Five years ago, running a winery on Shopify meant duct-taping a lot of things together. Great for e-commerce. Okay for DTC. Difficult for wine clubs. Not really designed for tasting rooms. That's changed. The combination of Shopify's platform investments and a handful of wine-specific apps has created something genuinely new: a single operational stack that connects your tasting room, your wine club, your online store, and your loyalty program under one customer record. That convergence has real operational consequences — and it's why an increasing number of wineries are consolidating everything onto Shopify. Here's what's actually different. Your Card on File, Finally Done Right One very frustrating limitation of running a winery business on Shopify used to be simple: Shopify didn't let you vault a customer's payment card and charge it later for anything other than a subscription — not from your POS or your back office or sales team for one-tim

POSTED BY  Theresa Barton Cray As we near the close of a challenging year for the alcohol beverage industry, suppliers are understandably looking for creative marketing campaigns to boost sales. Unfortunately, given the highly regulated world of alcohol beverage marketing, creative marketing ideas can sometimes hit the proverbial brick wall of regulatory restrictions. All is not lost, however, and there is still room for creativity provided suppliers work within the parameters of alcohol beverage regulations. To start, below are some common pitfalls that suppliers should avoid when marketing their alcoholic beverages in California and elsewhere. Retailer Partnerships Suppliers should closely examine any new marketing programs that involve or mention licensed alcohol beverage retailers. Partnerships with, or sponsorships of, retailers are in most cases going to run afoul of the tied-house laws in California, and in most other states, which prohibit suppliers from giving (directly

For years, discounting has been the default lever wineries pull to spark sales and reward loyal customers. But in today’s crowded marketplace, deep discounts can erode brand value and condition customers to buy only when the price drops. There’s a better way: loyalty points programs. Retention, without discounting, comes from making customers feel known, valued, and part of something special. They’ll stay not because it’s cheaper, but because it’s theirs. Instead of discounting away margin, wineries can encourage repeat visits and purchases by offering rewards that feel aspirational, personalized, and memorable. Loyalty points add up over time, giving guests a reason to come back again and again, all the while protecting your brand’s premium image. 10 Reasons Why Loyalty Points Work Shift from price to experience. Points reward frequency and engagement, not bargain hunting. The program should reinforce experience, access, and emotional loyalty, not

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for wineries. Customers are looking for the perfect gifts, stocking up on their favorite bottles, and attending festive gatherings where wine is often at the center. For wineries, it's also a time when operations can become complex and demand increased attention both in the tasting room and online.  At VinesOS, we understand the unique challenges wineries face this time of year. Here are a few key things to consider as you prepare for a successful holiday season: 1. Plan your Promotions Holidays are prime time for promotions, but managing discounts and member benefits can get tricky. That's why flexible coupon tools are so important. Look for solutions that allow you to: Stack discounts or override member pricing when needed Run special holiday offers without disrupting your existing loyalty programs Encourage repeat purchases with timed or exclusive promotions When done right, promotions not only drive sales but

SEATTLE, WA – August 27, 2025 – Bottle360, the leading all-in-one DTC winery software platform, today announced the launch of WineWallet™, a groundbreaking  loyalty, rewards, points, and subscription club program designed to deepen customer engagement, attract new consumers, and drive recurring revenue for wineries. This innovative solution empowers wineries with the tools they need to build stronger relationships with their patrons while providing both wine enthusiasts and new consumers with exclusive benefits. All in a seamless way that makes it easy for them to collect, track, and redeem without the need for coupons or gift cards.  WineWallet is natively built within the Bottle360 platform, offering wineries a robust suite of tools to create customizable loyalty or reward points for purchases, events, engagement, etc., in flexible ways the winery controls. In addition wineries can offer and manage recurring Wine Club Subscriptions with unparalleled e

Spoiler Alert: You’re Not Alone Across multiple data resources, we’re hearing and seeing that with traffic down, so are club conversions. If attrition is also up, our clubs are shrinking! What can we do to increase conversion to club when guests come in? STATE OF OUR CURRENT RESOURCES – Logistics/Structure: Club Structure: Have you reviewed your structure and made sure it’s the best offering you have for your members? When is the last time you did a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats) analysis of your club? Are 3 shipments better than 4? Are 4 bottles better than 3? What is compelling to your guests that they would want to join based on structure? Benefits: Are the benefits compelling to guests? Who are your guests – local vs. out of the area, and do you have benefits that would appeal to both? Are your benefits different from any other wine club? Do you have something unique to offer? Collateral: What does your coll

OND – these three letters have a BIG impact for wine industry professionals. October, November, December – the three busiest months of the year. The pursuit of annual sales targets, orchestration of corporate gifting initiatives, and the crafting of captivating events and strategic marketing endeavors to harness the holiday sales upswing—all of this can feel like a whirlwind of demands. If you find yourself yet to embark on OND preparations, feeling the pressure of catching up, or simply seeking a starting point, rest assured. Use this blog as your compass, we’re outlining 6 pivotal considerations for nailing a triumphant and fulfilling OND in 2023.  Assess Your Inventory  As we approach the last few months of the year, now is the perfect time to assess your inventory. Once you ask yourself the following questions, you can plan your marketing, wine club, customer appreciation, and corporate gifting initiatives accordingly.  Which SKUs are you l

With Activ8 Commerce, you can offer your customers the opportunity to give the truest zero-waste gift of all: an experience. Activ8 Commerce has a gift card program that has your customers’ needs at heart.  Unlike other internal gift card programs, Activ8 Commerce gift cards can be redeemed in your tasting room as well as in your online store!  If your tasting room is in WA and your Grandma is in FL, there’s no need for Grandma to book a flight to Seattle.  She can redeem that thoughtful gift in your online store and enjoy the magic of the west coast. How about giving a wine club membership? Activ8 Commerce club membership features are the best in the industry. Order a membership for Dad, in person or online, and get billed automatically while Dad gets all the perks of an amazing experience as a club member. See how you can put a smile on your shoppers’ faces. Book your  demo today.  

Jose Aceves, of Dutton Ranch, Named Vineyard Employee of the Year At Newly Named “Fundación de la Voz de los Viñedos” Event SANTA ROSA, Calif. (February 27, 2023) – News was being delivered throughout the day at the newly named Fundación de la Voz de los Viñedos’ 5th annual Vineyard Employee Recognition Celebration. Acknowledged as one of the most innovative and prestigious awards in the winegrape industry, the Employee Recognition award salutes the accomplishments, talent and leadership of vineyard employees who contribute greatly to making Sonoma County a world-renowned wine region and sustainability leader. This year’s event was held at Saralee and Richard’s Barn at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in front 380 people including vineyard employees, their families, grape growers and community leaders. “The Employee Recognition event is my favorite of the year because we publicly honor our valued employees in front

Gift Card Programs open the door to new customers, promote brand awareness, and can increase sales. Gift Cards are some of the most popular gift items during the holiday season but can also offer a steady revenue stream all year round. The OrderPort Gift Card program allows you to offer physical cards, electronic cards, or both. OrderPort’s gift card program is quick and easy to implement, and does all the work for you. Trackable The moment a sale is made, a gift card number is assigned to the order, and the gift card balance is recorded. As the gift card is used, funds are automatically deducted, and the balance can be checked anytime by associates, or online by the customer. When a gift card has insufficient funds for the order, a split ticket is automatically created for the remaining order balance. The Gift Card Summary report will show you all of your gift card stats including revenue, assigned cards, and card balances. Reloadable Guests can continue loading the same gif