Meet Claret at the Wine Sales Symposium Next week in Sonoma 🍷 the wine industry comes together to talk growth, strategy, and what’s actually working in sales. Claret will be at the Wine Sales Symposium, connecting with producers, distributors, and sales leaders navigating the same challenges we hear every day. From forecasting accuracy to aligning teams across the three-tier system, this event is all about improving how wine gets to market. If you’re attending, it’s a great chance to meet the team and talk through how planning and forecasting can support stronger sales execution. Event details: 📍 Sonoma, California Sonoma, California (DoubleTree by Hilton Sonoma Wine Country) 📅 May 2026 🎤 Wine Sales Symposium 👥 Focused on sales strategy, distributor relationships, and market growth in the wine industry Get $20 off your registration with promo code CLARET2026 (details in the image) Join us in Sonoma: https://winesalessymposium.com/ Learn more about Claret: https://claret.app/ #Sup

Why It’s Time to Take Control of Chain Retail Pricing In the wine & spirits business, the difference between a best-seller and a case that never sees the shelf often comes down to something so mundane, it’s almost embarrassing to say out loud: Pricing. Not the actual price point — the accuracy of it. There are already plenty of reasons your product might not make it to the shelf — a buyer reorg, a freight delay, the seasonal shuffle, or simply the chaos of modern retail. So when you’ve beaten the odds and secured a coveted placement with one of the nation’s top chain retailers, the last thing that should kill the momentum is a clerical error. And yet, that’s exactly what happens when the price on the invoice doesn’t match the price in the retailer’s system. One mismatch, and the product gets refused at the dock — benched before it ever had a shot. No match = no receiving. No receiving = no shelf placement. No pl

Small but mighty. That's the phrase that kept coming back to me throughout last week's webinar. The three panelists who joined us are running lean DTC teams — Chelsea Leniart, Wine Club Manager at Scheid Family Wines, Hilary Berkey, Director of Sales, Marketing and Operations at Emeritus Vineyards, and Kristy Quigley, Operations Manager at Alma Rosa Winery. "Lean teams" meaning two or three people deep. At the most. The outsized results they're seeing, in a market that everyone agrees is hard, are genuinely remarkable. Here's some highlights and takeaways from  what they shared in last week's webinar. On Wine Club Customization The fear is that if you give members flexibility, they'll race to the bottom and swap out for your cheapest wines.  What Chelsea actually found was the opposite.  By studying what members customized in the previous year's March run, she reshaped this year's offering mor

Ten Ways Wineries Can Evolve From Selling Bottles to Creating Experiences That Resonate With a New Generation. If I told you a winery just opened with no vineyard, no winemaker on staff, and no interest in talking about terroir… would you visit? What if I told you it had a silent disco in the barrel room, a drag brunch series, and a 3-month waitlist for a zero-proof pairing menu? Those wineries exist. And they’re thriving. Because for a new generation of visitors, the wine isn’t the reason—it’s the reward. It’s not about what you pour anymore. It’s about how you make people feel. And we used to excel at this. But then we woke up one day… and it wasn’t working like it used to. The same offers stopped converting. The same messages started falling flat. The same visitors didn’t come back. And it’s not because we got worse at what we do. It’s because the customer changed. What they want. How they behave. Where t

Since the RNDC / Reyes announcement, I’ve received several messages asking the same question: What does this mean for LibDib? The short answer is this: LibDib was a distributor before we partnered with RNDC, and we continue to be a distributor going forward. RNDC exited California, but LibDib continues to operate in California and other markets. Our business does not hinge on one partner, one market, or one structure. From day one, our model was built to be flexible, compliant, and durable — allowing us to nimbly partner with 3PLs, all distributors, and other fulfillment solutions to ensure brands can get to market legally and efficiently. However. Will there be changes? Yes. Will there be shifts in how business is done? Absolutely. For anyone watching what’s happening in the middle tier right now — this is the new reality. Consolidation, portfolio reshuffling, exits, and strategic pivots are no longer edge cases. They are becoming the de facto operating en

HOW TO KEEP YOUR BRAND TOP OF MIND WHEN CUSTOMERS ARE DROWNING IN HOLIDAY EMAILS The inbox in December isn’t a communication tool—it’s a full-contact sport. Every brand, from the global megastore to the local dog bakery, is shouting their way into people’s attention span with flashing subject lines, endless exclamation points, and “40% OFF” hysteria that blurs into static. Consumers don’t read; they scan for relief. According to Mailjet’s 2024 BFCM report, holiday email volume jumps nearly 80% between Thanksgiving and Christmas, while average open rates drop to 13–15%—a statistical cry for help. But the real problem isn’t quantity—it’s tone. Every brand is talking at their audience instead of with them. The louder the messaging, the less people listen. Leading with prices and panic doesn’t inspire trust; it triggers fatigue. That’s your opportunity. The brands that win the inbox aren’t the

In today’s evolving alcohol industry, one-size-fits-all distribution no longer works for every brand. Consolidation across the three tiers, shifting priorities at large distributors, and increasing demand for control and flexibility have changed the game—especially for small to mid-sized wine and spirits suppliers. At LibDib, we believe in doing things differently. We give suppliers the tools to build their own route to market with Distribution à la Carte—meaning, you only pay for the services you need. No outdated programs, no hidden fees, no monthly minimums. Just distribution, on your terms. What Is “Distribution à la Carte”? Put simply, it’s the idea that you choose your route to market. LibDib offers a full-service, licensed distribution platform in 18 key markets, including California, our flagship state. We have the infrastructure, tech, and partnerships to support all kinds of go-to-market strategies—but we don’t req

As we all know, the alcohol industry is changing—and fast. Whether you’re a supplier, buyer, or distributor, it’s impossible to ignore the major shifts taking place across all tiers. The traditional three-tier system, while still intact, is being redefined by innovation, consolidation, and the growing need for flexibility. For suppliers especially, it’s becoming clear that the traditional distributor route-to-market doesn’t work for everyone anymore. One of the most significant signals of this evolution? Major supplier players are forging their own paths and rethinking distribution. With moves like that, it’s not just a trend—it’s a transformation. Changes in California? That’s where LibDib comes in LibDib was built for this. We empower suppliers (Makers as we call them) to manage their own buyer relationships while we handle everything else: logistics, compliance, delivery, and even data access. With warehouses across the stat

Bottling day is more than just a finishing step - it’s a defining moment. The wine you’ve nurtured through harvest, fermentation, and aging is finally ready to meet the world. At Peregrine Mobile Bottling, we don’t just understand that moment - we respect it. We know how much time, labor, and heart goes into making great wine. That’s why we’ve built a mobile bottling service focused on three core values: advanced technology, uncompromising cleanliness, and genuine care. These aren’t just buzzwords to us. They guide everything we do - from the moment we pull up to your winery to the last case we help you stack. Let’s take you behind the scenes of what makes Peregrine Mobile Bottling different - and why more wineries across Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and San Joaquin counties are choosing us as their trusted bottling partner.Technology That Protects Your Craft Our bottling lines are designed with today’s winemaker in mind: precise, efficient,

Despite the prevailing gloom and doom in the trade press, there's a silver lining for many adult beverage brands. They're not just surviving; they're thriving with double-digit growth and more! This article examines adult beverage brands' strategies to thrive in the current market.  This excerpt is from Ben Salisbury's speech at this week's webinar. Reserve your spot here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/3717134754795/WN_iFljab26T9q_cLmO5jjSyQ#/registration  Times have changed. Have YOU?  Before we dive into the 3 keys to boosting your revenue, let’s briefly set the stage. The 3-tier landscape has dramatically shifted within the past six or seven years, with the extreme proliferation of new brands and a historic consolidation within the wholesale tier.  The result has been an immense reduction in the capabilities of wine and spirits distributors of all sizes. The ratio of brands to sales reps has become ridiculo