Why Wine Clubs Aren’t Working, And What’s Replacing Them For many wineries, the biggest challenge today isn’t attracting new customers; it’s keeping the ones they already have. Wine clubs once represented the most stable revenue engine for wineries. Members signed up, shipments went out quarterly, and predictable revenue flowed in. It was the foundation of direct-to-consumer success. But that foundation is cracking. Recent industry data reveals a troubling trend: nearly 40% of wine club members cancel within the first year. In a market where customer acquisition costs are climbing, and competition for attention has never been fiercer, losing members at this rate isn’t just a retention problem; it’s a profitability crisis. The math is unforgiving. If acquiring a new club member costs hundreds of dollars in marketing, tasting room labor, and incentives, losing them before they’ve generated meaningful lifetime value means wineries are bleeding money with every signup. And yet, some winer

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

For more than 20 years, Activ8 Commerce has built technology specifically for wineries — and we’re proud to share our latest update. In every tasting room, the moments that matter most happen at the counter — or wherever a guest decides they’re ready to buy. The challenge is making sure your team can meet that moment quickly, without waiting on hardware or wrestling with terminals. Across the industry, the wineries seeing the strongest DTC results this year have focused on a few core operational shifts: 1️⃣ Reduce friction at checkout Guests expect fast, smooth transactions. Long lines or “sorry, this reader is stuck again” moments absolutely impact sales. Tap-to-pay with credit cards — especially when available on mobile devices — helps teams stay fluid and attentive. 2️⃣ Make hardware flexible and affordable Tasting rooms aren’t built like retail stores. Stations need to move. Staff shift positions. Outdoor service expands and co

Cyber Week Winery Marketing: Planning Smarter, Selling Stronger Cyber Week is almost here, and consumers are primed to buy. For wineries, it’s not just a chance to move inventory — it’s a chance to win new fans, reward loyal members, and end the year strong. The goal isn’t simply to discount — it’s to strategically position value, create urgency, and make buying feel effortless. Whether you’re a small family-run tasting room or a multi-location brand, these proven strategies will help you get the most out of the week. 1. Build Anticipation Before the Week Begins Cyber Week success starts long before Friday. The wineries that win start warming up their audience early — building curiosity, boosting email sign-ups, and reminding people why they love their brand. Ideas to get the buzz going: Add a countdown banner or homepage teaser with “Our biggest offer of the year starts soon.” Send a “save the date” email to your

5 Ways Your Winery Can Strengthen Customer Connections (and Sales) This Holiday Season 5 Ways Your Winery Can Strengthen Customer Connections (and Sales) This Holiday Season The holidays aren’t just busy, they’re your best chance to turn quick questions into lasting loyalty. Today’s shoppers are scrolling on phones, not standing at the tasting bar. The wineries winning December bring tasting-room warmth online with guest-first DTC moves. 1 Real-time webchat Turn Browsers into Buyers with Real-Time Webchat Bring hospitality to your website: help gift-givers pick the right bottle, answer shipping questions, and keep carts from drifting. RedChirp integrates with vinSUITE, so conversations save to the customer profile for thoughtful follow-ups and personalized offers. Prompt ideas for staff: Who is the gift for? What’s the budget? Red, white, or sparkling? Favorite foods? Learn more: RedChirp • vinSUITE eCommerce 2 Segmentation Reconnect with the Customers Who

In today’s competitive DtC wine market, the real driver of growth isn’t just acquiring new customers — it’s keeping them. Retention leads to higher lifetime value, stronger conversion rates and more predictable revenue. But customer loyalty isn’t automatic. From the first tasting room visit to their latest online order, every touchpoint matters. The right mix of personalized experiences, seamless technology and regulatory compliance can mean the difference between one-time buyers and lifelong customers. Join Corksy and Sovos ShipCompliant for an actionable conversation on how wineries can maximize retention strategies that work both front-of-house (POS, e-commerce, marketing, wine clubs) and behind-the-scenes (shipping compliance). We’ll cover: How AI-powered segmentation drives engagement and reorders Ways modern POS tools increase conversion rates and create personalized experiences Making signups and repeat purchases seamless across POS, website a

Bottle360: Redefining DTC Wine Sales Proven Bottom-Line Results The trend toward wine subscriptions and modernized membership formats relies on personalization. That means wineries need to tailor their messaging, pricing and communications to individual wine consumers. Making personalization flexible, is the most sought-after function in Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) programs, but many users find that their software makes it hard to accomplish. Bottle360 is tackling this challenge. “The tools a winery needs to boost new consumer sales and earn repeat orders have to be highly flexible to personalize customer experiences but also match the individuality and uniqueness of each winery,” says Katherine Adams, the CEO and founder of Bottle360. “That is why we focused on developing the right tools that offer versatile ways for the winery to transform how they connect with their potential customers and foster deeper loyalty with existing ones. Our goal is to increa

Corksy Launches Corksy Go POS – Mobile Sales, Anywhere You Pour Handheld, all-in-one device with LTE and Wi-Fi lets wineries sell, sign up members, and personalize service wherever guests are. Irvine, CA — September 9, 2025 — Corksy, the modern DTC platform for wineries, today announced the launch of Corksy Go POS, a handheld, all-in-one point-of-sale system built to help wineries — and other beverage producers — sell anywhere. With LTE (mobile plan required) and Wi-Fi connectivity, Corksy Go gives wineries the freedom to process sales, sign up wine club members, and access guest history wherever they pour — without bulky hardware, extra readers, or being tied to a counter. Go tableside. Go vineyard-side. Go festival-side. From seated tastings to outdoor dinners, from the event lawn to off-site festivals, Corksy Go POS brings wine sales directly to the guest. The device combines Corksy’s POS software, integrated payment processing, wine club t

The POS that moves at tasting-room speed When the room fills and the line forms, Activ8 POS keeps service smooth. It's hospitality first, built for wineries and distilleries, with the little details that prevent bottlenecks and keep guests smiling. Lightning order flow — search, add, pay in a few taps Club-smart checkout — member pricing, benefits, and signups at the POS Restaurant-style options — tabs, tips, split checks, and table seating Real-time sync — inventory, customers, and sales all in one clean system Your staff focuses on people. The tech quietly handles the rest.  Get a quick POS demo P.S. Big eCommerce news lands mid-September. Stay tuned. Your first year is on us—so nothing stands in your way: No subscription fee No setup fee No reason not to wait Book Your Demo Now.  

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