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

On April 7-8, 2026, a collection of esteemed wine professionals will gather in Santa Rosa, Calif., to evaluate entries in the 2026 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge. Competition managers are now accepting entries for the 14th annual NCWC, considered among the most prestigious wine challenges in the United States. This regional competition rates wines exclusively produced and bottled in Northern California’s premier winegrowing region to determine which wines are considered the Best of the Best. Eligible wines must be made from fruit sourced in the North Coast AVAs of Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, Marin and parts of Solano counties. This includes any bottled wine labeled with these AVAs as their main source of grapes and whose winery is in California. “The Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge is unique in that only wines made from grapes grown in the six North Coast counties are allowed to enter,” says Daryl Groom, chief judge of NCWC. “With that, t

The Post-Harvest Drop-Off Fall brings a flurry of activity to wine country. Tasting rooms fill with eager visitors, social media buzzes with harvest photos, and the energy is palpable. Then November arrives, and for many wineries, engagement plummets. According to Silicon Valley Bank's 2024 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey, the average winery converts less than 15% of harvest event attendees into repeat customers by year-end. This represents an enormous missed opportunity. The wineries that thrive year-round don't view harvest as a seasonal peak but as the starting point of a strategic customer journey.  Harvest Is Your Customer Acquisition Funnel Stop thinking of harvest events as isolated experiences and start viewing them as the top of your sales funnel. Smart consumer brands recognize that seasonal events provide a prime opportunity to collect valuable customer data while creating memorable brand experiences. These touchpoints become the first step in an ongoing relat

Over the past few years, wineries have seen tasting room visits decline as consumer habits shift. With more options than ever, visitors are looking for something special—experiences that go beyond just sampling wine. For many wineries, this means rethinking how they engage guests and creating a place people want to come back to. This guide explores how wineries across the country are turning their tasting rooms into destinations—balancing local charm, modern convenience, and genuine hospitality. Create Unique, Social Experiences In today’s market, wineries that stand out provide more than just a tasting—they create memorable, shareable experiences that make guests want to stay longer and come back. Enhancing the Atmosphere with Music: Music adds energy and can make an ordinary tasting feel like an event. Hosting live music, whether it’s a local band or acoustic performer, brings people together and keeps them engaged. Many wineries schedule music on weeke

Are Your Wine Club Members Ghosting You? Here's Why Your wine club members are breaking up with you, but they're not telling you why. They're just... disappearing. The numbers are stark: Silicon Valley Bank's latest research (which we are going to reference a lot in this blog) shows wine clubs are experiencing member attrition rates between 28-36% annually, with luxury segment clubs performing only marginally better at 23-29% (SVB Direct-to-Consumer Wine Report, 2025). That's not a leak, it's a flood. And while many wineries frantically chase new sign-ups to replace the departed, few address why members leave in the first place. Wine club fatigue isn't a mysterious phenomenon. It's a predictable human response to predictable winery behavior. The Warning Signs You're Already Losing Them Before members cancel, they disengage. They're sending signals you might be missing: Email open rates drop below your average Shipment modifications increase (dow

Every winery hosts events. A release party, a tasting experience, a harvest dinner. They’re great for engagement, but not all events drive wine club growth. Then, there are signature events—the ones that members build their calendars around, the ones they wouldn’t dream of missing. One of our winery customers hosts an event so popular that thousands of wine club members travel from all over the country to attend. It’s not just another wine release party—it’s a destination experience. The result? A wine club that people don’t just join—they stay in, year after year, because they don’t want to miss out. Not every winery can host a festival-scale event, but the concept holds true at every level: a well-crafted, exclusive event can drive massive growth for your wine club. What Makes a Signature Event Different? Not all winery events move the needle on wine club growth. A signature event isn’t just another tasting or release party

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

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

Over the past few years, wineries have seen tasting room visits decline as consumer habits shift. With more options than ever, visitors are looking for something special—experiences that go beyond just sampling wine. For many wineries, this means rethinking how they engage guests and creating a place people want to come back to. This guide dives into fresh ideas to help your winery stand out, turning it into a destination where visitors feel welcome, excited, and connected to what you offer. Create Unique, Social Experiences In today’s market, wineries that stand out provide more than just a tasting—they create memorable, shareable experiences that make guests want to stay longer and come back. Enhancing the Atmosphere with Music: Music adds energy and can make an ordinary tasting feel like an event. Hosting live music, whether it’s a local band or acoustic performer, brings people together and keeps them engaged. Many wineries schedule music on weekends to attr

You’ve created a wine that you can be proud of: The grapes were just right, the fermentation went as planned, and there’s now a great product sitting in your bottles, ready to be enjoyed. How do you get the word out? This is not a trivial task. You could have the most delicious wine on the planet, but if no one knows about it, it won’t sell. More than that, consumers need to know about you—not just the wine in the bottle, but the brand that created that wine. This is where wine marketing becomes critical. And while larger wineries and big brand names can throw a lot of money at their marketing departments, smaller wineries have to be more clever with their marketing dollars. Fortunately, building a base of loyal customers doesn’t have to break the bank for your business. In fact, the best thing to do is to go back to the basics. Here, then, are the six fundamentals of wine marketing, and how implementing them can grow your customer base while giving y