Texas Just Changed the Rules for SMS Marketing Here's What DTC Wineries Need to Know If you’re a U.S. winery using SMS marketing -- or even just considering it -- you need to know about a new Texas law that quietly went into effect on September 1, 2025.  Senate Bill 140 (S.B. 140) expands the state’s telemarketing laws to include promotional text messages, and it applies to any business texting Texas residents, regardless of where that business is located. For small, family-owned wineries already navigating a shrinking market, this law could introduce new compliance risks, legal exposure, and operational headaches.  And while I’ve long been an advocate for SMS wine marketing, we can no longer recommend it for most wineries unless they’re either exempt from S.B. 140 or have a customer base concentrated in Texas. Let’s break down what’s changed -- and what you can do about it. ⚖️ What S.B. 140 Actually Says S.B. 140 updates the

Summer winery marketing strategies are essential for staying competitive during travel season and warmer weather. As customer habits shift and traditional foot traffic slows, wineries must find new ways to stand out. The good news? With the right mix of creativity, personalization, and tech-driven tools, summer can be one of your most profitable seasons yet. Here are five innovative, customer-centric strategies to help your winery sell more and build deeper relationships this summer. 1. Rethink Summer Shipping: Flexibility Is the New Fast Wine and heat don’t mix. But neither do frustrated customers nor surprise shipping delays. In 2025, the most successful wineries are leaning into flexibility, clear communication, and smarter logistics to keep orders flowing and customers happy. 🔄 Give Customers Control Let your customers decide when and how they receive their wine. Integrate tools that allow post-purchase adjustments, like scheduling a fall delivery or choosing a local picku

Wine and Spirits Makers Have Access to 75% of US Market May 12, 2025 – LibDib, the leading digital alcohol distribution platform, in partnership with Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), proudly announces the expansion of RNDC On Demand to six new markets: Florida, Virginia (wine only), Washington D.C., Maryland, Colorado, Illinois, and South Carolina. This strategic rollout provides wine and spirits producers—from emerging brands to established suppliers—with more choices to access key markets through a flexible, tech-enabled distribution model. “Suppliers deserve options, and RNDC On Demand provides flexibility and control,” said Dean Parker, Director of the On Demand program for LibDib and RNDC. “Together, we’re expanding a modern path to market that empowers suppliers to grow at their own pace, backed by RNDC’s logistics and service excellence.” Powered by LibDib’s proven digita

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

Two K Farms Cidery and Winery 2022 Bubbly Riesling Takes Top Honors November 15, 2024 — Winners have been announced in the 2024 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging,Two K Farms Cidery and Winery 2022 Bubbly Riesling took the top prize. It was also awarded Best of Show Sparkling Wine. Coming in at 97 points, judges praised the wine for its “Mouth watering citrus and honeysuckle”; “Lingering tropical finish”; and “Perfect bubbles.” They also called it “Well balanced.” With a record number of entries from across the globe, the Harvest Challenge bases judging on a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions and grapes that combine to give personality to the wine. In other competitions, terroir is ignored. At the Harvest Challenge, judges taste wines alongside other wines of the same appellation. W

Can you believe it’s March? Soon rain will abate, buds will break, and Q2 will be here before we know it along with, hopefully, tourists. This blog starts by summarizing a recent Forbes study about travel plans this year, and then we wrap up with a summary of some trends we think you can build upon this year. Will the political climate once again hijack all of America’s attention and make people wary of venturing out? Or will it be more likely to scare us to other countries for a respite abroad? If tasting room traffic is down this year as it was last year, it is even more important to know what consumers are looking for in the hopes of developing programs consumers want. The smart winery will be continually testing different experiences this year to try and attract the right customer to their brand. This blog starts summarizing a recent Forbes study about travel plans this year, and then we wrap up with a summary of some of the trends we think you can build upon this year

One of the larger industry trends reflected here at LibDib is the proliferation of craft tequila and mezcal brands. These brands have amazing stories behind them and we love supporting small importers and distilleries. So do our retail, bar and restaurant customers throughout our 15 states.   Here’s a sample of a few of the most amazing craft tequila and mezcal brands: Black Sheep Tequila: For spirits connoisseurs craving a taste for something new, yet extraordinarily steeped in tradition, Black Sheep Tequila provides a line of tequilas produced entirely from the labor-intensive, centuries-old, hands-on process. This tequila is sourced from only the highest-quality 100 percent Weber Blue Agave and is traditionally handcrafted to create the perfect balance of flavors. Additive free, Black Sheep shares clean unique styles of tequila, including the famous Still Strength Aged 15 Year Extra Añejo, Barrel Strength Extra Añejo, Extra Añejo, Añejo, Reposa

TRENDS SHAPING TRAVEL IN 2024 Can you believe it’s summer? Soon Memorial Day will be here before we know it along with, hopefully, tourists. This blog starts by summarizing a recent Forbes study about travel plans this year, and then we wrap up with a summary of some trends we think you can build upon this year. Will the political climate once again hijack all of America’s attention and make people wary of venturing out? Or will it be more likely to scare us to other countries for a respite abroad? If tasting room traffic is down this year as it was last year, it is even more important to know what consumers are looking for in the hopes of developing programs consumers want. The smart winery will be continually testing different experiences this year to try and attract the right customer to their brand. This blog starts summarizing a recent Forbes study about travel plans this year, and then we wrap up with a summary of some of the trends we think you can build upon this y

WineAmerica and the Wine Institute recently held our first joint Congressional wine reception since 2019. The Covid era took away our ability to hold these events, and it was great to get back to hosting and getting a chance to enjoy wine with Members of Congress and their staff. The March 23 event was intended to shed light on the Congressional Wine Caucus, and all of the work that it does on behalf of the industry in Congress. WineAmerica and Wine Institute provided wine from California, Washington, Oregon, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and Michigan, and we partnered with Certified American Grown, who provided flowers that accompanied the wine and 75-degree weather perfectly. Wine receptions are an important part of the advocacy process for WineAmerica. When you meet with a Congressional office, nine times out of ten it is with staff, not with the Member. This is fine as the staff does the lion’s share of the work, but you almost never get facetime with a Member during a regula

SACRAMENTO, CA – OrderPort will release its winery restaurant point-of-sale at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium. “After nearly two years of development working closely with winery restaurants, OrderPort Restaurant is ready!” says OrderPort founder and partner Rick Belisle. “For years our winery customers with restaurants have asked for a point-of-sale designed with restaurant and tasting room features. This niche within the restaurant and winery world has been lacking software that connects club member data and reservations with the POS features commonly found in a restaurant POS.” OrderPort Restaurant is built on a single system platform that includes tasting room POS, wine club management, eCommerce, reservations and loyalty. OrderPort Restaurant has a robust tool set for creating and managing custom table configurations within multiple locations or zones. Customer reservations are displayed in the POS and customers can pre-order or pay a deposit.