signed by the President, averting a government shutdown while establishing new deadlines of late January and early February to adopt a new budget—or go through the same fire drill again. That’s a big deal. First, it keeps everything running normally. Second, it means our Executive Vice President and Director of Government Affairs, Michael Kaiser, won’t have to spend his family holidays prowling Capitol Hill. Third, we can now proceed with a planned legislative wine reception on November 29 with our colleagues and partners at Wine Institute. More things to be thankful for… WineAmerica Fall Retreat: Thank You, and Welcome! Last week WineAmerica held our annual Fall Retreat in the wine country of Traverse City, Michigan, where Board member Marie Chantal-Dalese of Chateau Chantal served as local coordinator and graciou

Afternoon Brief, September 6th

Renowned International Winemaker Files Lawsuit Against Napa County over Denial of Water Rights: Jayson Woodbridge, owner and winemaker of one of the world’s most sought-after wines, has filed suit against the County of Napa after the county refused to issue permits for water wells on Woodbridge’s vineyard properties, in violation of state and federal law...