Category: Marketing

A Short Primer on Exporting

Cyndi

For those who desire to enter the export market

a wine bottle sitting on one of many boxes surrounded by shelves containing wine bottles

By Brad Berkman & Louis J. Terminello of Greenspoon Marder LLP

Given the rates of consumption of alcoholic beverages in the U.S., specifically, the volume declines across all commodities, it may be wise for suppliers to consider markets abroad to sell their wares. Wine exports from the U.S. make up only a small percentage of wine sales, but markets such as Canada, Europe, Japan and the UK are active importers of U.S. produced wine. As a note, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that there was $1.27 billion in export value shipped from the U.S., with the top three markets being Canada with $459 million in exports, followed by the European Union with $167 million and the UK with $165 million in export value.

  For those in the wine business who desire to enter the export market, this article examines some key topics regarding the export of alcoholic beverages, and in particular, wine, and essential elements required to remain in compliance with federal and state regulations.

  The reader should bear in mind that the general concern of both the federal and state governments is the protection of excise tax revenue generated from the production and domestic sale of alcohol. When beverage alcohol is exported outside the U.S. or outside the borders of any state, no excise tax is imposed by either level of government. Simply stated, no excise tax liability exists for the export of beverage alcohol. However, strict rules apply and sufficient documentary evidence is required to support exportation; the absence of which will require the exporter to pay the tax that lawfully is not due. The examining auditor needs to be satisfied that a sufficient showing of export has been substantiated; a demand for payment of tax will be imposed.

Export from the Bonded Premises

  For wine producers, federal regulations allow for the exportation of wine from a bonded wine premises for exportation under a variety of circumstances, including to a foreign country, for use as supplies on vessels (such as cruise ships) and aircrafts,  and  transfer and deposit into foreign trade zones and customs bonded warehouses for storage pending exportation. Wine may also be removed from the bonded premises for export to U.S. armed forces for use overseas.

Proof of Exportation

  As noted above, sufficient and acceptable documentation as proof of export is mandated. The Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), in an industry circular, indicates that acceptable proof of exportation includes all documents that substantiate the transaction as a removal for export. Generally speaking, acceptable proof includes:

•    Purchase orders

•    Inland bills of lading

•    Ocean bills of lading

•    Letters of Credit and proof of payment

  The reader should keep in mind that in almost every instance, wine exported beyond state(s) borders is not subject to state excise tax either. The above documentation will likely be sufficient proof of export for state auditors; however, regulations and requirements should be researched by each state.

  Staying with state issues, there may be additional permitting or registration requirements imposed on the party desiring to export wine. In Florida, where this writer resides, a mere export registration is required prior to engaging in export activities. As an additional note, Florida applies Tied-House principles to exporters in that exporters are precluded from holding a vendor’s license (see Florida Statute §561.22(1)). Again, thorough research is required at the state(s) level to ensure compliance prior to commencing export operations.

  Bonded wineries are not the only types of federally licensed manufacturers permitted to export. The same rights are granted to breweries and distilleries. In fact, U.S. importers and wholesalers/distributors are permitted to export as well.

2 ships shown floating in the sea

Wholesaler Export Withdrawal without Payment of Tax

  Wholesalers are permitted to export wine to foreign countries, for use on vessels, such as cruise ships, free trade zones and customs bonded warehouses, transfer to a manufacturing bonded warehouse and to U.S. armed forces overseas.

  Federal law requires that any party purchasing alcoholic beverages for resale domestically or in foreign commerce must hold a Wholesaler’s Basic Permit before beginning operations. Untax paid wine may be removed from the wholesalers’ licensed premises for the purposes stated above; however, an application must be made to TTB on a proscribed form entitled “Withdrawal of Spirits Specially Denatured Spirits or Wines for Exportation”. A TTB officer will review the form and circumstances surrounding the shipment for export and will issue an approval (or denial) prior to the untax paid wine being removed for export. TTB requires that every shipment prepared for export must complete the above process. Additionally, each container or case of wine must be marked with the word “Export,” though certain exceptions exist.

  In addition to the above, a bond must be secured before untax-paid wine may be removed for exportation. The export bond can either be a one-time or continuous bond in an amount sufficient to cover the excise tax which would normally be due.

Wholesalers Removing Tax-Paid Wine

  Tax-paid wines can be exported to all destinations stated above, but a Wholesaler’s Basic Permit issued by TTB is required (and as a reminder-check your states requirements). With tax paid wine, the exporter is permitted to obtain a refund on the tax paid product through a process called drawback. The wholesaler must file the appropriate forms with TTB, including one entitled “Drawback on Wines Exported” to be eligible for the refund. It should be noted that exports to foreign trade zones and vessels or aircraft require that different forms be submitted to TTB to be eligible for a refund. Also, drawback is permitted on exports of beer and distilled spirits.

Other Considerations

  Finally, exporters must consider the requirements of the country to which wines (or other alcoholic beverages) are being shipped to. A certificate of origin certifying the country of origin of the wine will likely be required, as well as other documents. The exporter should be aware of the duties and taxing structure of the receiving country, as well as becoming familiar with the general industry practices of the receiving county to ensure proper product pricing, sufficient exporter margins and general terms of payment. Finally, legal issues should be considered, including the issue of contracts and dispute resolution with the exporters in the country partner. If a long-term business relationship is considered, a sufficient contract memorializing key terms should be put in place between the parties.

  Export markets are a unique and promising opportunity for U.S. wine producers (and beer and spirits producers as well) and wholesalers. Understanding the rules of the road and ensuring both U.S. and foreign compliance issues and business practices are essential to creating a profitable and trouble-free trade environment.

Engagement Strategy

Cyndi

How tasting rooms can build connection, loyalty, & increased visits

By Corey Krejcik, Founder of Thirsty Bandit

In the world of wine, customer engagement is more than just a marketing metric—it’s the heart of what transforms a casual visitor into a loyal guest, a repeat buyer, and ultimately a wine club member. Today’s consumers want more than just a pour in a glass; they want connection, storytelling, and a sense of belonging. Taking time to create a thoughtful engagement strategy ensures that your tasting room stays top-of-mind, stands out amongst regional competitors, and becomes the cornerstone for creating memorable experiences that keep guests coming back for all their celebrations in life. In this article, we will explore just a few proven strategies to help tasting rooms and wine brands strengthen their presence, grow their audience, and increase tasting room traffic.

Showcasing Authenticity Through Social Media

  Social media has quickly become the first touchpoint for consumers to discover a brand. Decisions are made in seconds based on an Instagram post or Reel, and visitors immediately begin assessing whether your tasting room feels approachable, exciting, educational, or simply forgettable. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s preserving your brand’s presence, personality, and authenticity.

  More than ever, guests want to peek behind the curtain: to see how your wines are made, meet the people who pour them, and learn something new along the way. A strong social media presence allows prospective visitors to understand who you are as a company and what you value. It’s an opportunity to highlight your ethics, celebrate partnerships with local businesses, share sustainability initiatives, and highlight the culture that defines your space.

  This step is vital for all tasting rooms and wine-based businesses. Being visible in the community, announcing your presence with confidence, and spotlighting the individuals who make your operation thrive all contribute to why someone may choose to walk through your door. Every post, every Reel, should feel like an open invitation—a glimpse into your world that encourages guests to spend their time within your space.

Corey & Rachel discuss the importance of a customer engagement ecosystem

  Tapping Into User-Generated Content

  User-generated content is one of the most powerful tools available to tasting rooms and wine brands—largely because it’s free and inherently trustworthy. When guests share their experiences, they offer something no marketing campaign can manufacture: raw, honest perspective. Promoting your brand and style is only half the work; the rest delivers an experience that guests genuinely want to talk about. Today’s consumers rely heavily on peer reviews, photos, and firsthand stories before choosing a new space to visit.

  Enhancing your physical environment plays a significant role in this. Cozy seating areas, thoughtful design details, intentional signage, and photo-friendly corners invite guests to document their visit. Everyone who walks into a tasting room is looking to make a memory and creating a space that supports that is both an honor and a privilege.

  Once these moments exist, encourage tagging and sharing across social platforms. Small incentives—monthly giveaways, discounts, or simple recognition—go a long way in motivating guests to post photos and reels. Reposting their content expands your reach and amplifies your message in a way that feels genuine because it comes from real visitors. When you create an atmosphere that people want to return to repeatedly, their shared experiences begin to build momentum—allowing your brand identity to start working for you.

Partner With

Influencers Who Match Your Brand

  The world of influence has changed. Today, it’s no longer only about celebrity endorsements, it’s about voices right from your community, or even from your own backyard. For tasting rooms, micro-influencers are often the sweet spot. These are people steadily growing their presence on social media, with high engagement and audiences that feel like real, vibrant communities.

  These influencers become trusted voices. When guests see someone on screen who feels like them, someone who lives the lifestyle they aspire to, values the same things, and shares their interests—your message resonates.

  The most effective partnerships are built on alignment. Seek creators whose content naturally blends with your world: lifestyle, food, wine education, travel, local tourism, or hospitality. Their authentic experiences—from behind-the-scenes tours to candid meals and tastings—allow them to showcase your tasting room in a way that feels genuine, not promotional.

  Invite them to highlight aspects of your space that reflect your identity: private tastings, cellar tours, intimate winemaker dinners. These experiences convert their audience’s curiosity into real interest—and often lead to strong traffic and new tastings from people inspired by those shared moments.

  Embracing this kind of community-based marketing—engaging with people who genuinely believe in what you do—doesn’t just create awareness. It builds connection, interest, and momentum that brings more guests through your door.

The Power of

Email Marketing

  While social media gets attention, email builds action. Tasting rooms with strong email programs consistently drive more return visits and larger purchases.

  Segment your audience into groups such as club members, locals, tourists, online purchasers, and event attendees. Tailor content accordingly:

•     New releases or limited wines

•     Behind-the-scenes vineyard or cellar updates

•     Invitations to seasonal events

•     Special offers or bundle opportunities

•     Seasonal offers or bundles for the holidays

•     Wine club releases

•     Winemaker specific events

•     “Come back and see what’s changed” messages.

  Each one of these topics has the power to bring someone new or back into your tasting room. Creating a catchy hook, curated photos, fun text or testimonials, or an action item only aids in bringing traffic to your door.

  The most effective emails tell stories. They aren’t just sales pitches. They remind customers why they love your brand and why they should come back right after they’ve left. You want to be the spot. Where they go to celebrate, catch up with friends, come for knowledge and education, and become someone your staff recognizes as soon as they walk through the door.

Expanding Reach with Virtual Engagement

  Virtual content isn’t a pandemic-only strategy, it remains a powerful way to stay connected with customers (and their friends) who can’t visit often. Creating a series of short educational reels focused on wine basics, tasting notes, food pairings, and “Wine 101” insights keeps long-distance guests engaged and ensures your tasting room stays on their must-visit list when they’re back in the area.

  Fun, personality-driven content filmed with your staff and winemaker—especially casual Q&As—consistently leads to high engagement and fosters a sense of belonging among viewers. From personal experience, I’ve had guests come in specifically to try the wine featured in a video. These moments allow your team to shine, show off their expertise, and share in the excitement of what is being poured.

  Virtual tasting programs are another strategy that continues to deliver results. Families may grow and spread out geographically, but a Zoom tasting brings everyone together in a meaningful way. Wine has no geographical boundaries; it connects people across time zones and continents. Offering curated tasting kits for these sessions adds both convenience and value.

  This kind of core content goes a long way in keeping guests near and far tied to your story. Virtual tastings can strengthen remote teams, provide a fun twist for book clubs, or simply offer a laid-back Friday night experience. It has become one of my go-to recommendations whenever programming is discussed.

  In-person events still carry tremendous weight and drive significant engagement, but we now have the world at our fingertips. Leveraging virtual opportunities helps you remain connected to the people championing your success—no matter where they are.

Seasonal

Programming That Creates Urgency

  Seasonality is one of the strongest drivers for return traffic. Curated, limited-time experiences give guests a reason to visit now rather than later. When programs run too long, they create an “I’ll get to it eventually” mindset—and that delay can stretch into months. Short windows create urgency, and urgency inspires action.

  Seasonal programming also generates excitement. Social posts, emails, and phone inquiries can build a lively buzz around your tasting room. When word spreads that an event is high demand, it elevates not just that experience, but the visibility and desirability of your entire event calendar. Some strong seasonal ideas include:

•    Cozy fire pits with s’mores-and-wine pairings

•    Wine and chocolate experiences for Valentine’s Day

•    Classes and pairings hosted by local cheesemongers

•    Winemaker dinners

•    Rosé release events

•    Harvest festivals with grapes fresh from the vineyard

•    Barrel tastings and cellar previews

  The magic of seasonal events lies in their exclusivity—no one wants to miss out. Leaning into those short, intentional windows pays off. And if something is wildly successful, bring it back later in the year with a “Back by popular demand” twist. It shows your guests that you listen to them, pay attention to what resonates, and genuinely care about delivering the experiences they want.

Engaging Wine Club Members Like True Insiders

  Your wine club is the heartbeat of your business. The people who commit to your brand and your wines are one of your most invaluable assets. They’re lifetime fans, enthusiastic advocates, and often the reason new guests walk through your doors. They become walking billboards for everything you do—and not capturing or nurturing that energy is a missed opportunity in every way.

  Members love to feel exclusive, so designing a club structure that offers member-only bottles, tiered perks with meaningful benefits, and private events just for them helps reinforce that feeling of being “in.” In with you, in with the brand, and part of something they genuinely care about.

  Our job as educators and stewards of hospitality is to make that experience feel personal. Adding birthday touches, noting preferred wine styles, or remembering intricate details about their lives all make a profound impact. These gestures remind your wine club members that they matter—because they do.

  When members feel appreciated and recognized, retention naturally increases. We see it all the time: a guest joins, has an incredible experience, brings a friend to a pickup event, that friend joins, and the cycle continues. Their enthusiasm becomes contagious.

  If you’re unsure where to begin, start here. Build your club, find your people, and pour energy into it. The return will be felt tenfold inside your tasting room—and you’ll be grateful if you invested in it from the start.

Building Local Partnerships and Community Presence

  Supporting local is bigger—and more important—than ever. In the post-pandemic landscape, consumers are more intentional about choosing small businesses and hometown staples over big-box options. If you’re searching for something to pair with your wines, your own backyard is often the best place to start.

  Not only do local products naturally complement your wines through shared regionality, but purchasing from nearby producers also puts money right back into the mom-and-pop shops your community loves. Local cheeses, fresh honey, artisan chocolates, they’re all just down the street, and they add depth and meaning to every experience you create.

  Highlighting these businesses creates a beautiful cyclical effect: you feature their products, your guests fall in love with the pairing, they visit those partners and then return to your tasting room when you collaborate again. The support flows both ways, strengthening visibility, sales, and community connection.

  There are countless ways to collaborate with local partners. A few favorites include:

•    Local restaurants for pairing dinners

•    Boutiques for sip-and-shop events

•    Nonprofits for fundraisers or charity tastings

•    Hotels, gyms, wedding venues, and other hospitality businesses

•    Breweries and distilleries for dual-passport promotions.

  Today’s customers are actively looking for this kind of involvement. They want to see how you’re engaging with and supporting the community around you. They want to visit the businesses you highlight and feel confident that their dollars are making a difference. Neglecting those local connections can turn new guests away before they even taste your wine.

  Supporting local partners ultimately supports your own success. When you lift each other up, everyone flourishes—because at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team.

Conclusion:

Engagement Is an Ecosystem

  Customer engagement isn’t a single tactic—it’s a holistic ecosystem that touches every aspect of the tasting room experience. Each of the strategies outlined above strengthens your business, positioning it as a must-visit destination for both new and returning guests.

  When visitors feel like they are part of your story—truly part of the team—they don’t just come once. They return, bring friends, advocate for your brand, and celebrate life’s moments alongside you. That kind of loyalty is priceless.

  For me, there is no greater honor than this. We are memory-makers, educators, innovators, and facilitators of joy. We have the unique opportunity to create something magical—experiences rooted in community, identity, and shared passion. Taking the time to thoughtfully enhance your tasting room and all it offers solidifies your space as a grounding point in your community. And honestly, isn’t that an incredible thing to be?

Wine Packaging with Purpose

Cyndi

Sustainable materials, smart design and brand impact

different color and sizes of boxes and wine bottles

By: Alyssa L. Ochs

In the modern wine industry, packaging is much more than just a practical vessel or aesthetic flourish. Wineries strategically use packaging to communicate their brand values, shape consumer perceptions, and share their sustainability commitments.

  Wine enthusiasts have become increasingly design-savvy and environmentally aware, leading wineries to rethink every element of their packaging. From the weight of glass bottles to the recyclability of labels and alternative vessels like boxes, innovation is breaking through past stigmas and helping wineries share their stories in creative ways.

  Understanding today’s wine packaging landscape is crucial not only to meet customer expectations but also to operate efficiently and sustainably. Here’s a look at how wine labels, boxes, glass decoration, recycling, and design strategy all work together to create powerful, purposeful wine packaging.

The Role of Wine Labels: Storytelling, Sustainability and Shelf Appeal

  Labels offer the quickest, most accessible, and often most emotional connection between a bottle of wine and your customer. Wineries use labels as brand storytelling tools, with minimalist designs, heritage-inspired typography, and regional icons.

  They may also incorporate tactile elements, such as embossing and foil, to highlight a wine’s craftsmanship and luxury. Meanwhile, QR codes are becoming more common on wine bottles to connect people with information about tastings, tours, and sustainability details.

  Regarding sustainability, eco-conscious wineries can work with paper suppliers and printers to create labels from recycled paper and that use water-based or UV-LED inks. Washable adhesives on labels can facilitate easy bottle recycling, while lightweight, compostable label stocks can further reflect your business’s environmental commitment.

  Richard Hilske, co-owner of Cellar 426 Winery in Ashland, Nebraska, told The Grapevine Magazine about his winery’s approach to packaging. Cellar 426 Winery offers award-winning, Nebraska-crafted wines in a beautiful tasting room that’s halfway between Omaha and Lincoln. Established in 2012, Cellar 426 crafts its wines in small batches, so there’s always something unique and special each season.

  “We approach packaging design with the goal of visually expressing each wine’s personality and our winery’s story,” Hilske said. “We offer two lines: our reserve wines feature a more elegant, refined look that reflects their premium quality, while our mainline wines use whimsical artwork and memorable names to create a fun, approachable feel.”

  “These labels help our wines stand out and foster a personal connection with customers,” Hilske continued. “For example, Rocky’s Red is named after our first vineyard’s black lab and features his picture on the label — something that resonates strongly with dog lovers or anyone who feels a connection to his story.”   

  We also connected with Alicea Walley at Backyard Vineyards in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to learn about this winery’s packaging strategy. Backyard Vineyards is located in the OKC Farmers’ Market District and offers tours, tastings, and space for private events. For special occasions, it offers a signature wine-blending experience and custom label design.

  “We approach packaging design by connecting a story to every one of our bottles — stories that interlink across our entire line,” Walley said. “To remain sustainable, we avoid special etching or foils, focusing instead on sanitizing each bottle so it can be safely reused and repurposed.”

Rethinking the Weight, Shape & Footprint of Wine Bottles

  Although glass bottles remain the primary staple of the wine packaging world, the industry has become more open-minded about bottle design, with sustainability in mind. For example, there has been a shift toward lightweight glass, as heavier bottles are a more carbon-intensive packaging choice. Thanks to technological advancements, lightweight bottles are still durable and visually appealing, with weights up to 30% lower than standard.

  Some wineries have even been exploring uniquely shaped bottles and decorative finishes to package their wine. Screen printing, frosting, acid etching, applied ceramic labeling and custom embossing are all options available to wineries today. These options can give your wine a premium look and feel while elevating the perceived product value.

  Also, regarding bottles, bottle reuse programs are gaining traction in some wine regions. You may now be able to find wineries and tasting rooms that offer bottle-return deposits and refillable wine vessels to reduce packaging waste and attract sustainability-minded consumers.

“Our new low-alcohol sangria line features bottles without capsules, reducing unnecessary packaging waste,” Hilske from Cellar 426 Winery shared. “We continue to look for opportunities like this to make our bottles, labels and shipping materials more eco-friendly.”

Changing Perceptions About Wine in a Box

  Boxed wine used to come with a certain stigma, but perceptions are changing. No longer is the box reserved for budget, mass-market wine options. In fact, you can now find a variety of boxed wines marketed toward younger, sustainability-focused consumers looking for convenience, portability, longevity, and a reduced environmental footprint.

  Boxed wine often requires fewer resources to package than glass bottles and reduces transportation-related emissions due to its lighter weight. There are more branding opportunities on boxed wine, with four full sides available for illustrations, messaging, tasting notes and storytelling.

  Consumers are also recognizing and appreciating the convenience of boxed wine. If product quality is on par with wine in bottles, boxes offer a shatterproof, fridge-friendly option that’s ideal for entertaining guests.

  “While we haven’t explored alternative packaging formats like boxed or refillable options yet, we recognize they are becoming more relevant as sustainability and convenience shape consumer expectations,” said Hilske at Cellar 426 Winery. “Traditional glass remains the best fit for our current wines and brand, but we see alternative packaging as an interesting opportunity for the future and something we may consider as the market continues to evolve.”

Decorating Glass Bottles with Craftsmanship & Modern Technology

  Decorating glass bottles is an art form and a technological feat, giving wineries a creative way to differentiate their products from the competition. As a winery owner or manager, you might explore applied ceramic labels and UV ink technologies that offer a high-end aesthetic and enhanced durability, resisting scratches and moisture.

  Although embossed bottles were once quite cost-prohibitive, expanded options have become somewhat more accessible to wine brands. To add luxury appeal and help bottles stand out, consider embossed logos and textured patterns on specialty or limited-release bottles.

  Glass bottle decorating is taking a cue from sustainability mindfulness as well. Some eco-friendly frosting methods avoid the use of harmful chemicals, and lead-free ceramic inks are also available.

  “Decorative elements like foil accents or embossed labels can help convey quality and uniqueness, but with rising costs we have to carefully balance visual appeal with overall expense,” Cellar 426 Winery’s Richard Hilske commented on the trend. “We focus on choices that enhance our brand while still being practical and cost-effective for our winery.”

The Circular Future of Wine Packaging

  Wine packaging represents an excellent opportunity to embrace circular economic principles as you rethink how you consume resources and dispose of waste. To improve the recyclability of your packaging, you can choose labels with wash-off adhesives, use aluminum screwcaps instead of mixed-material screwcaps and avoid metallic foils. Minimizing plastic capsules also helps your packaging become more recyclable.

  Some communities are moving forward with large-scale reuse systems that involve cleaning and sanitizing returned wine bottles. Wineries can offer refillable containers to their local customers and partner with zero-waste organizations to operate more sustainably. Innovative winemakers may even be inspired to launch pilot programs that allow customers to drop off empty bottles for deposit refunds.

  But while many wine lovers want to recycle, they don’t know the specifics on how to do so correctly. You can help educate your customer base by providing recycling instructions on your wine labels or adding QR codes that link to local recycling guidelines.

  “We recycle 20 to 30 cases of empty bottles each week, actively reuse wastewater in our production process and use eco-friendly corks — all helping reduce waste and lower our overall carbon footprint,” explained Cellar 426 Winery’s Richard Hilske.

  Backyard Vineyards in Oklahoma City is a 51% woman-owned winery that connects with local women entrepreneurs to highlight their talents. The winery team believes in supporting local businesses and building community.

  “We also support local businesses and artists by donating bottles for creative and practical projects, from rage rooms to sea-glass art,” shared Walley from Backyard Vineyards. “Our team is continually exploring new and innovative ways to strengthen our sustainability efforts and reduce environmental impact.”

Packaging Design Services for Your Brand Strategy

  If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the options and evolution of wine packaging as the industry diversifies, professional help is available. Many wineries consult professional designers and branding agencies to help them translate their history, values, and goals into visually cohesive packaging strategies.

  Hired design services typically begin with a thorough customer analysis that examines competitors’ strategies, wine pricing, and your business budget. Integrated services from a professional designer can help you develop and refine your wine labels, bottles, boxes, capsules, closures, cartons, website, and social media platforms.

  If sustainability is a primary concern for your winery, design companies can offer advice on optimizing materials, using lightweight bottles, and exploring alternative packaging formats. There are also opportunities here to look at recycled paper for labels, compostable label stocks, and reduced-ink-use techniques.

Focus on the Purpose Behind the Packaging

  From bottles to boxes, labels, glass decorations and other design elements, packaging has taken on a whole new meaning in the wine industry. Packaging remains one of the most critical factors in branding, as it always has. But now, wineries are seeing new avenues to pursue their visions through greener materials, circular systems, and innovative designs.

  Ultimately, the important thing to prioritize is aligning your packaging with your values and future business goals. By staying true to who you are and what you love to make, you can meet the evolving expectations of modern wine enthusiasts while reducing unnecessary costs and waste, resulting in a lower overall environmental footprint.

Rolling Out Revenue

Cyndi

Five reasons why mobile retail works for wineries

mobile trailer with sign saying local wine here

By Corey Krejcik, Founder of Thirsty Bandit

In today’s marketplace, wineries are discovering that fixed tasting rooms, while foundational, are no longer enough to fully capture consumer attention or revenue potential. The modern wine audience is constantly in motion, more often exploring experiences that fit into their lives rather than planning entire weekends around a single visit. As a result, mobile retail (think branded trailers, trucks, or small pop-up tasting experiences) and seasonal activations have become essential tools for growth, storytelling, and brand connection.

  According to Wine Market Council research, nearly 60% of millennial wine buyers say they’re more likely to try a brand if they encounter it at a festival, pop-up, or event. These mobile formats are rewriting the rules of engagement: reaching new customers, building awareness, and generating direct sales—all with lower overhead and faster returns than permanent infrastructure ever could.

  Below are five interconnected reasons why this model works and why wineries that embrace it early are likely to lead the next era of growth.

1. Brand Visibility as a Moving Billboard – Every mile a mobile wine unit travels is a marketing impression. A well-designed trailer or branded truck isn’t just a point of sale; it’s a rolling expression of your brand identity. Wrapped in bold visuals, anchored by consistent design language, and styled with the same intentionality as a tasting room, it becomes a moving billboard that tells your story everywhere it goes.

  Imagine a well-designed wine trailer parked along Main Street for a downtown First Friday program. Staff chatting up customers and pouring glasses to be enjoyed while shopping after-hours. Passersby stop, take photos, and post them online. The moment isn’t just aesthetic; it’s strategic. Every shared image, every tagged post, extends your reach far beyond the event itself.

  Smart design makes this amplification effortless. “Instagrammable” touches like a striking bar façade, a photo wall, or a vintage-inspired logo, encourage organic sharing. QR codes linked to wine clubs or digital tasting notes turn social impressions into measurable leads. The exposure doesn’t end when the event closes, it multiplies across feeds, hashtags, and memories.

  In a category that often leans on tradition, mobility signals modernity. It tells consumers your brand isn’t confined to the vineyard—it’s part of their lifestyle, wherever they go.

2. Lower Fixed Costs & Faster ROI – Every winery leader understands the cost of brick and mortar: design, construction, utilities, maintenance, and staffing. A mobile unit rewrites that equation.

  Compared to building or leasing a permanent tasting room, mobile activations dramatically reduce fixed costs. There’s no need for heavy infrastructure, zoning approvals, or long-term leases. Most mobile setups are built as plug-and-play systems. Units are meant to be self-contained, code-compliant, and designed to be operational in minutes.

  But the most compelling case isn’t just lower cost, it’s speed of return. For many wineries, mobile units pay themselves back within a single season of festivals, markets, or regional events. A well-run activation can pour thousands of glasses over a few weekends, with direct sales, signups, and wholesale leads all feeding the revenue stream.

  From a strategic perspective, mobile retail functions as both a sales tool and a marketing engine. The investment is easy to justify when the same asset generates immediate income, long-term exposure, and scalable brand equity.

Even accounting for staff, licensing, and fuel, a mobile unit often costs a fraction of a single tasting room buildout. The result: more financial flexibility and faster pathways to profit.

Corey and Rachel of Thirsty Bandit chat with Suzanne Hasz, founder of Hudson Trailer Co., about the growth potential of mobile retail and seasonal pop-up experiences for wineries, exploring how evolving consumer behaviors are driving brands to meet audiences wherever they are.

3. Flexibility & Seasonal Alignment – Wine is seasonal with production schedules, harvest, events, and consumer habits ebbing and flowing throughout the year. A mobile retail program lets wineries move with the rhythm of demand rather than being anchored to it.

  Picture this:  a winery launches its spring rosé release at a downtown flower festival, pours summer whites at a waterfront concert series, and then rolls out to a harvest celebration in autumn. Each stop hits a different audience, season, and mindset, but the brand remains consistent.

  This flexibility doesn’t just boost revenue; it optimizes operations. Inventory can be shifted in real time to high-traffic events. Staff scheduling becomes dynamic rather than static. Marketing follows cultural energy rather than waiting for it.

  In practical terms, this means your brand stays top-of-mind year-round, not just during wine country’s peak tourism months. And for smaller wineries, mobility provides the agility to compete in larger markets without the overhead of permanent expansion.

4. Experiential Appeal & Consumer Expectations –

Modern consumers want more than a transaction. They crave connection, storytelling, and experiences that feel personal. The tasting room will always be sacred, but it represents just one chapter in the customer journey.

  Mobile activations give wineries a way to bring the vineyard to the people. When executed thoughtfully, each encounter becomes a chance to tell your story: how your grapes are grown, what inspires your blends, why your brand exists at all. Guests aren’t just sampling—they’re connecting.

  In many cases, a single memorable experience can shift perception more effectively than any ad campaign. Someone who discovers your brand at a festival might later seek out your bottles at retail, join your wine club, or even plan a trip to the vineyard itself.

  Experiential retail isn’t a trend; it’s a reflection of how modern consumers form loyalty. They don’t just buy what you make, they buy how you make them feel.

5. Testing New Markets & Expanding Reach –

Perhaps the greatest strategic advantage of mobile retail is market testing without permanent risk.

  For rural or destination-based wineries, reaching new audiences can be costly and uncertain. A mobile unit allows them to meet urban consumers where they already gather—farmers markets, concerts, street fairs, or high-end shopping districts—without committing to a long-term lease or a new facility.

  These interactions go beyond direct sales. Every event provides insight into customer behavior, pricing sensitivity, and brand perception. Tracking purchases, email captures, and on-site engagement builds a feedback loop that informs broader strategy.

  Imagine a mid-sized winery that takes its mobile tasting bar on a six-city summer circuit. Over three months, it collects thousands of emails, identifies which markets drive the most engagement, and discovers that its rosé outsells reds by 2:1 in coastal regions. Those insights shape next year’s production and marketing plans.

  Each glass poured becomes a data point, each conversation a potential customer, and each market test a map for future expansion.

Operational Considerations

  Success in mobile retail depends as much on execution as vision. The logistics may be lighter than a full-scale facility, but they’re no less important.

  Staff must be brand ambassadors first, servers second. They work in confined spaces, under variable weather, and in dynamic crowd conditions. This requires adaptability, strong product knowledge, and high service and hospitality acumen. Their demeanor shapes not just the immediate experience but the long-term impression of the winery.

  Compliance is equally critical. Permits, health codes, and insurance requirements vary by jurisdiction, and alcohol laws can differ dramatically from county to county. A mobile unit can’t hit the road and start serving anywhere. For many wineries, partnering with local event coordinators or compliance consultants streamlines the process and ensures consistency.

Financial Clarity

  For wineries weighing the investment, the economics are compelling. Mobile units typically cost a small fraction of constructing a new tasting room, and the speed of return is striking. Many recoup their investment within a single season of strategic activations.

  The key is to view the build not as an expense, but as an asset with multiple revenue functions. It sells wine directly, generates brand visibility daily, and produces marketing content that drives ongoing engagement. Each event feeds both the bottom line and the brand story.

  When CFOs see that a single mobile trailer can simultaneously boost DTC sales, social exposure, and wholesale leads, the case for mobility becomes more than creative, it becomes financial strategy.

Turning Tastings Into Memberships

  A glass poured at a farmers’ market shouldn’t be the end of the story. It should be the beginning.

  Mobile activations are prime opportunities to capture data—emails, social follows, QR sign-ups—and funnel them into your membership and subscription programs. Staff can invite guests to join wine clubs, pre-order seasonal releases, or receive exclusive offers tied to the event they attended.

  This transforms a casual encounter into a relationship continuum, one that extends far beyond the moment of pour. The person who first discovered your Sauvignon Blanc at a summer concert might be receiving shipments from your reserve collection a year later.

Looking Ahead

  Mobile activations aren’t a passing experiment. They’re the next evolution in how wineries engage audiences. The craft beer and ready-to-drink sectors have already proven the model, showing that consumers love brands that move with them, both literally and emotionally.

  For wineries, the opportunity is to lead this transformation rather than follow it. Mobility doesn’t replace the tasting room; it extends its reach. It transforms a static space into a fluid experience that meets consumers wherever they gather.

  In an industry defined by tradition, mobile retail offers something radical: the ability to be both timeless and timely. The wineries that embrace it now will not only expand their markets, but also redefine what it means to be a wine brand in motion.

  Corey Krejcik is the founder of Thirsty Bandit, providing strategic marketing, brand development, and revenue optimization for hospitality and wine brands. With over 20 years of executive leadership experience, he believes the best outcomes are found at the intersection of strategy, adaptability, and identity. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, running, home renovation projects, and spending time with his wife and two teenage children in Malvern, PA.

From Pour to Purpose

Cyndi

Ten ways wineries can evolve from selling bottles to creating experiences that resonate with a new generation.

woman standing in an aisle full of wine bottles and holding 2 in her hand and looking at the wine label

By Susan DeMatei, Founder of WineGlass Marketing

If I told you a winery just opened with no vineyard, no winemaker on staff, and no interest in talking about terroir… would you visit? What if I told you it had a silent disco in the barrel room, a drag brunch series, and a 3-month waitlist for a zero-proof pairing menu?

  Those wineries exist. And they’re thriving. Because for a new generation of visitors, the wine isn’t the reason—it’s the reward. It’s not about what you pour anymore. It’s about how you make people feel.

  And we used to excel at this. But then we woke up one day… and it wasn’t working like it used to. The same offers stopped converting. The same messages started falling flat. The same visitors didn’t come back. And it’s not because we got worse at what we do. It’s because the customer changed. What they want. How they behave. Where they show up. Why they buy. So, the question now isn’t “What went wrong?” It’s “Who are we selling to today?”

  Let’s review what they’re looking for. Each of the ten shifts is followed by a prompt or question you can take back to your team. Something to spark discussion at your next staff meeting, leadership retreat, or even just your next walk through the tasting room. Because these ideas aren’t just concepts—they’re invitations to rethink, reframe, and reimagine what your guest experience could look like.

1) Options:  Yesterday’s consumer appreciated simplicity. At retail, they picked from what was on the shelf. At the winery, they chose between red or white. In the club, they got the winemaker’s selection—and were happy to receive it. A choice between two or three options? That felt like luxury. But today’s consumer—especially Millennials and Gen Z—lives in a different world entirely. They’ve grown up in an economy of limitless choice.

  Take Shein, for example—often cited as a Gen Z favorite. At any given time, that website features over 600,000 products. And they add up to 10,000 new styles per day.

  That’s not a product catalog. That’s an infinite scroll buffet. And that behavior—scroll, sort, save, swap, filter, build your own—isn’t just how they shop for clothes. It’s how they expect to interact with everything. They want control. They want flexibility. And they want to feel like they’re curating an experience that fits them—not adapting themselves to yours.

  So what does that mean for wine? It means the pre-set flight might not cut it. It means the fixed club shipment may feel impersonal. And it means our biggest opportunity isn’t just what we offer—but how we let them choose it. Flexibility is no longer a perk. It’s the expectation. And the brands that bake in choice—from tastings to tiers to tech—are the ones that will feel modern, relevant, and worth coming back to.

Discussion Question

•     What alternative formats or alcohol levels can we offer?

•     Are we inclusive of no/low options, or do we still assume everyone wants a full pour of14% Cab?

2) Discovery and Trial:

Yesterday’s consumer wanted to find a favorite. Today’s consumer wants to keep discovering. The internet never ends—so neither does their scroll. Algorithms, ads, and endless options mean there’s always something new to try. Loyalty? Why? Why would you buy the same thing twice when there is so much to try?

  But that has also emboldened us. Trying a new wine doesn’t feel risky anymore—it feels exciting. Discovery is the experience. It’s not the step before loyalty—it replaces it. So if we want to stay relevant, we have to make exploration part of our offer: Rotating flights. Limited drops. Unexpected pairings. Something worth coming back for—not just rebuying. Because when novelty is everywhere, same-old won’t stand out.

Discussion Questions

•     How easy is it for someone to explore our wines without committing to a full bottle or joining the club?

•     Could we offer mini bottles, samplers, or “try before you buy” packs?

3) Convenience:  In the past, access was the ultimate goal. When you had to order things through catalogs or go to your local store to see if “that thing” you saw in a magazine was available in your area, having an inside track to products was important. Now, it’s pretty much useless. You don’t need special access. If money’s no object, you could have a bottle of Mouton Rothschild delivered to your door by dinner.

  Access isn’t hard anymore. What’s hard is making it easy. Today’s luxury is convenience. It’s speed, simplicity, and control. DoorDash, Prime, one-click checkout—that’s what consumers expect. Not a complex tasting room booking form or a club order via phone call. If the experience is clunky, it doesn’t feel premium—it feels outdated – and, honestly, rude. Convenience isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about respecting time.

  And the brands that make it easy? They’re the ones who feel worth staying with.

Discussion Questions

•     Can guests book, buy, and learn from us with ease?

•     Are we mobile-friendly, quick to respond, and available when people are actually looking?

4) Value Alignment:

Today’s consumer isn’t just buying what you sell. They’re buying why you sell it. They want to know your values—up front. What do you believe in? How do you treat people? What’s your environmental footprint?

  Because for them, product quality and brand values are intertwined. An amazing wine that feels ethically tone-deaf? Hard pass. A halfway decent wine from a brand that shares their values? Instant heart emoji. Especially with younger consumers, purpose drives purchase. They want brands that reflect their worldview—not just their palate. So if you’re not telling people what you stand for, don’t assume they’ll stick around to figure it out. Because today, clarity is currency. And silence is a story, too.

Discussion Questions

•    Do our brand values show up in our experience-not just in copy, but in behavior?

•      Would someone browsing our site or walking into our tasting room know what we stand for?

5) Self-Expression: It’s easy to dismiss posting online as vain or superficial. But for younger generations, it’s how they connect. How they communicate. How they belong.  A post isn’t just a picture. It’s a statement. “This is who I am. This is what I value. This is where I’ve been.”

  When they choose to share your winery, your experience, your wine—it’s not random. It means your brand aligns with their identity. That’s powerful. So, if the space you create doesn’t offer moments worth capturing…you’re missing a major opportunity to be part of their story. Because for today’s consumers, if it’s not shareable, it’s forgettable. And being seen on their feed might matter more than being remembered in your CRM.

Discussion Questions

•     Does our winery give people something to connect with and share?

•     Are we offering moments and messaging that reflect their identity-not just ours?

6) Education Without Ego:  Education used to be the core of the winery experience. We told visitors how wine is made. Why our soil matters. What flavors to find in the glass. And while that worked for generations who came to learn, today’s guests come to explore. Education implies hierarchy: “I know something you don’t.” Rules. Correct answers. A right way to taste.

  Exploration is different. It’s open. Personal. It says, “Let’s see what you discover.” Modern consumers don’t want to be corrected. They want to be included. So if we trade the lecture for a conversation, we don’t lose authority. We gain engagement. Because the best experiences today don’t feel like school. They feel like discovery.

Discussion Questions

•     Are we making wine more approachable or more intimidating?

•     How can we reframe our story so it invites rather than lectures?

7) Community &

Belonging:  For previous generations, discovering something special was a private thrill. A tucked-away winery. A hard-to-find bottle. A quiet restaurant. The instinct was to protect it. To keep it close. Because having access meant having an edge.

  But today’s consumer is wired differently. The first instinct isn’t to hide the experience—it’s to share it. To tag a friend. Post a photo. Spread the word. Why? Because for this generation, joy is amplified through connection. Sharing isn’t about showing off—it’s about pulling others in. Community is the new currency. And that means creating spaces, products, and moments that feel worth passing on. If your brand gives people something to share, it gives them a way to belong. And belonging is a much stronger bond than exclusivity ever was

Discussion Questions

•     What are we doing to create a sense of welcome and shared experience beyond a transaction?

•     Are we building a community-or just a customer list?

8) Transparency:  Today’s consumers are savvy—and skeptical. Especially online, where everything can be filtered, staged, or Photoshopped. And if every image is too perfect, every bottle too polished, every person too posed…it starts to feel like a façade. The result? Disconnection. Distrust. A scroll-past, not a double-tap.

  Transparency isn’t just a virtue—it’s a strategy. It builds trust. It signals confidence. And it’s one of the fastest ways to stand out in a crowded, curated world. Show your team. Show your process. Show the messy harvest days, not just the golden-hour tastings. Because consumers don’t expect perfection anymore. They expect honesty. And when they see themselves reflected in your story, they’re far more likely to want to be a part of it.

Discussion Questions

•     Are we clear and open about how we make our wine, how we price it, and what’s inside? Or are we still hiding behind wine-speak and vague terms?

9) Emotional ROI:  Picture your customer. She’s working full-time. Maybe raising kids, managing a household, checking in on aging parents. Her phone never stops buzzing. Her weekends are booked out. Her to-do list is a mile long. And still—she carves out time, gets in the car, and drives an hour out of the city to come to your event. That’s not casual. That’s a commitment.

  She could’ve gone to brunch, taken a nap, or stayed home and done nothing—which sounds pretty great, honestly. Instead, she picked you.

So when she leaves your tasting room and heads back down the highway, she’s asking herself one question: ”Was it worth it?”  Was it meaningful? Memorable? Did she feel welcome—not just as a buyer, but as a person? Because that’s Emotional ROI. It’s not about the wine—it’s about how the whole experience made her feel.

  If the answer is yes, she’ll come back. She’ll tell her friends. She’ll bring them next time. If not? She won’t complain. She just won’t return. And you won’t even know you lost her.

Discussion Questions

•    What emotional payoff does someone get from visiting us? Do they feel joy, wonder, connection, or just… meh?

10: Frictionless Access:  Yes—we’ve said access isn’t the crucial selling point it used to be. And it’s true: rare wine, limited clubs, remote location. They don’t carry the same cachet anymore. But let’s be clear access still matters. It’s just expected.

  Today’s consumer assumes they can get what they want, when and how they want it. Not because they’re entitled—but because that’s the world they live in. They can book a cabin, schedule a haircut, and buy a car—all from their phone, in minutes. So if buying your wine, visiting your tasting room, or joining your club feels complicated? You’re not exclusive—you’re inconvenient. Frictionless access isn’t about removing effort. It’s about removing unnecessary effort. Make it simple. Clear. Mobile-friendly. Immediate. That’s the new luxury.

  Because the minute someone must call, wait, or wonder? You’ve lost them to someone who made it easier.

Discussion Questions

•     Where are the hidden barriers in our experience?

•     What small points of friction, online or in person, could be costing us future fans?

  Don’t just file these ideas in a folder. Use them. Add to them. Argue with them. That’s how real change starts.

  We are not in a wine recession. We are in a wine realignment. The future isn’t less wine. It’s wine in a new context. Let’s stop selling bottles—and start creating reasons for customers to show up, stay longer, and come back.

  Susan DeMatei founded WineGlass Marketing; the largest full-service, award-winning marketing firm focused on the wine industry. She is a certified Sommelier and Specialist in Wine, with degrees in Viticulture and Communications, an instructor at Napa Valley Community College, and is currently collaborating on two textbooks. Now in its 13thyear, her agency offers domestic and international wineries assistance with all areas of strategy and execution. WineGlass Marketing is located in Napa, California, and can be reached at

707-927-3334 or

wineglassmarketing.com

Covered Bridges Winery

Cyndi

Showcasing all Iowa has to offer, including Award-winning wines

Covered Bridges Winery main building from the outside

By Gerald Dlubala

Covered Bridges Winery started on 75 picturesque acres in Winterset, Iowa, in Madison County. Yes, that Madison County, of The Bridges of Madison County movie fame, and the birthplace of John Wayne.  They have since expanded to another 12 acres where the winery now sits.

  Kevin and Jean Fifo and their friends, Kevin and Rose Boyle, purchased the property in 2002.

  “We were all living in the suburbs of Des Moines,” said Fifo. “Kevin Boyle grew up on a farm in north central Missouri. At the time I traveled for a living but were looking to get out of the hustle and bustle of city life. We looked at properties and found 75 acres in Winterset, about 30 minutes southwest of Des Moines. We contacted the Boyles and asked if they wanted to buy half and start a winery. They were on board, so we moved into the farmhouse on the property, even though we really wanted to build. There were 50 acres of trees and 15 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), along with a small farm pond. The acreage was reasonably clear, but we had to buy out of the CRP contract. Besides that, going through it and preparing it for planting was a straightforward process.  The first grapes went in the ground in 2004, and our first commercial harvest was 2008.”

Getting Started

  “We spent the first eight years out on the farm with the winery housed in an old, converted pole shed,” said Fifo. Our production facility started at 800 square feet with an output of as much as 1000 cases annually. But other than the wine, there weren’t any truly good reasons to come out here. We were just a property on a dead-end gravel road. We bought the property the winery now sits on about 10 years ago, and Kevin Boyle, a furniture maker and cabinet maker by trade, designed and laid out the new building. I was a project manager by trade, and we both had done the contracting on our own homes, so I acted as the general contractor to get everyone lined up and arranged and built the building. We then opened the new tasting room and production facility in August 2016.”

  “The first varietals we planted included Marechal Foch, Frontenac, La Crosse, Edelweiss, and Geneva Red,” said Fifo. “We planted a little of everything, working with other wineries and universities to get an education as to what we are getting into. We wanted to plant cold-hardy varietals that were in demand and known to produce excellent-tasting Iowa-made wines.”

  Fifo told The Grapevine Magazine that they found the Geneva Red varietal to have a better tannin structure than other reds and subsequently turned out to be a good blender.

  “We still use it today as an integral part of our blends,” said Fifo. “We’ve since added La Crescent and Marquette vines and will wait for spring to see what happens there. Madison County sits in a big shallow bowl and is about a half zone colder than our surrounding counties. We tried to grow Seyval grapes, but they’ve never grown well here, and Marquette has also struggled at times. We’ve restructured our Marquette vines but are still struggling with production at times.

Local Influence Resonates Throughout the Winery

  “We are in Madison County, Iowa, of Bridges of Madison County fame, so we have a tourist-oriented county because of that movie and by being known as the birthplace of John Wayne,” said Fifo. “We are fortunate that the tourists are already coming to this area for those reasons, but Iowa wineries are also very much a tourism industry, so we contribute to bringing in winery tourism.”

  “Sitting in the North River Valley just north of Winterset, we have one of the most outstanding views in the entire state,” said Fifo. “We have a wraparound patio to look down into the valley across farm fields with a picturesque silo. Guests really enjoy the peace and quiet that accompany those views.”

  Fifo said that the prominent feature in their tasting room is a 16-foot arch-topped window overlooking the valley.

 “With views like ours, building orientation was, and is, important,” said Fifo. “There are wood-finished ceramic tile floors reminiscent of our famous covered bridges. We feature local artwork in our tasting room, from quilts to photographs to pencil sketches and stained glass. All of our wall sconces are custom-made with bridge silhouettes on them. There is a powerful local influence on everything we do and produce. We’ve always been adamant about supporting locals, and it’s the foundation of everything we do. Our founding principle was to be 100% Iowa-grown and produce wines. To this day, we still are. Most of our traffic is Midwest-based, but we bring in people from all over the world because of the bridges. We are open year-round, featuring a wide variety of music, events, and local vendors. Hours vary per season, but events go on year-round. You must remain truly diverse in this business and give folks a reason to return.”

  “As to available wines, we continue to feature over 20 labels available here at the winery, so there is something for everyone,” said Fifo. “Our wines go from dry to sweet, in reds and whites, and we offer some specialty wines like port-style wines and bourbon barrel-aged reds, which are currently a popular feature. A lesson I’ve learned coming up in this business is that you make sweet wines for customers and dry wines for yourself. Roughly 70% of what we sell has at least some sweetness to it, meaning anywhere from 1 1/2-3 % residual sugar, which, because of the amount of acidity we carry, are considered off-dry wines by Midwestern standards, but are extremely popular. We always rotate two dry reds and two dry whites. These are wines that I’m especially proud of because they’re all Iowa-produced, award-winning, recognized wines. We submitted 11 wines and took home seven golds from the Iowa State Fair commercial competition this past year.”

Lessons From a Winemaker’s Journey

  Fifo reflected on his winemaking journey, which led him to be one of the most awarded authorities in Iowa winemaking. He mentioned three essential keys to his success, all of which he says help him continue living the winery life he loves so much.

•   You need a good product. “It took us eight years to make really good wines from the hybrid grapes we grow,” said Fifo. “It’s easy to get that first bottle sold in the tasting room, but you have to earn the purchase of the second bottle.”

•   You must be able to adapt. “When I first started, all winemaking was based on California wine growing techniques,” said Fifo. “And obviously, we can’t grow California grapes here, so there was a lot of learning about the different grape varietals and acidity levels involved. You can either fight it or embrace it, and we choose to adapt and embrace it.”

•   You need a great venue. “You have to give your guests reasons to come back, and we do that,” said Fifo. “In addition to all of our local charm and outstanding views, our event schedule makes sure that there is always something going on here to make our guests want to come and spend time with us, whether that includes wine-related classes or events, bands, or local markets featuring local vendors that may not have a physical storefront. We do as much as we can outside. We have a 20-by-30-foot outdoor stage for music and events, weather permitting, of course. We feature solo artists, acoustic sets, and duets on our patio, and we can even move some performances indoors if necessary. We can seat 72 inside. We also offer charcuterie plates, pub-style mixes for snacks, and chocolates for wine pairing.”

Future Expectations Include Giving Back

  “We’d really like to perfect our wine club program and get it up and operational no later than November of

this year for our first wine club release,” said Fifo. “Additionally, we’ve built another 40 by 60 feet of enhanced production space, which is almost completed. Our tasting program is stable, as are our event schedules. We host weddings, receptions, graduation parties, corporate events, for example. Wholesale expansion is always tough, but we’re in some local specialty restaurants that take time to educate their staff about Iowa wines. Shelf space is so hard to get, especially for locals.”

  Fifo retired from his day job a couple of years ago, so he’s excited about having the time and opportunity to give back to Iowa’s wine industry. He was named Winemaker of the Year in Iowa in 2020. Additionally, he serves on the Wine Growers Association Board of Directors. He also serves on the Advisory Board at Iowa State with the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute.

  “I’ve earned a good, strong reputation for making quality dry wines,” said Fifo. “I’m immensely proud of that. I’ve presented to the Iowa Wine Growers Association at their annual conference about making dry reds in the Midwest. It’s still a hard sell. To the average person, only sweet wines are produced here in Iowa. I love changing their mind, but they won’t come to that conclusion on their own. They must be convinced. But I love collaborating with other winemakers and helping to bring up and encourage the next generation of winemakers. It’s still an agricultural industry that demands a lot of hard work, so new winemakers need encouragement to keep our industry going. Iowa winemaking is a very cooperative environment, and the best thing that could happen is for more folks here to make great Iowa wines. You want people to go to our wineries, have great times, and seek out other Iowa wineries.”

  Fifo said there is a never-ending set of challenges for winery owners, from chillers and equipment that may not be working correctly to simpler things, including clogged restrooms, so an owner must be well-versed in every facet of a production and service-related business.

  “It really is a great industry,” said Fifo. “We continuously meet great and wonderful people who come through our winery. We’ve also met awesome and interesting characters within the industry. But overall, we’re having a ton of fun here, and I encourage folks to seek us out along with other Iowa wineries for some great experiences and excellent wines.”

  For more information on Covered Bridges Winery, including hours of operation and event schedule:

Covered Bridges Winery

2207 170th Trail

Winterset, Iowa 50273

www.CoveredBridgesWinery.com

Info@CoveredBridgesWinery.com

515-729-WINE

You Can’t Market to Everyone

Cyndi

Why demographics still matter in wine

three generation of positive women smiling while looking at camera and hugging isolated on grey

By Susan DeMatei, Founder of WineGlass Marketing

At first glance, it may seem logical to take a broad approach to wine marketing—after all, shouldn’t the goal be to sell wine to anyone who’s willing to buy it? Not exactly.

  In practice, marketing to “everyone” is a fast track to appealing to no one. You water down your message, misfire your tactics, and wind up wasting both budget and energy trying to reach people who were never going to buy from you in the first place. Smart marketing is selective, not scattershot. And that’s where demographics come in.

  At their core, demographics are just the quantifiable details about your customers—things like age, gender, income, education, and marital status. But in the hands of a capable marketer, demographics become strategic tools. They help decode how different consumers make decisions, what cultural cues they respond to, and how best to approach them with offers they’ll actually care about.

  Wine, with all its history, nuance, and ritual, may be universally loved—but not uniformly understood. That’s why understanding the demographics of your audience is one of the most important investments a winery can make. Not in the abstract, but in the applied: how different generations buy, what they value, and how to speak their language.

Age Isn’t Just a Number-It’s a Strategy

  Among all demographic variables, age remains one of the most predictive indicators of consumer behavior in the wine space. Your 67-year-old customer and your 27-year-old customer may both enjoy Chardonnay—but the stories, channels, and experiences that led them to that bottle couldn’t be more different.

graph reflecting results of a 2023 benchmark segmentation stury of wine drinkers vs non-wine drinkers

  So how do you use this knowledge?

  You start by recognizing that each generation brings a unique set of preferences, priorities, and expectations to the table. These differences are shaped not just by age, but by shared cultural context—what technology they grew up with, how they were marketed to as teens, and how they define things like quality, authenticity, and value.

  Here’s a breakdown of how different generations engage with wine—and what your winery should do about it.

The Silent Generation (Born 1928–1945):

The Loyal Traditionalists

  While their presence in the market is shrinking, their loyalty is unwavering. The Silent Generation prefers reliability over novelty and is far more likely to value a long-standing relationship with a winery than to chase the latest release.

  They tend to gravitate toward established varietals, classic packaging, and consistent pricing. Most importantly, they still respond to print. Think newsletters, phone calls, and handwritten notes—not push notifications.

Action Step:  Reinforce value and familiarity. Printed materials, bundled discounts, and a personal touch go a long way.

Baby Boomers

(Born 1946–1964):

The Experience-Driven Collectors

  Boomers are the architects of modern wine culture in the U.S. They invented the wine tasting as vacation activity. They made critic scores a thing. They turned mailing lists into badge-worthy status symbols. For much of the past three decades, they were the ones buying the library vintages and signing up for vertical tastings with religious fervor.

But time changes habits. As they approach retirement, Boomers are buying less and moderating more. They still want quality and ritual—but they also want convenience and value.

Action Step:  Focus on smaller format options, curated selections, and loyalty programs that emphasize connection over exclusivity. They still appreciate prestige—but they now appreciate sensible pricing just as much.

Generation X

(Born 1965–1980):

The Forgotten Powerhouses

  Gen X is frequently left out of marketing conversations. This is a mistake.

Despite their smaller size, Gen Xers are in their peak earning years, and they value quality and reliability in their purchases. They’re skeptical by nature—raised in an era of economic uncertainty and cultural disillusionment—and they’re not easily swayed by flash or trend.

  They also exist at the intersection of analog and digital. They read emails and engage with apps. They’re on social media, but they also like printed tasting notes. They’re pragmatic, fiercely independent, and allergic to anything that feels like a sales gimmick.

Action Step:  Speak directly and respect their intelligence. Offer clear value, consistent product quality, and customer service that rewards loyalty without fluff. Combine digital convenience with occasional analog moments.

Millennials

(Born 1981–1996):

The Values-Driven Explorers

  Millennials are the largest consumer cohort in U.S. history, and they’ve been quietly reshaping wine culture for years. Where Boomers sought status, Millennials seek alignment. They care less about Robert Parker scores and more about soil health. They want transparency, flexibility, and values that match their own.

  They are also deeply influenced by visual storytelling. Experiences matter—but only if they’re worth posting. They prefer inclusive, approachable brands that make wine feel less like a secret society and more like a good party.

Action Step:  Show your work. Be transparent about sourcing and sustainability. Ditch the formality and engage authentically on digital platforms. Offer flexible wine club options and behind-the-scenes storytelling. And yes, your label design matters—don’t let it look like a Word doc from 2003.

Generation Z

(Born 1997–2012):

The Unfiltered Futurists

  Gen Z isn’t just digital-first—they’re digital-only. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, if your online store takes more than five seconds to load, or if you’re still asking people to download PDFs to join your club… you’ve already lost them.

  This generation values fun, flexibility, and visual relevance. They will try your wine if it appears in a trending video. They will buy it if the branding makes them feel something. But they won’t stay loyal unless you earn it—every time.

  And they have no patience for old rules. They like slushies, canned wines, pet-nats, sweet reds, and anything that gets people together. They’re not here for tradition. They’re here for the moment.

Action Step:  Prioritize mobile, visual storytelling, and interaction. Think sampler drops over verticals. Think memes over mailing lists. Your wine club should feel like a community, not a contract.

A Note on the Underage (for Now): Generation Alpha

  Gen Alpha is still pre-legal-drinking-age, but they’re already influencing your customer base—through their Millennial parents. They’re the reason your tasting room has crayons and juice boxes now. And they’ll be of legal age by 2034.

  Smart wineries are thinking ahead: creating family-friendly experiences, building tech infrastructure, and embracing sustainability initiatives now—so when Gen Alpha gets here, you’re already fluent in their expectations.

In Summary:

Choose Your Audience Before You Choose Your Campaign

  Marketing to everyone is marketing to no one. Demographics, and particularly generational cohorts, give you a powerful filter for your strategy. They tell you who your audience is, where they’re most comfortable, what they care about, and how to speak to them in a way that resonates.

  So the next time someone says “our wine is for everyone,” feel free to politely disagree—and then ask them which generation actually signs the credit card slip.

P.S. This blog is based on decades of research, but we’ll never pretend it’s the final word. People are complex. Trends shift. If you’ve seen different behavior from your own customers or cracked the code on reaching Gen Z through interpretive dance and Instagram stickers, we’d love to hear it. Knowledge is meant to be shared—preferably over a glass of something interesting.

  Susan DeMatei founded WineGlass Marketing; the largest full-service, award-winning marketing firm focused on the wine industry. She is a certified Sommelier and Specialist in Wine, with degrees in Viticulture and Communications, an instructor at Napa Valley Community College, and is currently collaborating on two textbooks. Now in its 13th year, her agency offers domestic and international wineries assistance with all areas of strategy and execution. WineGlass Marketing is located in Napa, California, and can be reached at 707-927-3334 or wineglassmarketing.com.

The Heartbeat of the Tasting Room

Cyndi

Why wine education matters

By Rachel Brown, Thirsty Bandit

What makes a great tasting room great? Is it the decor? The view? The glassware? While these tangible items are great for stylistic enhancement of a tasting room, it’s the intangibles that go the distance: the community, the friendships, and the engagement that can only come from deep bonding and the craftsmanship of storytelling. At the root of all of it: wine education.

  Wine education is the pulse point and the heartbeat of the tasting room. It connects the bridge between the product and the experience, parceled prettily for guests that come into the tasting room. It takes casual, laid-back tasters to life-long fans and repeat customers. With so many tasting rooms sprouting up like wildflowers, the education-driven programs and intense staff training separates the extraordinary from the ordinary and keeps customers coming back for more.

  For me, storytelling is everything — the engagement, the connection, the real-life application. Even the most stunning tasting room can’t make up for a team that struggles to articulate the wines or connect with guests. Wine — its artistry, its beauty, its ever-changing nature — should become a kind of love language, a part of your genetic makeup. To truly inspire others, the wines must first become meaningful to the staff, woven into their lives as more than just products, but as personal staples worth sharing.

  This level of storytelling doesn’t come easily, I’ll admit. It takes a lot of time— not just being behind the tasting bar walking your team through the wines, but creating digestible materials for existing staff and new employees coming in. And not just on your wines either, but the wines of your region against the world. Vintage comparisons side-by-side, different barrels and their flavor profiles, blind tastings, roleplaying tasting room scenarios. These training tasks aren’t luxuries, they’re necessities. 

  While programs like WSET have their place and are invaluable certifications to attain, they aren’t wholly necessary for every tasting room. Really, it comes from creating a culture that makes asking questions okay. Fostering that open communication is imperative. Letting people learn and grow in the way that makes the most sense for them. For every staff member I’ve hired and trained, my first question is always: What’s your learning style?

  Being able to create educational programming is one thing but being able to apply it to everyone in a way that makes it stick for them is where I’ve found most of my success. Having multiple sources of information— training binders, educational videos, flash cards, quizzes and customer-based scenarios allow for every member of the team to receive a cohesive training program in a way that suits them best. 

  This level of training fosters both confidence and authority when speaking about your wines. The more knowledge and assurance we can equip staff with, the stronger and more seamless the guest experience becomes. It’s reflected in their dialogue, their ease during tastings, and their ability to handle questions that go beyond the standard portfolio — topics like vineyard management, barrel integration, and bottle ageability.

  When the basis of knowledge is applied, the focus shifts to the guests walking into the tasting room. Now, those within the industry can wax poetic about acid levels and PH and back blending, but for the guest coming into your tasting room— who may be a novice or a pro— those numbers and figures won’t mean the same as they will for the seasoned veterans.

Play

 

Rachel and Corey discuss the importance of staff training and development in winery tasting rooms, emphasizing the need to hire people with the right intangible qualities rather than solely focusing on wine experience.

This is where storytelling comes in. Teaching your guests about wine, adding context and information, but not overwhelming them. Real life application travels much farther than any of the technical jargon we study. In my experience, the first thirty seconds of interaction with a guest lets me know the level of information I need to provide. Body language cues are another one of those intangibles that staff needs to be able to pick up on. Some guests will want to know PH and soil composition. Some simply want to know how to hold their glass or what pairs best with their Friday night pizza night. Both of which are amazing pieces of information to know, by the way.

  My staff is trained to begin every tasting with two key questions: “Have you been here before?” and “What do you like to drink?” While simple, these prompts open the door to truly meaningful conversation—allowing us to share the winery’s story, discuss the region’s climate and terroir, and start building a personalized experience. From there, thoughtful follow-up questions naturally unfold: Are you looking for something more fruit-forward? Higher in acidity? A touch of sweetness? This subtle game of twenty questions helps narrow the focus, guiding your team toward two or three well-matched wine recommendations that are tailored to each guest’s palate.

  If your guest loves Riesling from the Rheinhessen in Germany, automatically the staff should be able to guide them to a wine on the portfolio, if you’re not currently offering one. If you are currently offering a Riesling, they should be able to do a quick compare and contrast based on what the guest likes to drink and how it either matches or differs from what you’re currently offering on your portfolio. 

  Often, guests don’t know how different regional nuances can be in wine. For example, Cabernet is not a one-size-fits all sort of wine. French Cabernet is vastly different from that coming out of Napa Valley. Without staff explanation, a guest may be set up for failure and disappointment if they try it expecting something else. It’s a missed opportunity to not only set the expectation early on, but it’s a level of hospitality that often goes missing in tasting rooms. Teach them about your area. Tell them who you are. What you stand for. All these puzzle pieces shape into the guest experience within the tasting room. 

  This is what we, as life-long wine lovers and educators, are here for. To give them the information they want, to make it fun, approachable, something they can take home and use in their everyday life. This is where education morphs into hospitality. It emboldens staff to move around their dialogue and use some key life phrases. For example, explaining tannins to someone who has never heard the term before. Making the comparison to steeped black tea or bitter dark chocolate puts a very real image— and often an experience— at the forefront of their mind. 

  The key is the invitation. To open the dialogue. To let the guest at the bar know that they can ask whatever they want— without fear of judgement or an eye roll. We all started somewhere. This openness, the willingness to take time, to answer their questions and make them comfortable takes a maybe standard experience and makes it remarkable. They know they’ll be welcomed and heard. This, to me, is the highest level of hospitality. What a thing it is to be a steward in someone else’s wine journey. What a privilege to foster the ‘light bulb’ moment of wine. 

  All these things blended together add up to a high-quality visit to your tasting room. Vision, education, ethos, and regionality are things that need to be learned. A guest may forget exactly what malolactic fermentation is, but they won’t forget the uniqueness of a grape that’s harvested at midnight on the shores of a nearby lake, or if the winemaker’s mother makes the bread used for their private tastings. Those details will stick with them long after their visit ends.

  As approachable as we can make wine, the better. The ‘pinky up’ stereotype permeates the wine world and often makes it so that inexperienced drinkers are terrified to dip their toe into the barrel. Staff training, educational documents, supporting videos, and customer roleplay set up any tasting room for success. Foster and nurture your staff. Encourage them to fold the wines in your portfolio into their everyday life with their favorite dishes and foods.

  We’re here to offer more than just a product — we’re here to offer a purpose, an experience. And that experience begins with your people. It’s your staff who make the wine approachable, memorable, and meaningful — and that kind of impact doesn’t happen without education. Yes, the wine may bring guests back, but it’s the staff who shape the experience and give it lasting value. There’s no better feeling than seeing a returning guest light up as they share what they learned during their last visit — how they used that knowledge, and how proud they were to pass it on to friends.

  Developing a strong, well-rooted wine education program can transform every aspect of your tasting room. Its impact will resonate throughout your business — from your team’s confidence to the guest experience. I encourage every tasting room to grow collectively: hold regular tastings, ask thoughtful questions, and invest in ongoing education. That commitment to knowledge and care is something your guests will notice — and remember. Because in the end, it’s not just about what you pour — it’s about what you share.

 About the Author

  Rachel Brown is a Level 2 Sommelier with over nine years of experience in the wine industry. Certified by WSET, ISG, and the Napa Valley Wine Academy, Rachel has dedicated her career to curating exceptional wine experiences — from building tasting rooms and leading educational classes to hosting intimate private dinners. Her passion lies in making wine approachable, engaging, and unforgettable for everyone she meets. Outside of her work in the wine industry, she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her husband where they live in West Chester, PA.

Why Less Visitation to Wine Country Is Everyone’s Problem

Cyndi

By: Susan DeMatei – WineGlass Marketing

Wineries with tasting rooms know all too well that foot traffic is shrinking. But it was our clients without a hospitality arm who got us thinking: how important is the on-site channel to the wine industry as a whole?

  Maybe we’re just evolving. After all, people buy everything—from cars to carrots—online these days. Isn’t it natural for wine to follow suit?

  We pulled on that thread, and it turns out the decline in wine country tourism is a bigger issue than it first appears.

What Is the Problem?

  When we look at why wine sales are down, we can break it into three core factors:

•    Frequency


•    Volume


•    Abstinence


  And one of those clearly dominates.

  Frequency—how often someone chooses wine—is the elephant in the room. It accounts for a whopping 65% of the volume decline. Simply put, fewer people are reaching for wine in their daily lives.

  Next up is volume, responsible for about 19% of the drop. These consumers still drink wine, but they’re drinking less per occasion.

  Finally, abstinence represents only 7% of the decline. These folks have exited the wine category altogether, often favoring spirits, RTDs, or non-alcoholic options.

  This breakdown gives us a clear direction: focus on increasing frequency, encourage responsible volume, and work to keep existing wine drinkers from drifting away.

Who Is the Problem?

  Demographic data shows us where the decline hits hardest—and where there’s still potential.

chart showing decrease in wine consumption coming from ages 65+

Let’s start with age.
Younger drinkers (ages 21–24) are actually increasing their wine consumption—by 73% more than any other age group. Meanwhile, drinkers aged 65+ are leading the retreat, with an index of 121 for drinking less and just 48 for drinking more. This could be due to health concerns, lifestyle shifts, or simply changing preferences.

  Income tells a similar story.
Low-income consumers (<$50k) are more likely to be drinking less wine. On the other hand, higher-income consumers are still spending—often on premium bottles—indicating the luxury wine segment remains strong.

So if we’re looking for growth, it’s clear: the opportunity lies with younger, affluent consumers who are curious and still forming their wine habits.

How Do We Encourage Premium Wine Purchase?

  Across the board, consumers who begin buying wine over $20 didn’t just wake up one day and change their habits. They were introduced to a gateway wine—a bottle that surprised and impressed them, often in a memorable setting.

  That single bottle becomes a turning point. From there, consumers often start exploring more expensive options, seeking wine education, and becoming more involved in wine culture. Creating that moment is the key. The industry’s challenge is to get more consumers to cross that threshold.

Where Do These Gateway Moments Happen?

  According to the Wine Market Council, the most common place consumers discover wines over $20?

Wine country.

chart showing travel is an important introduction to wine

  A full 76% of consumers say visiting a winery or wine region plays a role in their discovery of premium wines. The physical, sensory, and emotional experience of being on-site is nearly impossible to replicate online.

  Social gatherings, tastings, and trusted retailers also matter—but in-person, immersive experiences lead the charge. More passive methods like influencer content or wine club shipments don’t seem to have the same effect.

  The takeaway? Wine isn’t just a product. It’s an experience—and wine country is still the best showroom we have.

Why This Matters

  Our biggest opportunity lies with converting curious, affluent younger consumers into wine lovers—and eventually, loyal buyers. To do that, we need to get them into wine country.

Research consistently shows that visiting wineries increases consumers’ exposure to higher-end wines and reinforces a lifestyle that includes wine. And that lifestyle leads to stronger engagement, deeper knowledge, and more frequent purchases.

But Here’s the Catch

  Only 16% of consumers visit a wine region monthly or more—and most of them are already wine lovers.
Another 53% visit once to three times a year.
And 31% of consumers visit less than once a year or never.

chart showing novice and infrequent drinkers less likely to go to wine country

  That last group is where the biggest opportunity lies—and also our biggest challenge.

  Novice wine drinkers make up 54% of those who rarely or never visit wine country. These are exactly the people we need to reach if we want to grow the category long-term.

The most engaged wine tourists?

•People who buy $50+ wines


•Those who own 25+ bottles


•Wine experts


The least engaged? Newcomers.

  This leaves us with a critical challenge: How do we attract novice drinkers and infrequent buyers to wine country in the first place?

What Now?

  To grow our consumer base, wineries must take this data seriously. That means:

•Lowering the barriers to entry with more accessible, welcoming, and inclusive experiences


•Designing immersive, unforgettable visits that educate and inspire


•Investing in storytelling, hospitality, and connection—the things that can’t be bottled, boxed, or shipped


In Summary

  The decline in wine country visitation isn’t just a hospitality problem—it’s a brand engagement crisis. If fewer people are stepping into our world, fewer people are falling in love with wine. And that affects the entire industry, from DTC to wholesale.

  We need to rethink the winery experience, not as a bonus channel, but as the first step in a consumer’s lifelong journey with wine. The more gateways we build, the more drinkers we gain—and the better chance we have at making wine culture thrive for generations to come.

  Susan DeMatei founded WineGlass Marketing; the largest full-service, award-winning marketing firm focused on the wine industry. She is a certified Sommelier and Specialist in Wine, with degrees in Viticulture and Communications, an instructor at Napa Valley Community College, and is currently collaborating on two textbooks. Now in its 13thyear, her agency offers domestic and international wineries assistance with all areas of strategy and execution. WineGlass Marketing is located in Napa, California, and can be reached at 707-927-3334 or wineglassmarketing.com.

the power of storytelling

Beyond the Tasting Room

Cyndi

How to Build a Visual Content Ecosystem That Powers Your Sales Team

By: Jake Ahles | Morel Creative

The average winery pours countless hours and dollars into its tasting room experience. From curated lighting to seasonal menus, from bottle shots to Instagram Reels, everything is designed to draw the consumer in and create a memorable moment.

But Here’s the Hard Truth: If your storytelling ends at the tasting room door, you’re leaving growth on the table.

Your Sales Team: Whether it’s internal reps, distributor partners, or national brand ambassadors are out in the world every day pitching your wines. And far too often, they’re doing it without the assets, clarity, or tools they need to succeed.

  If they don’t know your brand story inside and out—and if they don’t have the right media to help them tell it—you can’t expect them to win placements, gain traction, or build long-term buyer relationships.

THE PROBLEM

Inconsistent Storytelling & Missed Opportunities

We hear this from sales teams all the time:

•    “I know the wine is good and the story rocks, but me telling it isn’t as powerful as showing it.”

•    “I wish I had a some visual assets I could send after meetings to follow up on specific buyer questions.”

•    “We need something that shows the vibe of the brand, not just a sell sheet.”

The Reality is: Great wine doesn’t sell itself, Great storytelling does. Especially when it’s consistent, engaging, and accessible to every person representing your brand.

  Yet most wineries still treat content as a siloed marketing task or a consumer-only asset. Sales decks are made once and forgotten. Distributors are left hunting for old PDFs. Brand videos, if they exist, live on YouTube instead of in rep-ready form.

There’s a better way. We call it a Content Ecosystem.

THE SOLUTION

A Content Ecosystem That Powers Sales

A content ecosystem is a structured library

of storytelling assets that:

•    Trains and equips your sales team.

•    Supports buyer meetings and follow-up.

•    Drives consumer pull-through.

•    Keeps your brand story consistent

      across all markets.

  We first rolled this out with a globally recognized non-alcoholic spirits brand during their North American expansion. The brand needed a way to align regional sales reps, educate distributor teams, and ensure a consistent brand message—no matter who was telling the story. As the brand entered new markets, they needed a way to align regional sales reps, educate distributor teams, and ensure a consistent brand message—no matter who was telling the story.

  Morel Creative built out a strategic media ecosystem that did just that.

What It Looked Like in Practice

  The brand was scaling rapidly, and with that came a new challenge: ensuring that every account manager, field rep, and bartender ambassador was telling the same compelling brand story.

The Content Ecosystem included:

•    Short-form brand story videos that could be played in meetings or texted as follow-ups.

•    Product-focused micro-content to showcase each SKU’s unique benefits.

•    Digital-ready pitch decks with visuals, soundbites, and sell-in talking points.

•    Interactive training modules so reps could absorb brand language on their own time.

•    A centralized media library so no one ever had to ask, “Do we have a bottle shot?”

  The result? Not only did reps feel more confident in the field, but they also had the tools to follow up with purpose, using targeted assets based on what came up in buyer meetings.

Why Wineries Need This Now

  In today’s hyper-competitive wine landscape, it’s not just about making great wine. It’s about making it easy for other people to believe in your brand and then tell its story effectively and consistently.

  That means building a media ecosystem that does more than just look good.

IT TRAINS

•    Your sales team learns how to talk about the brand.

•    They understand what makes each wine unique.

•    They feel confident walking into meetings or events with a story to tell.

IT SELLS

•    Buyers get clean, compelling follow-ups.

•    Brand story videos or vineyard content reinforce what was discussed.

•    Restaurant and retail staff have tools to hand-sell your wine to customers.

IT SCALES

•    New sales reps onboard faster.

•    Distributors can self-educate and stay aligned.

•    Your brand message remains clear in California and Connecticut.

Anatomy of a Content Ecosystem for Sales

  Here’s what a modern winery’s sales content ecosystem might include:

1. Brand Story Video

•    60–90 seconds.

•    Shows the people, place, purpose, and product.

•    Ends with an invitation to carry or try the wine.

2. Product Highlight Reels

•    Quick videos (15–30 seconds) that focus on tasting notes, sourcing, pairings, or seasonal context.

•    Perfect for email follow-ups or social sharing.

3. Digital Sales Deck

•    Slides with concise story points, strong visuals, and QR codes to videos or training links.

•    Pitchable in-person or over Zoom.

4. Asset Library

•    Bottle shots, label art, brand bios, winemaker photos, awards, etc.

•    Organized and shareable via Dropbox, Google Drive, or a custom portal.

5. Follow-Up Toolkit

•    Templated email scripts.

•    Suggested video or content to send

      post-meeting.

•    Customizable based on buyer interest (e.g., sustainability, food pairings, origin story).

6. Internal Training Materials

•    One-pagers for reps.

•    Brand language cheat sheets.

•    Internal-use video walk-throughs of key storytelling points.

REAL RESULTS:

What Happens When You Support the Whole Funnel

  When you invest in your sales-side content, here’s what typically improves:

•    Faster onboarding for new reps.

•    Better brand recall during meetings.

•    Stronger trade relationships (because buyers feel like you “get it”).

•    Higher conversion rates post-pitch.

•    More consistent brand experience from the tasting room to the restaurant floor.

•    And most importantly: More cases sold.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Make Your Story Easy to Sell

  You already know that wine is an emotional product. People buy it because of how it makes them feel—the story it lets them tell.

  That applies not just to consumers, but to buyers, distributors, and floor staff. If you can give them a story they believe in—and the tools to tell it well—you’ll stop relying on charisma alone and start seeing real momentum.

So the question is…

•    Have you equipped your team to sell the story as well as they sell the wine?

•    Do you have a follow-up plan after a meeting ends?

•    Is your brand message consistent, clear, and easy to repeat?

  If not, it’s time to build a content ecosystem that works as hard as your wine does.

Because great stories don’t just inspire. They sell!