A few years ago at the DTC Wine Symposium, a panelist joked about the modern winery website formula: the guy, the dog, the truck, and the vineyard. Beautiful backdrop, strong lifestyle photography, a thoughtful founder story. Polished, absolutely. Strategically distinct, rarely. The critique wasn’t about branding. It was about structure. Most winery websites aren’t broken, but they aren’t built as decision environments either. Calls to action are unclear, revenue pathways are buried, shipping surprises appear late, and wine club often lives in isolation instead of throughout the buying journey. After auditing winery sites across regions and production sizes, the pattern is consistent: performance is constrained by friction, not effort. Most wineries don’t have a traffic problem. They have a conversion architecture problem. Before increasing ad spend or launching another promotion, run a winery website audit — on your phone. Start at the homepage and move t

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

For a long time, “wine tech” was just a buzzword. Now? It’s the differentiator. At this year’s Wine Sales Symposium, the agenda is stacked with conversations on consumer trends, marketing performance, and DTC growth. But woven through all of it is a bigger shift: wineries are leaning into technology—not as an afterthought, but as a strategic advantage. Let’s break down the areas where smart wineries are seeing the biggest returns—and where Corksy clients are finding real traction. 🧾 POS: More Than Just a Payment Terminal Your point of sale should be more than a transaction tool—it should be the beginning of a long-term relationship. Smart POS systems collect customer data (what they tasted, what they loved, how often they visit), making it easier to personalize future experiences in person and online. At the Corksy booth, we’ll be demoing our modern POS—designed specifically for wineries. Simple for your team, powerful behind

It’s the same conversation in boardrooms, discussion boards, symposiums, and industry reports: “Younger consumers just aren’t drinking wine like previous generations.” Sure, the concern is valid. But the narrative misses key nuances. The reality is that younger consumers are still just that—young. Their drinking habits, lifestyle priorities, and financial realities don’t yet match those of past generations at the same life stage. But instead of writing off Gen Z or younger Millennials, the wine industry needs to adjust its approach. The traditional playbook doesn’t account for how younger consumers live, what they value, or how they engage with brands. If wineries want to stay relevant, it’s time to rewrite the script. 1. Younger Consumers Will Age Into Wine—Just Like Boomers Did A common misstep in the industry’s current panic is comparing a 23-year-old Gen Zer to a 45-year-old Gen Xer. The latter has had decades to develop

The wine industry is steeped in tradition, but let’s be real—it’s time to shake things up. Younger demographics aren’t buying into the same old wine marketing tricks or outdated experiences. Want to grab their attention (and their dollars)? Then it’s time to think bold, fun, and modern. You Don’t Have to Do It All—Start Small and Stay True to Your Brand Attracting younger wine lovers doesn’t mean you need to overhaul everything or abandon your roots. Instead, consider making a few strategic shifts that align with your brand. Maybe your website keeps the traditional tasting notes, but you have fun with social media. Maybe your weekends are reserved for 21+ reservation-only tastings, but your weekdays are more relaxed and family-friendly. The key is finding what works for you and your audience. Now, let’s dive into some ideas. 1. Flex Your Wine Club Options Your wine club isn’t working for everyone. Sure, your loyal members lov

Afternoon Brief: Young Adults Find Restaurant Wine Lists Uninspiring - According to New Wine Market Council Study

Wine has low visibility and been pushed to the back of drink lists in casual restaurants and appears 'boring and tired', according to consumers interviewed for a new Wine Market Council study on 'How to Attract Young Adults and Multicultural Consumers to Wine'...

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

Bronwyn Dickson Ney is the founder of Bronwyn Ney Consulting, a marketing consulting firm focused on helping clients in wine, luxury, food, and hospitality. She is an expert in customer relationship marketing and has helped wineries drive significant growth over the years. We spoke with Bronwyn recently about luxury brands, stories, and connecting with the customer. Oh, and bacon. Listen to the full interview here or read along below:  Milton Cornwell: I’m excited to share another installment in our expert series for the wine industry. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Bronwyn Ney, who has a fabulous background starting in luxury goods marketing with Sephora. She spent time with Clorox and ultimately held the Director of Marketing position with Hall Winery, and VP of Marketing and Direct with Knights Bridge. She now has her own consulting firm appropriately named Bronwyn Ney Marketing, which helps clients navigate the current marketing landscape. Her core focus on

Now that we are 'getting back to normal', we are working hard with our winery partners to provide a wine tasting and private transportation package for our customers. This all inclusive service will offer a luxury vehicle of your choice and wine tasting at our preferred wineries in the area you desire.  While we aren't able to make your wine tasting reservations at this time, you can always rely on our complimentary concierge service to assist you in the planning of your day in Wine Country. Our area knowledgeable staff and chauffeurs make this an easy option for our customers. For now, when you reserve your Sedan, SUV, Van, Limousine or Party Bus, our in-house winery specialist is available to recommend and design your wine tasting itinerary based on your group size, preferences and interests. We can even send you our custom Winery Questionnaire, with specific questions to help build your personalized itinerary.  We work with the first time visitor or the experie