Winery DTC technology has changed considerably over the years, but so has the customer journey it needs to support. For a long time, the winery direct-to-consumer model followed a fairly predictable path. A guest visited the tasting room, had a great experience, joined the wine club, and stayed connected through allocations, events, email offers, and return visits. That path still exists, and the tasting room remains one of the most valuable customer acquisition channels available to wineries. But it is no longer the only way consumers build relationships with wine brands. Today, a customer's first interaction with your winery may happen long before they walk through the tasting room door—or they may never visit at all. They might discover a bottle at a restaurant, see it in an Instagram post, hear about it from a friend, encounter your winery while planning a trip, search for a varietal or region online, receive a bottle as a gift, or come across your brand in an online wine community

Please join us on Tuesday, June 9 for a live, virtual event to review findings and predictions from our 2026 Direct-to-Consumer Report. This year's survey, based on responses from 450 wineries, confirms that the DtC wine channel is navigating a period of pronounced bifurcation. While select brands report meaningful year-over-year improvement, others report declining visitation, lower average transaction values, accelerating wine club attrition and a growing inventory surplus. Our panel will examine those dynamics directly, benchmark the data and discuss the strategies that are making a measurable difference. A few of the topics we plan to address are: Tasting fee trends and flexibility Wine club performance Structural oversupply Where opportunity persists Our exclusive panel of wine industry innovators will include: Ed Feuchuk – General Manager, Farm Collective Napa Valley Barbara Gorder – President, Undisclosed Location & Managing Partner, DTC Wine Symposium Rob McMillan –

Call for samples; tariff discussion; crop round-up Following an October that exhibited summer-like heat spells – including daytime temperatures of 105-106°F and night-times in excess of 75°F – California’s 2024 harvest was essentially complete by November 1st. As well as contributing to a busy end-of-season picking period – and, in turn, some short-term capacity constraints at wineries – the heat is likely to have reduced the final crop size, especially of those (mainly red) varieties still hanging when it arrived. The crop’s size remains extremely difficult to gauge, owing to the high number of variables: A patchy performance across the state this year, the late heat, uncontracted grapes potentially going unpicked, and vineyard abandonments or removals. In the North Coast, Napa and Sonoma tonnages were down from the average; Mendocino and Lake tonnages were more in line. Cabernet appeared to have suffered one of the larger shortfalls in the

Late heat starting to influence vineyards and the market Devoid of weather extremes, September was perfect for vineyard conditions across California and harvesting proceeded smoothly through the month. However, October ushered in an unseasonable heatwave, with triple-digit temperatures registered in some areas and a number of temperature records broken. The resulting speed-up in sugar accumulation has intensified picking and, in turn, necessitated quicker decisions in the vineyards and on the grape market: To pick or not pick, to custom crush or not custom crush, to buy extra grapes or not buy extra, etc. Prior to the heat’s arrival, grape quality across the state appeared very good and – as of October 9th – no widespread deleterious effects of heat on quality had been reported. By that date, something like 60-65% of the harvest was complete in the North Coast. Until the heat, the North Coast’s crop – assisted by some sizing during cooler spells back in A

Napa Valley Auction Weekend Benefits Youth Mental Health

6/2/2024 – Saint Helena, CA – The annual Collective Napa Valley Auction Weekend, held May 31 to June 1 this year, once again demonstrated the Napa Valley wine industry’s commitment to […]

Bidding Now Open for Collective Napa Valley Barrel and Live Lots

5/28/2024 – Saint Helena, CA – Bidding has begun on barrel and live lots in the Collective Napa Valley Auction Weekend. The in-person auction experience is sold out. Wine enthusiasts can […]

Afternoon Brief, May 28th

US Wine Industry Fights Back with New Marketing Campaigns: It might feel like it's all gloom and doom in the wine industry right now, but two separate groups are creating positive energy around wine. Felicity Carter reports...

Leadership Group Launches VolunteerNapa Initiative

4/19/2024 – Saint Helena, CA – Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) announces the launch of VolunteerNapa, a community-focused initiative aimed at harnessing the collective power of vintner members to give back to […]

Consumers are asking for sustainability measures from their favorite brands. Infinity Bottling is poised to help our customers tell their story and increase their brands sustainability in many ways. Infinity offers bulk glass handling from a range of domestic California based suppliers; Bag in the Box filling and the facility recycles at least 90% of the packaging waste materials created in the bottling process. Bulk glass procurement has multiple benefits for a brand as well as the environment. The benefits of converting to bulk glass handling are numerous including: Environmental footprint benefit as more glass arrives per delivery truck and glass shipments can come directly from the manufacturer to bottling, which saves extra truck trips and repeat unloading/reloading energy. Customer savings on the cost of repacking, $1/case or more, cartons remain pristine from less handling and transit and customer realizes savings on the cost of carton erecting often built into the repack costs.

WineGlass Marketing Unveils Oregon Office Amplifying Support to Northwest Wineries NAPA, CA – WineGlass Marketing, LLC proudly announces its expansion into the heart of Oregon wine country, solidifying its commitment to supporting local wineries in the Pacific Northwest. Effective March 1st, the esteemed marketing agency will provide on-the-ground assistance to clients nestled within the renowned Willamette, Rogue, and Umpqua Valleys.  Susan DeMatei, President of WineGlass Marketing, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to refocus our efforts in Oregon. The region's dedication to innovation, outreach to new consumers, and ingenuity in marketing strategies make it a perfect match for our agency's expertise." She continued, "Having a dedicated presence in this vibrant market allows us to intimately understand the nuances of Oregon Wine Country."  In a strategic move to bolster local support, WineGlass Marketing welcomes Jo