There’s no doubt that DTC wine sales are up, as we’ve said before. This has been further substantiated by the 2018 Direct to Consumer Wine Shipping Report by Sovos and Wines & Vines. But, as more and more wineries, importers, and retailers enter this space, it’s worth asking: Where is the real growth potential here? To give away the punchline: That growth will come with […]

5 Marketing Fundamentals for Smaller Wineries Update: Since we first published this post in 2015, there have been new trends in the wine industry worth noting. However, we are finding time and again that these “fundamentals” have not changed a whole lot–they still form the backbone of wine marketing. In fact, we’ve found that they apply not only to smaller wineries, but to larger ones […]

Tasting rooms and wine clubs are not the only way to spread the “good news” about a winery’s outstanding product quality (and thereby boost Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) sales).  Getting your wine in front of reviewers, writers, and other influencers, as well as into wine competitions, can be an important part of the marketing and outreach program for any winery. To do that, your winery will need […]

A vendor of ours once admitted that he never would have had a “Dark and Stormy,” nor kindled a love of ginger beer, if it weren’t for a holiday gift from his mother-in-law. That one kit introduced him to a new drink, and netted a new customer for the company that made his favorite dark rum.   Now think about this for a bit. What […]

One of the highlights of the 2015 Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium agenda was the user group focused on Millennial marketing. Over 100 industry professionals attended the discussion and learned how shifting demographics in the “Direct to Consumer” wine sales channel will have a major impact on current and future marketing activities[…]