The weather is shifting, trip-planning season is underway, and tasting room traffic is about to pick up. This is the good news. The bad news? If you're reading this and thinking "we'll get to our spring marketing when spring gets here," you're behind. The tasting rooms that stay full from April through June aren't the ones with the best wine or the prettiest views. They're the ones that showed up in someone's planning process three weeks before the trip happened. People don't stumble into wine country on a whim and wander from door to door the way they did fifteen years ago. They research. They scroll. They book. And if your winery isn't visible and compelling during that research window, you're invisible when it counts. The hotel industry figured this out years ago. Marriott doesn't wait until summer to market beach properties. They start running "book your getaway" campaigns in late winter, because they know the booking win

We’ve all been in those workplace meetings, the ones that go in circles, drag on too long, or end without any clear decisions. When teams face conflict, big decisions, or strategic planning, leaders often wonder: Should we just handle this ourselves, or bring in a professional facilitator? At The Personnel Perspective, we’ve seen both approaches. And while tackling things internally might seem easier, professional facilitation services Sonoma County often makes the difference between a meeting that drains energy and one that sparks real progress. Let’s break down what it looks like with, and without, a facilitator. Staying Neutral When tough topics come up, neutrality can make or break the conversation: Without a Facilitator When someone inside the company leads a tough conversation, neutrality can get tricky. If the “facilitator” is also a manager or HR rep, people might hold back their real opinions or feel the need to alter what they say. Nobody wa

The clink of glasses, the warmth of late afternoon sun across the vines—these are the moments that define a winery. But digital marketers can get stuck in the rut of Facebook posts and Instagram stories that have become repetitive and rote. How do you translate the sensory magic of a tasting room into strategies that make visitors show up in person? Take a look at some marketing channels that are not as used by wineries, where old-school storytelling and next-gen tech converge to give you a competitive edge. Connected TV: Your Vineyard in 4K Another banner ad, another still photo, another yawn. Sometimes the channel itself can leave you feeling confined to content that lacks vitality. If you’re facing that, and you’ve got the budget, think about going big on video and distributing it via Connected TV.. Connected TV (CTV) lets you beam the romance of your winery directly into living rooms, framed by the cinematic power of streaming. Think smart TVs, Roku, Apple TV&

From Midnight Mocktails to Croatian Coasts: The Top Travel Trends Stealing Wine Country's Thunder As travelers eagerly plan their next getaways, the tourism landscape is shifting—fast. Driven by changing values, advancing tech, and global events, how we explore the world in 2025 looks very different than it did just a few years ago. From AI-crafted itineraries to wellness retreats designed around your sleep cycle, travel today is more curated, personal, and purpose-driven than ever. But while adventurers chase hot springs in Iceland and food tours in Tokyo, one classic destination is quietly slipping from the spotlight: wine country. Once a top choice for weekend getaways and special occasions, winery visits are on the decline. And for the wine industry, that’s more than just a hospitality hiccup—it’s a missed opportunity to turn curious sippers into lifelong fans. Understanding this season’s top travel trends isn’t just about keeping up. It&rsq

Like any other industry, the wine industry is cyclical. What goes around tends to come back around. And what can we learn from those trends—besides the fact that leg warmers were never cool, even in the ’80s? Wine hospitality began with casual, bar-style tastings—one host, multiple guests, and a quick pour-and-go approach. Over time, we introduced more educational options: tours, guided tastings, and eventually, more intimate seated experiences. Then came the pandemic. It acted as a litmus test for tasting room strategy and showed—on a large scale—that time with guests matters. More time meant greater satisfaction, higher wine sales, and more club signups. The reservation model also revealed something powerful: those who took the time to book were more intentional. They came to taste and to buy. And the ROI of seated, guided experiences reflected that. Fast-forward five years, and many tasting rooms now default to seated tastings. But… is the pendul

Planning a year’s worth of winery marketing campaigns might seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! This guide offers 60 winery marketing campaigns—a mix of traditional ideas, trending concepts, and fresh ways to tie into wine holidays and cultural moments. Whether you tackle five campaigns or all 60, you’ll find plenty of ways to connect with your audience, build loyalty, and sell more wine. January – Fresh Starts and Cozy Comfort Start the year by replenishing wine racks, embracing wellness trends, and celebrating comfort. Restock the Wine Rack: Give customers a reason to restock their post-holiday shelves with irresistible case discounts. January Blues Buster: Warm up dreary winter days with a winery marketing campaign focused on bold reds and bubbly wines paired with hearty recipes. Dry January Wellness Kits: Stay on-trend with non-alcoholic bundles featuring sparkling water, herbal teas, and a voucher for tastings next month. Super Bowl Prep: Fo

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

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