Less Than Two Weeks Until the 2026 Wine Club Symposium: Here's What's Happening on Day 1 The countdown is on. In less than two weeks, winery professionals from across the industry will come together for the 2026 Wine Club Symposium, two mornings dedicated entirely to growing, retaining, and strengthening wine clubs. Whether you're a winery owner, DTC manager, wine club manager, or tasting room leader, Day 1 is designed to help you understand where the industry is headed and what you can do today to improve your club's performance. Session 1: State of the Industry: What the Data Says About the Future of Wine Clubs The symposium opens with an industry outlook from Rob McMillan, EVP & Wine Division Founder at First Citizens Bank, joined by Jimmy Wu, President of vinSUITE. Together, they'll examine current market trends, changing consumer behavior, and the data shaping winery DTC strategies. Expect practical insights into what's driving successful wine clubs today and where wineries sh

Registration is now open for the 14th Annual North Coast Wine Industry Trade Show & Conference (WIN Expo), scheduled for Thursday, December 3rd, 2026, at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds and Event Center in Santa Rosa, CA. This year’s theme focuses on The Next Era of Wine, and the event will explore ideas, strategies, and connections that will help shape your winery’s next chapter. WIN Expo is the largest trade show and conference focused exclusively on the Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake County wine regions. The Expo has become THE year-end business and networking event for North Coast wine industry professionals to celebrate the success and achievements of the past year, reconnect with colleagues, foster new connections, and prepare for a thriving 2027. The event will feature hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest vineyard, winery, and business solutions, complemented by outdoor exhibits, live trial tastings, and one of the North Coast’s most comprehensive educational confere

Wineries have never had more options when it comes to eCommerce. Yet many still find themselves balancing modern online shopping expectations with the operational realities of managing clubs, customer data, inventory, and direct-to-consumer sales. As the Activ8 Commerce Shopify integration rolls out to customers, wineries are discovering they may no longer have to choose between the two. For years, wineries wanting a more modern online shopping experience often faced an uncomfortable tradeoff. Choose a sleek storefront with endless flexibility—but risk disconnected systems, duplicate data, and operational headaches. Or stay inside a winery-specific platform built for clubs, customer data, and operations—but miss out on the broader innovation happening in eCommerce. That tradeoff is starting to disappear. As the Activ8 Commerce Shopify integration rolls out across more customers, wineries—and the web professionals who support them—are discovering this is far more than a storefront con

The 2026 Wine Sales Symposium brought a roomful of winery sales and marketing leaders together to work through the industry’s hardest questions — softening wine club growth, a shifting distribution landscape, AI arriving in every corner of marketing, and tasting rooms competing for a new generation of drinkers. Fourteen sessions, more than thirty speakers, and a full program of practical, road-tested answers. If you couldn’t be in the room, you no longer have to miss it. On-demand Virtual Access is now available — every recorded session from the 2026 program, yours to watch whenever and wherever works for you. All 14 Sessions. 30+ Experts. One Link. Virtual Access unlocks the complete 2026 program — every session recorded start to finish, plus the speakers’ slide decks to download and keep. Here is everything included: Navigating the New Normal — Wine sales trends and winning strategies for a changing market, with Chris Bitter, Ph.D. Practical AI Wine Marketing — Boosting brand disco

Join winery leaders and industry experts to explore the strategies shaping the future of wine sales. The wine industry is entering a period of significant change. Consumer behavior is shifting, visitation patterns are evolving, and the traditional paths to market are being redefined. To succeed in this environment, wineries must rethink how they attract customers, build lasting relationships, and grow their brands. The Wine Sales Symposium, taking place on Wednesday, May 13, brings together winery leaders and industry experts for a full day focused on the strategies shaping wine sales today and in the years ahead. This year’s program explores critical topics that will cover: • Hospitality Innovation: Reimagining tasting room experiences to attract Millennials and Gen Z through values-driven programming, experiential design, and strategic partnerships • Wine Club and Customer Retention: Data-driven approaches to reducing churn, building membership value,

We proudly announced the recipients of the inaugural WISE Rising Stars Scholarships during a live presentation at the DTC Wine Symposium last week, celebrating the next generation of DTC wine industry leaders in front of more than 500 winery professionals. As one of the event’s original sponsors, WISE continues to invest in the Symposium’s mission of education, collaboration, and forward‑thinking leadership. The Rising Stars Scholarships extend that commitment—supporting people, developing leadership, and strengthening the DTC community across the industry. The Rising Stars Scholarships received an overwhelming response from across the country. The strength of applications prompted Commerce7 to step in and match one of the scholarships, allowing WISE to expand the program and support additional recipients. Join us as we raise a glass towards this year's recipients! Kelsey Gomes is the DTC Marketing Manager at Lange Twins Family Winery & Vineyards. Upon re

Napa/Sonoma, CA — December 1st, 2025 — RedChirp and WISE (Wine Industry Sales Education) today announced a forward-looking, solutions-driven webinar designed to help wineries solve one of the most urgent challenges facing Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) wine sales today: capturing accurate guest data and the express written consent required to power effective outreach, build lasting relationships, and grow revenue.  This collaboration—led by WISE Partner Liz Mercer and RedChirp Cofounder Jennie Gilbert—was born from a shared recognition that the old “hospitality-first, follow-up-later” model is no longer enough. With tasting room visitation softening, consumer spending tightening, and compliance rules continually evolving, brands must become more proactive in their outreach. Yet most wineries are missing most of the reliable email addresses, phone numbers, and compliant opt-ins needed to keep conversations going after the visit.  Recent WISE

For years, discounting has been the default lever wineries pull to spark sales and reward loyal customers. But in today’s crowded marketplace, deep discounts can erode brand value and condition customers to buy only when the price drops. There’s a better way: loyalty points programs. Retention, without discounting, comes from making customers feel known, valued, and part of something special. They’ll stay not because it’s cheaper, but because it’s theirs. Instead of discounting away margin, wineries can encourage repeat visits and purchases by offering rewards that feel aspirational, personalized, and memorable. Loyalty points add up over time, giving guests a reason to come back again and again, all the while protecting your brand’s premium image. 10 Reasons Why Loyalty Points Work Shift from price to experience. Points reward frequency and engagement, not bargain hunting. The program should reinforce experience, access, and emotional loyalty, not

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

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 strate