I recently spotted this awesome idea on a blog post by Bottle360 (the up-and-coming DTC platform shaking things up), and I had to expand on it for other wineries. It’s simple, it’s sweet, and it’s absolutely perfect for holiday DTC marketing. I've said this before, but wineries need to start suggesting to their customers reasons, moments to drink the wine they've purchased, so they will buy more!

Clinging to the same old tactics—blasting another generic email, raising prices, or waiting for tasting room traffic to rebound—is a slow-motion death drop. The market has changed. Consumers have changed. And the only wineries that will thrive are the ones that change, too.

Outsmart the market—with strategic partnerships. Teaming up with other vendors to create joint offerings, bundled services, shared webinars, or co-marketing campaigns gives wineries more value, more efficiency, and less decision fatigue. Ready to work smarter with other wine industry suppliers? Join the Vendor Collaboration Network on TheWineProGrapevine.

From producers and associations to suppliers, tech innovators, consultants, distributors, and retailers, the wine industry is facing a critical reality: declining consumer demand is not just about marketing—it’s about the way we work among ourselves. We need to stop working in silos, relying on outdated gatherings and aged assumptions to move the wine industry forward.

You're crazy busy! Buried in vineyard work, managing staff, planning events, stressing about DTC numbers, yadda, yadda. So is everyone. Staying hyper-focused on your own business or your defined job role can become a trap. If you’re not intentionally carving out time to engage with the rest of the wine industry—associations, vendors, consultants, educators, and communities—you’re not growing. You’re just surviving. Do you want to survive or crush it?

Running a winery isn’t just about what’s in the bottle—it’s about who’s behind the scenes making it all happen. At the heart of a winery is its people: a brand’s living, breathing identity. And if you want to build something worth sipping and have it succeed, you need to lead in a way that sparks confidence, loyalty, and a whole lot of hustle.

Wineries: Having your tasting room manager do your marketing is not going to result in selling the most wine! You have a professional winemaker, why wouldn't you have a professional marketer?

You've got killer wine, amazing views, cheese pairings, vineyard tours, blah, blah, blah. So why aren't Millennials showing up at your winery?

The wine industry is overdue for a major reality check. For too long, it’s been swirling in a glass of outdated norms, clinging to tradition

Key takeaways from Azur’s 2024 Year-End Review & 2025 Outlook Report.

Two reports offer insights into the wine industry's performance in 2024.

A summary of Karen MacNeil's talk at the DTC Symposium: her views on shifting narratives around wine & challenges facing the industry.

The wine industry can draw valuable lessons from the tech industry where disruptors have historically driven innovation and enhanced quality

For wine marketing professionals, understanding how wine makes people feel is key to crafting compelling campaigns.

Whether you are a long-time wine industry veteran or are new to the industry, if you are looking for a new position at a winery or a wine...

Are the traditional winery job roles outdated?

Bottle360 DTC Solution: A Revolutionary Approach to Winery Management I recently interviewed Katherine Adams, President of Bottle360, and...

InnoVint today released its 2024 State of Wine Business Health Report.

You can put grapes into a bucket and set it in the sun and eventually you will have fermented grape juice, but is that artisanal wine?...