The concept of Oxidation Reduction Potential – or ORP – isn’t revolutionary science; it’s been known throughout the winemaking and brewing communities for more than 80 years. ORP measures electron pressure; the tendency of a system to gain or lose electrons. Positive ORP, an electron-accepting process, creates an oxidizing environment, while negative ORP, an electron-donating reaction, creates a reducing environment. The effects of ORP chemical reactions on fermentation processes have been observed for decades. What’s groundbreaking for today’s modern winemaking community is that two top-notch, fermentation specialist companies have teamed up on the ability to accurately measure ORP dynamics in wine must, which vastly improves the potential for production winemaking controls across the board. Gusmer Enterprises, the leading manufacturer, supplier and innovator of products and services to beverage industries since 1924, is partnering with Hamilton Company, global pioneer in process ana

That’s a wrap on our 2026 Innovation Roadshow! We kicked off our annual roadshow in Napa, featuring events at Benevolent Neglect Wines and our North American headquarters. Guided by Senior Innovation Manager Dr. Paulo Lopes, the tour continued across Washington, Oregon, and Northern & Central California, bringing the latest in cork innovation, sustainability, and performance directly to our partners. From vineyard to closure, we’re proud to keep moving the industry forward—together.

Red blotch is not an issue any grower manages alone. Because viruses move across property lines, effective management depends on coordination, communication, and shared strategy. This Grower Field Day brings neighbors together in the vineyard to explore practical, field-tested approaches to managing red blotch at the block and neighborhood scale. Hosted at Beckstoffer Vineyards, vineyard manager Brian Hoefgen and viticulturist Jacob Maus, will focus on what collaboration actually looks like in practice, from coordinated monitoring to joint trials and shared decision-making. Researchers and industry experts including Luca Brillante, Malcom Hobbs, and David Andrada will discuss tools growers can use together, including hyperspectral imaging, and lessons learned from neighborhood-based virus response efforts. Designed to be informal and field-based, this session emphasizes observation, discussion, and real-world application. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how co

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

When the Super Bowl and Olympics approach, we celebrate the performance we see on the field. What we don’t see is the year-round conditioning, repetition, and skill-building that made that performance possible. Winning teams don’t train only when the lights are brightest. They train all year long. The same principle applies to winery DTC teams. Downtime Is Where Advantage Is Built Periods of slower visitation or economic uncertainty can feel like a signal to pause. But research shows that the opposite approach separates leaders from laggards. A landmark study published by Harvard Business Review analyzed more than 4,700 companies across multiple recessions. The findings were striking: “Only 9% of companies emerged from recession stronger than before.” Even more telling: “Companies that balanced cost discipline with continued investment in people and capabilities recovered faster and gained market share.” Training Is a Growth Strategy,

February 10, 2026 (Napa / Sonoma, CA) — On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 3:00 – 5:30 p.m., the Winemaking & Viticulture Roundtable of the Napa-Sonoma chapter of Women for WineSense (WWS) will host a timely proprietary technical presentation, “Vintage 2025 ETS Insights and New Tech Updates for Red Blotch and Smoke Taint.“ The event opens with a networking wine mingle at Crocker & Starr followed by a behind-the-scenes production tour and an engaging technical viticulture and winemaking research presentation and discussion with guest experts from ETS Labs research scientists Dr. Rich DeScenzo and Dr. Eric Hervé. This presentation will focus on actionable information to help winemaking and viticulture attendees get a strategic first look at vintage 2025 overall, plus the latest technological updates related to Red Blotch disease and smoke taint.  Attendees will hear this first synthesis of proprietary 2025 data and the additional research,

The Actionable Version (Yes, Another One — But Hear Us Out) It wouldn’t be the end of the year in beverage alcohol without a million prediction articles telling you what might happen next. You’ve probably already read a few that say consumers will drink less, premiumize more, and still somehow want everything new, nostalgic, global, and convenient at the same time. All of that may be true — but this isn’t another “interesting but abstract” trends piece. This one is about what’s actionable right now for: Makers who need flexible, reliable distribution, and Buyers who want to keep their sets fresh, differentiated, and relevant in 2026 Here’s what we see coming — and how to actually do something about it. 1. Volume Isn’t Growing — but Opportunity Is Getting More Targeted Overall volume across many beverage alcohol categories remains flat or slightly down. At the same time, Buyers are still actively looking for n

Declining groundwater levels and increasing pressure under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act are changing how California wine growers think about water. What was once largely an operational concern is now directly tied to long-term viability, regulatory compliance, and sustainability planning. These issues were front and center during a session at the 2025 WIN Expo, where vineyard operators, hydrologists, and county leaders discussed how groundwater management is evolving and what growers can do to stay ahead. Moderated by Val King, Director of Channel Partnerships at Verdi, the session underscored a clear reality. There is no single solution, but there is a shift toward local control, better data, and practical changes in vineyard management. SGMA Was Built to Be Local, Not One-Size-Fits-All Your browser does not support HTML5 video. SGMA is often misunderstood as a rigid, top-down mandate. In reality, it was designed around California’s variability in geology, climate

Whether you have an event in Nashville, Nantucket, or Naples, marketers today are increasingly challenged with the task of providing marketing to their teams. The increasing number of events (large or small) and the materials (swag, print, signage, etc.) needed to support events in today’s global environment highlights the importance of having an effective promotional asset management partner. So, how does a marketer get materials to the field in a timely manner under these conditions? I’d recommend finding a partner that already has an effective platform and business model, what I refer to as a “Promotional Asset Management (PAM).” Think of PAM like you would a company that outsources manufacturing of its product. If you research the evolution of contract manufacturing, you will find that prior to the 1970s, most businesses built their own production facilities. That changed when it became apparent that it was much more efficient to find a partner for the prod

Napa/Sonoma, CA — December 1st, 2025 — RedChirp and WISE (Wine Industry Sales Education) today announced a forward-looking, solutions-driven webinar designed to help wineries solve one of the most urgent challenges facing Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) wine sales today: capturing accurate guest data and the express written consent required to power effective outreach, build lasting relationships, and grow revenue.  This collaboration—led by WISE Partner Liz Mercer and RedChirp Cofounder Jennie Gilbert—was born from a shared recognition that the old “hospitality-first, follow-up-later” model is no longer enough. With tasting room visitation softening, consumer spending tightening, and compliance rules continually evolving, brands must become more proactive in their outreach. Yet most wineries are missing most of the reliable email addresses, phone numbers, and compliant opt-ins needed to keep conversations going after the visit.  Recent WISE