If we had to sum up the year in one word, it would be resilience. The data reveals a shift in where revenue came from this year, and who was willing to spend. But when you look past the top-line numbers, three distinct signals emerge: The Tasting Room is the Volume Driver: In a shifting landscape, the in-person experience captured 35% of total market share. Your physical space is working harder than ever to convert foot traffic into transaction volume. The Club is the Value Driver: While guests tightened their belts (POS average order value $97), average club order value climbed to $257. Your members aren't just loyal; they are the only group increasing their average spend.  Choice Creates Loyalty: With net club growth down industry-wide (-8.3%), retention is the priority for 2026. The good news? Clubs that offer "User Choice" are seeing average member tenure extend to over 3 years (1,159 days). Read the full breakdown on LinkedIn This is just the first sip. Make su

Second-Year Sponsorship Highlights American Wine Industry’s Economic Impact and Community Building Mission  WineAmerica, the National Association of American Wineries, announced today its proud sponsorship of the 2025 Come Over October Congressional Wine Caucus press conference and reception, taking place on October 8th in Washington, D.C. This marks the second consecutive year WineAmerica has supported this important invitation-only industry event, demonstrating the organization’s continued commitment to fostering bipartisan support for America’s burgeoning wine industry.  The reception will showcase wines from across many states, celebrating the breadth, diversity and quality of American wine production from coast to coast. This comprehensive representation underscores the truly national scope of the American wine industry, which now includes 10,637 wine producers operating in every state. Economic Powerhouse Supporting American Communities WineAmerica&r

This year, Sunridge Nurseries proudly celebrates a remarkable 27-year partnership with ENTAV, and we're even more excited about our renewed agreement for the next 20 years! This collaboration has revolutionized the world of viticulture, bringing the finest French clonal grapevine selections directly from the ENTAV repository in France each carrying the ENTAV-INRA® trademark – a guarantee of authenticity from the highest viticulture authority in France. It all began three decades ago when a visionary French nurseryman sent a letter to our founder, Glen Stoller, proposing a partnership that would not only introduce the richness of French clones to California but also unlock a treasure trove of opportunities for U.S. wine grape growers. This groundbreaking initiative has fostered innovation and diversity in our industry, and we stand proud as a pioneering force in the grapevine sector. As we embrace this exciting journey, join us in celebrating this legacy and continue growi

     Wine Road Unveils Exciting New Ambassador Program to Celebrate Sonoma County!  For Immediate Release  February 15, 2024  Northern Sonoma County, CA – It's not just any road; it's the Wine Road! We're thrilled to announce a new way for wine lovers, educators, and hospitality heroes to dive deep into the world of Sonoma County's liquid treasures. Drumroll, please... introducing the Wine Road Ambassador Program! 🍇🎉  Almost as rich as a glass of vintage Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine Road's history stretches back nearly half a century. We've spent decades helping folks saunter through Sonoma County's awe-inspiring vineyards, and now we’re serving up an opportunity to get even closer to the magic that makes our corner of the world so sip-worthy.  Whether you're a local hospitality maestro, a wine educator with a thirst for viticulture knowledge, or a wine enthusiast plotting your next escapade among the vin

Happy Women’s History Month! As a female CEO in both the technology space and beverage alcohol industry, I am incredibly proud of this company and its dedication to women in our industries. LibDib’s staff is made up of 45% women. So yay to LibDib and thank you to all the amazing women staffers that contribute to everything we do AND to the men that work with them and support us every step of the way.  It has been widely known (and reported) that the beverage alcohol business, especially at the wholesaler level, has been historically dominated by men. I remember my first WSWA event in 2017. Outside of female models pouring at booths on behalf of suppliers, there were maybe 25 women there. It was a sea of men on the wholesaler side. As a first-timer to the conference, it was very noticeable to me but not something I wasn’t familiar with based on my past experiences working at my family’s winery. As a Maker rep, I dealt with very few women in distrib

Afternoon Brief, July 13th

Iconic Italian Wineries Partner on Wine in Space Project: Three iconic Italian wine producers, Gaja, Biondi-Santi and Feudi di San Gregorio, have announced they will partner with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Italian Sommelier Foundation (FIS) on a ‘wine in space’ project...

JUNE 1, 2022 – SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA - M. A. Silva USA, the leading manufacturer of premium corks, glass, and packaging in North America, celebrates over 20 years of partnership with Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery. Located in St. Helena, California, Smith-Madrone was founded in 1971 by two brothers, Charlie and Stu Smith. Their highly acclaimed wines have placed the winery in Napa Valley’s spotlight for decades. To celebrate their long-term partnership, Neil Foster, President and Co-Founder of M. A. Silva, met with Charlie and Stu Smith in their vineyard to share a Smith-Madrone vintage sealed with M. A. Silva’s high-end natural cork. During this time, the three reminisced about their years working together and how the industry has changed. Neil Foster recalls when he first dropped off corks and how they were brought straight to Stu Smith’s home rather than the winery. The two parties attribute their strong relationship to having the same business values

Recently, LibDib announced that our tenth state is now live for Makers. New Jersey is now open to any and all wine and spirits brands looking for distribution in the state (and will be open to Buyers soon!) As I sit back and think about the incredible accomplishment of opening 10 states to distribution in 5 years, I am amazed at what LibDib has done. This March we celebrated our 5-year anniversary, which in start-up land is quite an accomplishment. This summer our team will finally gather in person to celebrate this half-decade milestone.  As we document our incredible growth, I thought it would be fun to share facts about each LibDib market. As I look through the list of states where we offer three-tier compliant distribution, I am in awe of our platform that was completely built from the ground up.  The beverage alcohol business in the United States is really complicated and varies by state, by product, and sometimes even by county. In one state, somethi

Afternoon Brief, January 27th

Wine Bottle Shortage Is a Myth Says Glass Packaging Institute President: In his remarks and presentation to the press DeFife stated that: “A glass shortage is not an accurate description of the current state of the market. We understand some end-market customers may have issues with getting bottle stock, but that is not a “glass shortage.”...

By Cheryl Durzy, Founder & CEO, LibDib Today is International Women’s Day. As one of the only female founders of an alcohol beverage distribution company, this is an incredibly important reminder to me that while women in this industry (and the workforce in general) have made amazing strides thus far, there is still work to be done. It makes me incredibly proud to say that LibDib has a 50% female workforce. And it is a pleasure to work with every single one of them.  LibDib recently launched a Women’s Leadership Program thanks to some amazing people over at Audrey Mcguckin Talent Solutions. Audrey and her team spent several months last year interviewing the women on our staff and participating in several listening sessions with our teams. We learned some things and put together a truly customized program to encourage our women leaders to learn and grow within their positions here at LibDib.  So, on International Women’s Day, I took a moment to ask LibDib