For a few months now, we've been keeping an eye on ROBIN. Robin is the AI tool that we introduced in March this year, that anyone who uses Enolytics can access at any time. Robin is smart, friendly and humble, and she is constantly learning (that is, being trained) from new content and especially from the questions that wineries have asked. This week I'd like to pull back the curtain a bit on what those questions are. Here are six examples. How would I pull a report that shows me how many tasting fees (count) that we collected? How can I build a report showing total Club signups by month, that includes sales associate, Club name, customer first and last names, and email? What features can help me analyze my customer data during the migration to another DTC system? How long will it take to update when I correct missing information? What is the best report to compare the performance of my new distributor in California against the previous one? What specific details or challenges

Wine clubs have long been the heartbeat of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) revenue for wineries. With dependable quarterly allotments, they’ve offered a level of predictability that few other channels provide. But as wine club expectations evolve and consumer lifestyles shift, managing them with outdated systems isn't just inefficient—it's unsustainable. The reality? Many wine club managers are still losing sleep (literally) over club processing. They're spending hours—sometimes days—navigating clunky systems that should have made their jobs easier. Instead of focusing on member engagement, personalization, and loyalty building, they’re stuck in a loop of manual tasks, system errors, and reactive troubleshooting. It doesn’t have to be this way. Let’s talk about why modern tech should support your wine club manager’s time—not steal it—and how Corksy is leading that change. The Burden of Traditional Club Processing We&rsquo

US’ Shamier Little passes on the baton to Bryce Deadmon in the mixed 4x400m relay heat at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP It began years ago, and every day, we have the chance to cross the finish line strong. How we got here is not by accident; rather, it is the result of vision, dedication, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. It started years ago with a vision of a brand. The starting gun may have shot off generations ago, or perhaps it was more recent. Someone somewhere had the idea to set down roots and create a brand. Significant investment was made in the vineyard sources, the winery and production facility, and of course, in the tasting room. The vineyard crew has one of the hardest jobs in our industry. From being outside in the early pre-dawn hours in the cold to working in soaring temperatures during the heat of harvest, these crews show up and are rarely recognized. They face spiders, snakes, and yellow jackets that want to leave a mark. They

Bay Cities and Cruz Foam chosen to provide the industry’s first fully sustainable wine shipping protection for impact and insulation   PICO RIVERA, CA, US, March, 2024 – Mondavi Sisters’ Collection, renowned for its commitment to sustainable farming practices and environmental stewardship, will be shipping its wine club deliveries in one-of-a-kind 100 percent sustainable EcoVino™ wine packaging, Mondavi and the manufacturers, Bay Cities® and Cruz Foamo™ announced today.  Cognizant of the importance of protecting, preserving, and respectfully utilizing the earth, the Mondavi sisters employ the most effective sustainable farming practices. “The essence of crafting all wine starts with the soil and land.  Without a healthy earth, there is no wine. As farmers of the land, we possess an obligation to employ the most responsible practices possible to be able to continue our legacy for generations to come,”

2024 may well be one of the most challenging years in recent history for the American wine industry. Let’s change that. Multiple Alarm Bells At the recent Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, several prominent experts in various fields sounded the alarms during the enormously popular “State of the Industry” session attended by several thousand industry members. Wine Economist Mike Veseth compared the present with the distant past when similar clouds were on the horizon. Wine market analyst Danny Brager cited several troubling trends in consumer demographics, beverage preferences, anti-alcohol pressures, and apparent wine industry apathy. Steve Fredricks of Turrentine Brokerage repeatedly urged California wine grape growers to immediately tear out 30,000 acres of vineyards—roughly the total in New York State for grape juice, wine, and table grapes–to alleviate the current and chronic excess supply situation. Let’s Get to Work! We possess

Every year, we are always amazed at how much the wine industry changes—and at the ways in which wineries and their partners find ways to innovate. 2023 was no exception. What we are seeing is shifting patterns, including shifts in small parcel carriers, consumer purchase behavior, job creation, the use of technology, and more. We also see a lot of opportunity for savvy wineries going into 2024. So what were some of these key patterns in 2023 that will influence how the wine industry will (and should) react in 2024? Small Parcel Carriers Lend Stability to DTC It’s no secret that DTC wine shipping is disproportionately dependent upon small parcel carriers. So it was great news when UPS came to terms with its drivers union and avoided a major shut down this past summer. Meanwhile, Fedex is consolidating its ground and air business into one operating company, with an anticipated completion date of June 2024. The long term stability for UPS, combined with efficiency improvement

According to AI, ChatGPT specifically, AI, or Artificial Intelligence, refers to the simulation of human intelligence in computer systems, enabling them to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. So, does that mean AI is going to take all the jobs? No… but it could mean those who don’t embrace AI will be replaced with those who do. AI should complement, not replace people and traditional marketing. If we do embrace AI, then how do we do so? And how do we avoid sounding like ‘AI’? First, play with it. Try things on a personal level like meal planning, grocery list compiling, finding a place to live, dating, health care, and more. Playing with it on a personal level is less intimidating for many. ChatGPT is NOT a search engine or a data storage but rather an effective tool to apply to our own data and find patterns or brainstorm beyond what we can personally come up with. To get

WineAmerica, the National Association of American Wineries, recently installed new members on its Board of Directors and discussed the outlook in Washington heading into 2023. The annual Fall Retreat, this year held at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington on November 14-15, also included updates on the organization's membership, government affairs activities, and 2022 National Economic Impact Study. "This was an excellent and productive gathering reflective of WineAmerica's continuing evolution," said WineAmerica President Jim Trezise, who served on the organization's Board and Executive Committee for 25 years before becoming President in 2017. "The new Board members bring fresh perspectives and energy to blend with the dedication and experience of longtime Directors." The newly installed Directors, elected by the membership in October, are Michelle Kaufman of the Stoller Wine Group (OR), Edward Matovcik of Constellation Brands (NY, CA, WA),

Imagine this – you start your workday by looking at the first table reserved. “Ok – John Doe is coming in with 3 other people.” So, you look up John Doe in your system. Not only do you see his email address, but you see his wife’s name is Jane and last time he visited, your coworker noted that he brought a dog named Skip. So, you find the dog bowl and write “Welcome John & Friends” on a reservation tent. A group of four arrive, clearly 2 couples, along with a dog. As they approach the door you say “Welcome, you must be John?” John’s friends are impressed, which makes John feel cool. You seat them and give them a splash of wine (and the dog some water). The tasting goes very well – they clearly had a great time and they purchased cases of wine. John and Jane joined the wine club and now you have their friends on the mailing list too. The cycle continues…now imagine how much different this experience would have