Five years ago, running a winery on Shopify meant duct-taping a lot of things together. Great for e-commerce. Okay for DTC. Difficult for wine clubs. Not really designed for tasting rooms. That's changed. The combination of Shopify's platform investments and a handful of wine-specific apps has created something genuinely new: a single operational stack that connects your tasting room, your wine club, your online store, and your loyalty program under one customer record. That convergence has real operational consequences — and it's why an increasing number of wineries are consolidating everything onto Shopify. Here's what's actually different. Your Card on File, Finally Done Right One very frustrating limitation of running a winery business on Shopify used to be simple: Shopify didn't let you vault a customer's payment card and charge it later for anything other than a subscription — not from your POS or your back office or sales team for one-tim

As the holiday season nears, wineries tend to focus on individual customers—rolling out special promotions and curated holiday bundles. But here’s the thing: corporate gifting is an amazing opportunity that often gets overlooked. Companies are constantly searching for meaningful gifts to send to their clients, employees, and partners, and guess what? Wine is a popular choice because it’s both a crowd-pleaser and a versatile gift that suits various tastes and occasions. Including corporate gifting in your holiday sales strategy doesn’t just open the door to bigger, high-value sales—it introduces your winery to a whole new audience who might not have discovered you otherwise. Each bottle sent as a corporate gift is more than just a product; it’s an introduction to your brand’s story and the quality you pour into every bottle. It's not just a one-off sale—it’s about crafting an experience that makes an impression that lasts long af

SAN JOSE, Calif., (June 3, 2024) - Technology is advancing at the speed of light, no doubt. The past year has been a testament to the rapid evolution, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). As we navigate these changes, it's crucial for businesses to not only embrace innovation but to also approach it with creativity and strategy. Recently, we had the opportunity to speak at the Tasting & Tap Room Expo, where we shared insights on the importance of creative loyalty across multiple generations. We loved having our feet on the ground and it was a huge success! The response from wineries, breweries, and distilleries was remarkable, with many businesses eager to explore new approaches to acquiring and retaining customers.  Here are some creative alternatives to traditional clubs that resonated with attendees: Reward Points with Cash Value: By offering reward points that have cash value and can be applied toward future purchases, businesses can incentiv

San Jose, CA | April 25, 2024 - VinesOS, a leading software platform for commerce solutions, is excited to announce that CEO Jules Robbins will be a featured speaker at The Tasting & Tap Room Expo, set to take place on May 7th in Reno, Nevada.  The wine industry’s newest show is the only dedicated tradeshow and conference explicitly designed for tasting and tap room management, attracting industry leaders and innovators nationally. Tasting room sales constitute an average of 44% of a winery, brewery, or distillery's direct-to-consumer (DTC) income, emphasizing the importance of this sector in today's beverage industry. Jules Robbins, alongside VinesOS Director of Sales, Kristen Muir, will lead a session titled "Cut The Friction: Accelerate Your DTC Sales," designed to help businesses grow loyalty across multiple generations. This session will explore how to leverage personalized connections made in the tasting room. Their practical insights help winerie

Afternoon Brief, April 24th

Is the Industry Ready for CBD Wine?: CBD wine, which combines the properties of CBD with traditional wine, has been forecast to see “explosive growth” in the next few years...

2024 Awards of Excellence Recipients in Tasting & Tap Rooms and Craft Beverage Announced

Five recipients will take away best-in-class awards during the Tasting & Tap Room Expo and Craft Beverage Expo & Conference in May. Reno, NV (April 23, 2024) – The Tasting & […]

The Industry's Only Dedicated Tradeshow & Conference for Tasting & Tap Room Management! From construction and design to the future of tasting and tap room hospitality and service, T&T is the one place that connects you with the tools and resources you need to create and cultivate a robust guest experience, retain members, and grow sales.  Event Website

Afternoon Brief, October 4th

Winery Worker Dies Attempting to Save Colleague from Wine Vat: Two winery workers have died in a freak incident involving a vat of Rioja, after one fell in and the other tried to save him...

OND – these three letters have a BIG impact for wine industry professionals. October, November, December – the three busiest months of the year. The pursuit of annual sales targets, orchestration of corporate gifting initiatives, and the crafting of captivating events and strategic marketing endeavors to harness the holiday sales upswing—all of this can feel like a whirlwind of demands. If you find yourself yet to embark on OND preparations, feeling the pressure of catching up, or simply seeking a starting point, rest assured. Use this blog as your compass, we’re outlining 6 pivotal considerations for nailing a triumphant and fulfilling OND in 2023.  Assess Your Inventory  As we approach the last few months of the year, now is the perfect time to assess your inventory. Once you ask yourself the following questions, you can plan your marketing, wine club, customer appreciation, and corporate gifting initiatives accordingly.  Which SKUs are you l

It’s always important to make the most of every single guest walking through our tasting room door. While most wineries are hiring friendly staff with strong service hearts, sales skills continue to be an area of opportunity for our industry. Many people worry that selling wine is too pushy, but the reality is, it’s an extension of great hospitality. Here are some key ideas to increase AOV.  1. WISE Triple Score  The goal for successful Direct-to-Consumer wineries is to have both high customer satisfaction as well as 3 out of 3 on the WISE Triple Score on every visit. The Triple Score measures if the server: (1) Asked for the sale (Industry Average*: 73%), (2) Effectively presented the wine club (Industry Average*: 38%) and (3) Attempted to capture the contact data (Industry Average*: 18%). (*Based on 2022 averages across 500+ mystery shops.)  Helpful sales shouldn’t feel pushy. It helps to remember that our guests are int