155 Foss Creek Circle, Healdsburg, CA, United States of America, 95448
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Words Matter: Making Media Work in a Challenging Market
Wine Sales Symposium 2025’s roundtable of writers and PR experts explores
how storytelling and publicity can shift the narrative.
By Laurie Wachter
Carl GiavantiDoes media coverage really help sell wine?
That’s the question the roundtable of top wine journalists and PR experts will set out to answer in Mastering Modern Media: How to Secure & Leverage Media Coverage That Drives Sales, one of the first sessions at the May 14th Wine Sales Symposium in Santa Rosa, CA.
Moderator Carl Giavanti, a winery publicist and author of Wine Industry Advisor’s interview series, Turning the Tables, will lead the panel discussion by asking six questions about the benefits and pitfalls of media coverage.
What role does media coverage play in helping drive awareness and, ultimately, sales?
“It’s always been about storytelling,” says Giavanti, “and even more so today when there’s so much competition, variety and options for adult beverages. You can’t be successful if you’re trying to sell ‘the product,’ whether it’s your vineyard, winery, process, innovations, sustainability or whatever unique, cool things you’re doing. The product is important, and the wines have to be great — but honestly, it’s really all about storytelling. People buy from people they connect with and relate to. And every brand owner, winery owner and winemaker has a story to tell.”
How important are a winery’s unique brand stories?
Alder Yarrow“I like to say that stories are really what make wine meaningful and memorable,” agrees wine writer Alder Yarrow, a brand experience strategy consultant who is the author of the celebrated Vinography blog.
“If you want to get geeky about it, the more we learn about how the human memory works, the more it seems like the very structure of memory is narrative in its construction. Our brains are hardwired for stories: to seek them out, to understand the world through them and to remember through them. Storytelling is as essential as you get when it comes to building a relationship with a customer.”
What’s the one thing wineries could do better in relation to getting visibility with the media?
Deborah Parker WongDeborah Parker Wong, DWSET, national editor for SOMM Journal and Slow Wine Guide USA, suggests, “Treat the media landscape strategically and with the best use of your resources.”
“In the short term, develop print/digital paid media that serves as longer-lived/evergreen content that can be used to educate [other media]. It can also be repurposed in many ways, including as a source of content for videos, podcasts and presentations.” At the same time, she adds, “Build relationships with media and become a resource.“
More questions
Liz Thach, a wine writer and Wine Market Council president, and Brianne Cohen, a certified sommelier and wine educator, will also join the panel to explore why winery PR can fail, how wine media can help change today’s negative narrative, and whether paid content from influencers will replace traditional media.
Experience this knowledgeable panel at the Wine Sales Symposium on May 14 at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country in Santa Rosa, and also plan to join Adam Bird, partner and director of strategy at Highway 29 Creative, for his How Archetypes Make Unforgettable Wine Brands session, for insights on how to craft your brand’s story.
Navigate Wine’s New Landscape: The 2025 Wine Sales Symposium
Adapt, Connect, Thrive: Why Sales & Marketing Leaders Can’t Miss this Event
In a time when the wine industry is facing headwinds on every front—rising inventories, demographic shifts, changing consumer preferences, and continued economic pressure—many wineries are grappling with how to evolve their approach to sales and marketing. The upcoming Wine Sales Symposium, taking place May 14th at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country in Santa Rosa, was created specifically for wine sales and marketing professionals who are ready to embrace change and seek out the strategies driving real growth in today’s marketplace.
Hosted by the Wine Industry Network, this one-day, in-person event brings together top-performing wine brands, leading industry voices, and innovative thinkers for a focused, no-fluff conversation about what’s working—and what’s not—in the business of wine.
There are wineries out there that are doing well, but they’re not relying on the same old playbook. They’ve accepted that the market has shifted and are testing new approaches, adjusting messaging, and building stronger connections with their customers. That’s exactly the kind of thinking we’re spotlighting at this event.
George Christie, President & CEO of Wine Industry Network.
Sessions Designed for Doers, Not Bystanders
Unlike broader wine industry events, the Wine Sales Symposium zeroes in on sales and marketing-specific content, making it especially valuable for winery executives and teams tasked with driving revenue and brand growth. Sessions are designed to deliver practical, applicable insights—not theory—and offer a chance to learn directly from those who are adapting and thriving.
From pricing and packaging to content strategy and distribution, the program covers the spectrum of sales challenges facing wineries in today’s environment.
Key Conference Highlights You Can’t Miss:
- State of the Industry with Dr. Chris Bitter, offering a data-driven breakdown of current market forces, consumer trends, and key headwinds shaping both DTC and wholesale channels.
- Cracking the Code: Why Some Wine Brands Are Thriving Against the Odds, a dynamic closing session featuring cross-sector perspectives from J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, O’Neill Vintners, Breakthru Beverage, and more. This discussion will unpack the real strategies driving success, from impact-driven branding to navigating SKU consolidation.
- Mastering Modern Media, a panel of wine journalists and PR experts exploring how smart media strategy can increase visibility and drive sales. Panelists will answer the question every winery is asking: Does media coverage really help sell wine, and how do you make it work for your brand?
Beyond the Sessions: Networking, Celebration & Onsite Resources
In addition to the main sessions, attendees will benefit from four targeted breakout sessions that dive deeper into sales and marketing topics critical to winery success today. These sessions are designed to be interactive and immediately applicable, giving attendees a closer look at specialized strategies and tools.
The day also includes a Marketing Awards Winners Celebration, recognizing standout campaigns and creative work from across the wine industry. Attendees will enjoy a catered outdoor lunch, offering time to relax, connect with peers, and recharge between sessions.
As the day wraps up, the Symposium will host a special end-of-day Wine Social—a relaxed networking reception featuring local wines and the opportunity to connect directly with winery owners, marketing executives, wholesale distributors, DTC experts, and industry peers.
Throughout the event, attendees can also explore the Sales & Marketing Resources – select industry vendors and solution providers that will be exhibiting onsite. It’s a chance to discover tools, services, and partnerships that can support your marketing and sales goals—plus build new business relationships in a meaningful, face-to-face setting.
Real People, Real Conversations, Real Solutions
What sets WISS apart is its interactive format and peer-to-peer value. The Symposium isn’t just about sitting in on sessions—it’s about connecting with other winery professionals who are also navigating uncertainty and seeking fresh ideas. Attendees gain not only expert insights from the stage, but also powerful takeaways from the people they meet over coffee, during lunch, and between sessions.
Whether you’re working to reinvigorate your wine club, capture younger audiences on social media, or reposition your brand in a crowded shelf space, the conversations at WISS are designed to help you find your next move.
If you’re a sales or marketing leader looking to sharpen your strategy, build new relationships, and come away with actionable ideas that can move the needle, this is the event for you. The Wine Sales Symposium is a rare chance to step outside your day-to-day and invest in learning what it takes to succeed in today’s wine market.
The future of wine is being shaped right now.
Be in the room where it happens.
To view the full event schedule, conference program, speaker line-up, and registration, visit: www.winesalessymposium.com
Elevate Your Wine Brand & Distribution Strategy to WIN in a Changing Wine Market
At this year’s Wine Sales Symposium, taking place on May 14th, we’re tackling two of the biggest challenges facing today’s wine professionals: standing out in a saturated market, building meaningful connections with consumers, and driving consistent sales through wholesale channels. These expert-led sessions will equip you with the strategies you need to elevate your brand and expand your reach. Whether you're looking to sharpen your story or unlock distribution success, these conversations are designed to deliver real-world insights you can apply immediately.
Is your brand telling a story that resonates with today’s consumers, or just blending in?
In a market where younger consumers connect more with craft beer and spirits, wine brands need stronger stories to stand out. This session explores how using brand archetypes can help wineries build emotional connections, shape clear messaging, and create memorable, story-driven branding that resonates with today’s audience. Discover how to make your wine brand more relatable, engaging, and repeatable—so it’s more than just another bottle on the shelf. Read more about this session.
How Do Successful Wine Brands Win at Wholesale?
Selling wine in today’s wholesale landscape takes more than great product—it requires smart pricing, strong distributor relationships, and a clear brand message. This session dives into proven strategies for boosting retail and on-premise sales, navigating buyer expectations, and building partnerships that support long-term growth. Walk away with practical insights you can apply right away. Learn more now!
Want to turn your followers into loyal customers?
In the session "Social Media Strategies to Grow Your Audience—and Sales," you’ll learn how different audiences engage with platforms, why Gen Z and Millennials aren’t as hard to reach as you think, and how to craft authentic content that truly resonates. You’ll also explore how smart investments in consultants, influencers, and targeted strategies can make a real impact on your bottom line. Walk away with actionable insights to strengthen your brand, grow your audience, and boost conversions. Learn more about this session.
Some wine brands are thriving — even in today’s tough market. Want to know why?
This lively session will dive into the bold strategies, innovative decisions, and fresh approaches that are driving real-world success across wineries, retailers, and distributors. You’ll hear from industry leaders who are outperforming the competition and leave with unexpected insights, proven ideas, and fresh inspiration to help you grow sales, strengthen your brand, and build stronger partnerships in an evolving market. The challenges are real, but so are the opportunities — come discover how to make them yours. Read more about this powerful discussion.
In addition to these session and the conference program, the event will include an outdoor catered lunch and a special end-of-day networking wine social featuring local wines. Attendees will have an opportunity to visit with onsite sales & marketing resources exhibiting at the event and network with winery owners, marketing executives, sales professionals, wholesale distributors, and DTC experts leading to potential new business relationships and collaborations.
In-Person Event is Almost Here - Register Soon!
New Customers. Loyal Members. Smarter Wine Sales Strategies.
Wine Sales Symposium:
Media Coverage, Tasting Room/Wine Club Strategies, & Customer Growth Tactics
New Customers. Loyal Members. Boost Sales by Leveraging Media & Creating Memorable Tasting Room Experiences with Smarter Wine Sales Strategies.
Today’s wine market demands fresh thinking—whether you’re looking to expand your customer base or reimagine your wine club strategy. At this year’s Wine Sales Symposium, taking place on May 14th, you’ll get the tools and insights you need to adapt, innovate, and drive real results. Below, explore two can’t-miss sessions designed to help wineries reach new audiences, increase loyalty, and grow smarter in a shifting landscape.
Getting press is only part of the equation—knowing how to turn that attention into real business impact is what sets successful brands apart.
Wine media has changed, and this session will help you keep up. Join leading wine journalists and PR experts as they reveal what makes a story pitch-worthy, how to navigate today’s media landscape, and how to turn coverage into tasting room traffic, club sign-ups, and real sales. Whether you manage PR in-house or work with an agency, you’ll walk away with actionable strategies to boost visibility and drive measurable results.
Is your tasting room turning guests into loyal customers? Your tasting room should be more than a visit—it should be a conversion.
Great wine alone isn’t enough—your tasting room should turn first-time guests into loyal customers. In this session, guest experience expert Karen Wetzel shares insights from over 30 years in the wine industry, including her work as a secret shopper across California, to help you create more engaging, profitable visits. Discover what today’s consumers expect and how small, strategic changes can lead to big gains in club sign-ups, repeat visits, and long-term customer retention.
Are you doing everything you can to reach today’s evolving wine consumer?
In this high-impact session, Honore Comfort, Vice President of International Marketing at Wine Institute, will share real-world strategies for expanding your brand’s reach and reputation—both globally and domestically.
Drawing on fresh insights from Wine Institute’s proprietary global tracking study and market trend data, Honore will walk attendees through step-by-step tactics to prime your brand for success in new and emerging markets. From knowing what buyers and distributors are looking for, to how to get your wines in front of them, this session is packed with actionable takeaways.
Outdated Wine Club Tactics Won’t Cut It Anymore.
The wine club model is shifting—and to stay competitive, your strategy needs to evolve with it. In this data-driven session, you'll hear from a panel of experts who will break down what’s working now when it comes to building high-performing wine clubs. From falling tasting room traffic to changing consumer expectations, the challenges are real—but so are the opportunities.
You'll gain insights into modern recruitment tactics that attract qualified members, engagement strategies that keep your wine club top of mind, and proven methods for increasing retention and maximizing customer lifetime value.
Learn more about these sessions and view the full event details now!
The Wine Market and Consumer Are Evolving – So Should You
Wine Sales Symposium
OPENING SESSION
State of the Industry: The Wine Market and Consumer Are Evolving – So Should You
Wine sales are shifting, and consumer behavior is changing—but not always in the ways the headlines suggest. To help make sense of it all, we’re kicking off the 2025 Wine Sales Symposium on May 14th with an opening session led by Dr. Chris Bitter, Senior Wine and Grape Analyst at Terrain / American AgCredit.
In this insightful and interactive session, Dr. Bitter will explore what’s really behind the recent declines in wine consumption and provide a deeper look at the trends shaping both retail and DTC sales channels. He’ll address the structural challenges facing the industry, offer a forward-looking outlook, and share where innovative wine brands are still managing to grow despite headwinds.
This session is designed to help you make informed, strategic decisions and adapt to the realities of a changing marketplace. Don’t miss your chance to gain the insights you need to stay competitive and lead with confidence.
Chris Bitter, Ph.D.
Senior Wine & Grape Analyst / Terrain, American AgCredit
In addition to the opening session and conference program, the event will include an outdoor catered lunch and a special end-of-day networking wine social featuring local wines. Attendees will have an opportunity to visit with onsite sales & marketing resources exhibiting at the event and network with winery owners, marketing executives, sales professionals, wholesale distributors, and DTC experts leading to potential new business relationships and collaborations.
Registration is Open for the 2025 Wine Sales Symposium!
Wine Sales Symposium
Insights, advice, and actionable takeaways for wineries looking to grow sales and profits.
Join us May 14, 2025, in Santa Rosa, CA for the Wine Sales Symposium, a one-day event designed to equip wineries with the insights, strategies, and tools needed to thrive in today’s competitive market.
This year’s symposium kicks off with the State of the Industry session, offering a deep dive into current market trends, shifting consumer behaviors, and where new growth opportunities are emerging. From there, attendees will explore a wide range of sales-focused sessions covering everything from brand-building through archetypes and earned media strategies, to modern approaches for wholesale success, wine club growth, and social media engagement. The day will conclude with a dynamic panel, Cracking the Code, featuring wine brands that are not just surviving—but thriving—in today’s challenging market. These leaders will share real-world strategies, creative thinking, and the smart moves that have fueled their success.
Session Topics will include:
- State of the Industry: The Evolving Industry Market and Wine Consumer
- How Archetypes Make Unforgettable Wine Brands
- Mastering Modern Media: How to Get (and Leverage) Coverage That Drives Sales
- Unlocking Wine Sales: Strategies for Wholesale Success
- The Evolving Tasting Room Experience: How to Drive Sales and Increase Customer Loyalty
- New Markets, New Strategies: Expanding Your Marketing Mix to Reach New Customers for Your Brand
- The New Wine Club Playbook: Reimagined Strategies for Recruitment, Retention, & Growth
- Social Media Strategies to Grow Your Audience—and Sales
- Cracking the Code: The Wine Brands That Are Thriving Against the Odds
Along with the conference program, attendees can enjoy a beautiful outdoor catered lunch and network at a special end-of-day wine social featuring local wines.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to visit with onsite sales & marketing resources exhibiting at the event and network with winery owners, marketing executives, sales professionals, wholesale distributors, and DTC experts leading to potential new business relationships and collaborations.
Take Advantage of Early Bird Registration Savings!
Submissions Have Opened for the Wine Marketing Awards! 🍷
The 2nd Annual
Wine Marketing Awards
Recognizing the efforts of wineries, marketing agencies, and industry professionals successfully navigating the unique challenges of marketing wine.
Nominations are open for the 2nd annual Wine Marketing Awards presented by Wine Industry Network. These prestigious awards recognize innovation, creativity, and excellence in wine marketing, celebrating campaigns and initiatives that make a lasting impact on the industry.
Now in its second year, the Wine Marketing Awards continues to build on its mission of recognizing the bold ideas and creative campaigns that connect brands with audiences in meaningful ways. Last year’s inaugural awards saw an impressive array of talent and innovation, and this year promises to highlight even more groundbreaking achievements.
The awards will be presented in conjunction with the Wine Sales Symposium, the annual sales and marketing conference produced by Wine Industry Network, on May 14, 2025. Attendee registration opens in late February. Sign up now to receive notifications when it becomes available.
Entries are due by March 5, 2025
Winners Announced: April 30, 2025
Wine Sales Symposium Event THIS WEEK!
Sales Trends and Predictions, Consumer Motivation, Wine Club Retention, Navigating Wholesale Distribution, Wine Marketing Winners, and MORE!
Join us Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Santa Rosa, CA, for this one-day event focused on delivering insights, advice, and predictions from industry leaders and winery executives from thriving brands sharing their strategies for succeeding in this competitive landscape.
The Symposium program will open with a keynote address by Ben Dollard, President of Treasury Americas, and continue with topics that cover insights into customer demographics, industry sales trends and predictions, luxury wine consumer motivations & behaviors, converting website traffic into revenue, wholesale channels success, wine club retention, and more!
Session panels will host speakers from notable brands that include Clif Family Winery & Farm, Customer Vineyard, DaVero Farms & Winery, Distinguished Vineyards, Far Niente Family of Wines, Knights Bridge Winery, Libby Wines, O'Neill Vintners & Distillers, Pedroncelli Winery, REPRIS Wines, Rombauer Vineyards, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Treasury Americas, Wilson Artisan Wines, and MORE!
Session Topics will include:
- Succeeding and Growing in the Wholesale Channel
- Understanding High-End Wine Consumers: An Overview of Motivations and Behavior
- Data-Driven Insights: Sales Trends and Predictions
- Boosting Brands, Traffic, and Sales with Digital Winery Marketing
- Customer Communication: Growing Sales & Relationships
- Mastering Wine Club Retention: Strategies for Sustainable Growth
- Tackling Demographic Shifts: Attracting & Retaining New Audiences
- Understanding High-End Wine Consumers: An Overview of Motivations and Behavior
Along with the conference program, the event will host a beautiful outdoor catered lunch, a special end-of-day networking social featuring local wines, and a new addition to this year’s event - a presentation of the 2024 Wine Marketing Award Winners.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to visit with onsite sales & marketing resources exhibiting at the event and network with winery owners, marketing executives, sales professionals, wholesale distributors, and DTC experts leading to potential new business relationships and collaborations.
Come join us Thursday, May 16th, to
"Uncork Your Sales Potential to Increase Profits"
| Conference Overview & Registration |
Wine Sales Wine Industry Event Wine Marketing DTC Wholesale Wine Club
Wholesale Channel Success, Customer Relationships, Sales Predictions, and MORE!
Succeeding in the Wholesale Channel, Boosting Sales with Digital Marketing, Cultivating Customer Relationships & Sales and Data-Driven Sales Trends & Predictions
This year's Wine Sales Symposium program kicks off with discussions on navigating the wholesale channel and digital marketing strategies for thriving in this competitive environment. These sessions will host experts providing insights and answering attendee's toughest questions on what's working and what's not in wholesale distribution and the competitive world of digital winery marketing, which communication strategies work, which don't, and how to best optimize targeting and engagements with consumers.
Succeeding and Growing in the Wholesale Channel
Regardless of whether you represent a portfolio of brands or a single wine brand, it is essential to foster relationships with both customers and distributors. Strong winery distributor relationships are essential for maximizing distribution, sales, and brand presence in the market. This session will provide direction for navigating this dynamic landscape and share the effective distribution strategies used by successful brands to penetrate new markets and expand their reach while continuing to evolve, and acquire new consumers while never alienating existing... READ MORE
Boosting Brands, Traffic, and Sales with Digital Winery Marketing
As consumers increasingly turn to online channels for researching and purchasing wine, the significance of a robust online presence cannot be overstated. Investing in digital marketing efforts aimed at driving website traffic not only expands the reach of the winery's brand but also provides valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences. This session will host a candid conversation about what's working and what's not in the world of digital marketing. This panel will tackle your toughest social media, SEO, email marketing, content marketing, website design, e-commerce optimization, and local search optimization questions and get unscripted... READ MORE
Best Practices of Customer Communications: Growing Sales and Relationships
In every industry, a key characteristic shared by all successful businesses in the long term is their capacity to adapt over time, particularly as new generations come of age. It's time for wineries to do the same. This session will review best practices in customer communications and how effective communication strategies can adapt marketing programs to resonate with today's consumer preferences, ultimately driving growth in sales and cultivating lasting connections with customers.... READ MORE
Data-Driven Insights: Sales Trends and Predictions
This session offers a comprehensive look at the current state of the wine industry and consumer trends, along with predictions for the future. Attendees will gain valuable insights on the performance of the wine industry in both wholesale and direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels, as well as understanding consumer behavior - specifically of Northern California wine consumers, along with strategies for wineries to enhance their targeting and engagement efforts. READ MORE
To view session information, full speakers line-up, and event details, please click here.
Navigating the Wholesale Channel, Winery Digital Marketing, Cultivating Customer Relationships, and Data-Driven Trends & Predictions
Registration is open for the Wine Sales Symposium, a one-day event focused on delivering insights, advice, and predictions from industry experts to wineries looking to grow sales and/or profits.
This year's Wine Sales Symposium program kicks off with discussions on navigating the wholesale channel and digital marketing strategies for thriving in this competitive environment. The event program will continue with discussions on cultivating customer connections to drive growth and a comprehensive overview of the current state of the wine industry and the wine consumer. These sessions will host experts providing insights and answering attendees' toughest questions on what's working and what's not in wholesale distribution and the competitive world of digital winery marketing:
Regardless of whether you represent a portfolio of brands or a single wine brand, it is essential to foster relationships with both customers and distributors. Strong winery distributor relationships are essential for maximizing distribution, sales, and brand presence in the market.
This session will provide direction for navigating this dynamic landscape and share the effective distribution strategies used by successful brands to penetrate new markets and expand their reach while continuing to evolve, and acquire new consumers while never alienating existing... READ MORE
As consumers increasingly turn to online channels for researching and purchasing wine, the significance of a robust online presence cannot be overstated. Investing in digital marketing efforts aimed at driving website traffic not only expands the reach of the winery's brand but also provides valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences.
This session will host a candid conversation about what's working and what's not in the world of digital marketing. This panel will tackle your toughest social media, SEO, email marketing, content marketing, website design, e-commerce optimization, and local search optimization questions and get unscripted... READ MORE
In every industry, a key characteristic shared by all successful businesses in the long term is their capacity to adapt over time, particularly as new generations come of age. It's time for wineries to do the same.
This session will review best practices in customer communications and how effective communication strategies can adapt marketing programs to resonate with today's consumer preferences, ultimately driving growth in sales and cultivating lasting connections with customers.... READ MORE
This session offers a comprehensive look at the current state of the wine industry and consumer trends, along with predictions for the future.
Attendees will gain valuable insights on the performance of the wine industry in both wholesale and direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels, as well as understanding consumer behavior - specifically of Northern California wine consumers, along with strategies for wineries to enhance their targeting and engagement efforts. READ MORE
To view session information, full speakers line-up, and event details, click here.
sales data customer communications digital marketing wholesale channel
About
Navigating the Future of Wine Sales
May 25-26, 2021• Online Virtual Symposium
Navigating (or disrupting!) the traditional three-tier norms; utilizing the latest sales and marketing technologies; strategically enhancing consumer engagement and brand loyalty. These are just some of the areas where the industry actually advanced within the last year.
"As is often the case, challenging times drive creative thinking and we certainly have seen that in how our industry responded to the impact of COVID-19," says George Christie, President of Wine Industry Network. "Out of necessity, we found new ways to engage, market, sell, and deliver our wines into the hands of our consumers. This conference will highlight some of the best of what we've learned from 2020—which is why we're offering it for free to anybody in the industry," adds Christie.
TThis FREE two-day symposium will feature experts from all sectors of the industry. Our mission is to provide every attendee with tools and actionable takeaways to help their business be in the best position to thrive as we navigate toward a more dynamic future for the wine industry.
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Location List
| Locations | Address | State | Country | Zip Code |
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| Wine Sales Symposium | 155 Foss Creek Circle, Healdsburg | CA | United States of America | 95448 |
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