The Cost of Time by Steve Fredricks At the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in January, we presented an analysis of the volume of older-vintage bulk wine sitting on the market with no clear path to a sale. The warning signs to sellers were evident and we have been consistently describing the challenges to clients, but the general hope was that strategic pricing and patience might correct their imbalance. Over the course of this year, we have marketed this wine to negociants and wineries who, in turn, have considered opportunities to use it at very aggressive prices, however, nearly eight months later, that hope is running into the striking clarity of the market—there is simply no interest. The industry remains heavily weighed down by older bulk wine inventory that has no viable market use. Growers and wineries are spending precious time trying to sell this older vintage wine to mitigate damage when time and energy should be on growing consumer demand at sustainable pricing. The longe

The later-than-usual release of the Grape Crush Report had everyone doing what this industry does best: guessing. And when the number finally dropped, it landed somewhere between “not great” and “not nearly low enough to matter.” At approximately 2.6 million tons, the 2025 crush came in higher than most had hoped, and, more importantly, higher than many believe the market actually needs. The Facts: What the Crush Report Tells Us Data released by the California Department of Food and Agriculture shows that the 2025 grape crush totaled approximately 2.6 million tons. That represents a decline of just over 8% from the prior year and marks the smallest crop since the late 1990s. On the surface, that’s a meaningful shift. After several years where production consistently exceeded 3 million tons, supply is clearly beginning to respond. But the details matter. Key premium varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir all declined, while certain

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

It shouldn’t feel this hard Running a winery is complex. Your technology shouldn’t make it more so. But for many wineries, the day feels like this: Double-checking reports Reconciling numbers across systems Fixing small workflow gaps Wondering if the data is actually right Putting out quiet operational fires None of it feels dramatic. It just feels… heavier than it should. That’s what missing pieces cost. Calm Commerce looks different. It looks like: One unified system across POS, clubs, eCommerce, CRM, and reporting A data-centric Shopify integration that keeps customer records centralized Direct QuickBooks integration that removes month-end cleanup Reporting that leads directly to action Fewer workarounds. Fewer surprises. Fewer “why is this happening?” moments When systems are aligned, the business feels aligned. Clearer decisions. Less second-guessing. More control. If you’ve been following this series, you’ve seen the cost

What your tech should make easier Winery teams are busy enough. Technology should reduce friction — not quietly create it. But over time, many wineries start to accept things like: Extra steps at checkout Manual adjustments before club runs Reports that require exporting and reconciling POS, online, and club data that doesn’t quite match End-of-month accounting cleanup None of these feel dramatic. They just add up. And when friction becomes normal, growth feels harder than it should. The issue usually isn’t effort. It’s structure. When systems aren’t truly unified, teams compensate with: Workarounds Spreadsheets Extra training Extra time Activ8 Commerce was built to remove that friction. One unified system across POS, clubs, eCommerce, CRM, and reporting — plus a data-centric Shopify integration built around Activ8’s unified customer records, and direct QuickBooks integration — so operations stay aligned instead of stitched toget

The 2026 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento earlier this year was a great success for R-Biopharm! We connected with so many of our colleagues from nearly thirty years of being in Wine Production Technical Support, a thriving diaspora of so much talent and expertise. And we made some amazing new connections where we could offer support and solutions for Winery Labs and businesses that support Wine Production.  So what were the Top Three R-Biopharm Products that were most discussed? #1 The RIDA®CUBE Scan - small, precise, single sample, semi-automated enzymatic test system for the following wine components: L-Malic Acid, Acetic Acid, Glucose/Fructose, FSO2, TSO2 and Ammonia. #2 NoLo EtOH Testing - our Enzytec™ Liquid Ethanol kits are specially developed for NoLo EtOH beverages, and AOAC-OMA 2017.07 Final Action, Official recommended Codex method.  #3 qPCR for Wine Spoilage Microorganisms -  test with specificity for up to 14 wine spoilage yeast a

myWineClubApp™ - Agency Partner Plan Wine Marketing Agencies Are Quietly Claiming a New DTC Communication Channel Something unusual is happening in wine marketing. While much of the industry continues to wrestle with declining response rates, unreliable email deliverability, and growing SMS fatigue, a new pattern is emerging behind the scenes: wine marketing agencies are beginning to secure strategic positions around an entirely new DTC communication channel. The channel is myWineClubApp™ — a patent-pending, preference-based messaging platform designed specifically for modern wine clubs. Why myWineClubApp? Originally developed as a direct solution for wineries struggling with fragmented customer communications, myWineClubApp has quickly drawn attention from agencies who recognize a larger opportunity: helping their winery clients establish a persistent, brand-owned presence on consumers’ phones while reducing dependence on traditional channels. Unlike conven

Thank you to all who stopped by Admeo's booth at Unified Wine and Grape Symposium and Oregon Wine Symposium! 🍇  Your energy, curiosity, and thoughtful conversations made both events truly special. Thank you for the hugs and sharing about your labs.  If we didn’t get a chance to connect or you’d like to follow up, please reach out. We are always happy to chat about quality control!

Encore Glass proudly participated in the 2026 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, which opened January 27, with the trade show held January 28-29 in Sacramento, California. At Booth 614, our team welcomed customers, partners, and industry leaders for focused conversations around performance, sustainability, and strategic packaging decisions. This year, we prominently showcased our Featherweight Collection, designed to reduce glass weight without compromising strength or shelf presence. The collection continues to gain traction among wineries seeking to lower freight impact and improve supply chain efficiency while maintaining a premium look and feel. We also introduced our newly debuted 1L bottles, the Muscovy and Atlas, expanding options for brands looking to differentiate and meet evolving market demand. The strong interest and engagement around the 1L format reinforced its relevance across multiple tiers and channels. Unified remains one of the industry's most important annual gathe