Winery leaders and industry experts explore the strategies shaping the future of wine sales. The wine industry narrative over the past two years has been dominated by decline: falling consumption, shrinking distributor portfolios, and weakening consumer loyalty. The headlines suggest an industry in freefall. But the reality is more nuanced - and more useful. Yes, overall wine consumption continues to face pressure. Consumer behavior is fragmenting in ways that challenge traditional approaches. But the full story isn’t simply decline. It’s divergence. Some wineries are still growing. Some categories are holding steady while others contract. Some sales channels are thriving while others struggle. The difference often comes down to whether wineries have adapted their strategies to match the market that exists today, not the one that existed three years ago. At Wine Industry Network’s Annual Wine Sales Symposium on May 13, Dr. Chris Bitter will present research on what’s actually happening

In Session 3 of the Wine Club Symposium, Liz Mercer (WISE Academy) made a clear case: tasting-room traffic alone is too volatile to power sustainable DTC growth. Wineries that take their brand to their members, through roadshow events and member travel, are winning sign-ups, sales, and loyalty in the markets where fans already live. Why this matters now Weather, travel patterns, and local disruptions make tasting-room demand unpredictable. Taking the winery on the road diversifies acquisition and retention—and deepens relationships. You control cadence, format, and data capture instead of waiting for foot traffic. Three roadshow formats that work Winery-hosted dinners: Co-plan with a restaurant or country club; keep pricing all-inclusive; align the menu to make your wines shine. Partner-hosted events: Team up with lifestyle brands (e.g., premium appliance showrooms, private social clubs) to co-mingle audiences and scale. Champion-hosted gatherings: Member-home tastings done

In Session 3 of the Wine Club Symposium, Liz Mercer (WISE Academy) made a clear case: tasting-room traffic alone is too volatile to power sustainable DTC growth. Wineries that take their brand to their members, through roadshow events and member travel, are winning sign-ups, sales, and loyalty in the markets where fans already live. Why this matters now Weather, travel patterns, and local disruptions make tasting-room demand unpredictable. Taking the winery on the road diversifies acquisition and retention—and deepens relationships. You control cadence, format, and data capture instead of waiting for foot traffic. Three roadshow formats that work Winery-hosted dinners: Co-plan with a restaurant or country club; keep pricing all-inclusive; align the menu to make your wines shine. Partner-hosted events: Team up with lifestyle brands (e.g., premium appliance showrooms, private social clubs) to co-mingle audiences and scale. Champion-hosted gatherings: Member-home tastings done

Most wineries still send the same message to everyone—and leave money on the table. In Session #2 of the Wine Club Symposium, Laura Simons (Simons DTC Consulting) and the team at Enolytics show how targeted segmentation turns “almost” into “I’m in,” boosts retention, and creates predictable DTC revenue—without deeper discounts.  â–¶ Watch the Full Session (Free Replay)  What You’ll Learn  Club vs. Non-Club: Convert high-potential buyers with member-only perks and short-window join offers. At-Risk & Lapsed: Re-engage 6–12-month gaps with “welcome back” bundles and quick pulse surveys. Potential Churn Members: Catch early signals (skips, fewer add-ons) and save with holds, swaps, and plan changes. High-Value VIPs: Use micro-exclusivity (library drops, small-lot access, VIP invites) to deepen loyalty. First-Time Buyers & Recent Converts: A 30-day path that turns a one-time order into a new me

The holidays are coming up and now is a perfect time to evaluate your wine club offerings.  Why Are Wine Clubs so Important to Offer?  Build Loyalty: Turn casual visitors into lifelong fans and keep them coming back.  Steady Revenue: Monthly Memberships give you reliable cash flow that supports growth.  Direct Connections: Share your story, exclusive releases, and events with your most loyal crowd.  Community Building: Wine clubs create opportunities for shared experience. With six different types of wine clubs, OrderPort gives you the ability to nurture your members in exactly the way you want - resulting in more members and longer lasting memberships.  Some Feature Highlights Our modern tools enable you to batch process releases, discount by item and move members from club to club or add members to multiple clubs. Memberships can have multiple names associated with the account. You can edit orders before or after credi

Guide to mastering wine club releases Managing club releases can often feel overwhelming, but with Vinoshipper, it doesn’t have to be. Whether you are a club manager or jack of all trades, Vinoshipper helps you prepare and charge hundreds or thousands of orders effortlessly. It handles customizations, shipping holds, new club members, gift memberships, and declined card follow up with ease. Vinoshipper’s intuitive, user-friendly platform addresses the unique challenges of clubs, ensuring smooth and efficient releases, so you can focus more time on building your club and delivering exceptional experiences to your loyal customers.   Our Club Expert, Jason, has put together a helpful guide to mastering club releases, including his top tips and tricks for making each club release a success. Check out the full blog post for 6 tips and tricks to master a wine club release.

As tasting room visitation declines, wineries must get creative to attract new customers and convert them into loyal wine club members. We have identified several key strategies wineries use to captivate guests and drive wine club growth. Read the full in-depth blog here: https://go.vinsuite.com/BoostClubSignups First, enhancing the tasting room ambiance is crucial. Complementing the wine experience with live music, gourmet food pairings, and interactive activities can transform your space into an immersive, memorable destination. Cultivating authentic connections with visitors is also essential. Train your staff to be skilled storytellers and attentive listeners to personalize the experience and build stronger relationships. Extending your reach beyond the tasting room is another powerful way to boost wine club signups. Leveraging social media to help you re-engage past visitors and introduce your wines to new potential members, even if they can't physically come to your

Wine Clubs vs. Subscriptions: Which is Better?

As the target audience of wine clubs continues to diminish and technology enables choice, we can expect subscriptions to play an increasingly influential role in shaping the future of the […]

On Wednesday, August 16th, join us for a dynamic panel discussion about the 2023 SVB Annual Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey Report. This year’s survey results and insights help address what’s needed to drive consumer sales in the year ahead.   Our lively panel of business leaders from the wine industry will answer your questions and address the industry topics including:  Digital strategies for customer acquisition Finding the sweet spot with wine clubs Regional, bottle price, and production metrics Our survey results are based on input from wineries across the US and Canada, including all of the major AVA associations. Silicon Valley Bank has publicly researched the wine industry for over 20 years and spent more than a decade producing annual nationwide benchmarks for direct-to-consumer wine sales.  REGISTER TODAY to join us for this much-anticipated virtual event via Zoom.