From hospitality-driven visitation to loyalty and strategic partnerships, the Wine Sales Symposium explores where revenue growth is coming from now The path to winery growth looks different than it did even a few years ago. Today’s most successful wineries are not relying on a single channel or a single tactic. Instead, they are building growth through a combination of stronger customer experiences, deeper retention strategies, and brand partnerships that extend reach beyond traditional wine audiences. At this year’s Wine Sales Symposium, several sessions will explore how these shifts are reshaping sales and marketing strategies across the industry. One of the most important changes is happening in hospitality and visitation. Consumers—especially Millennials and Gen Z—are increasingly choosing experiences that feel personal, memorable, and aligned with their identity. For wineries, that means visitation is no longer simply about tasting wine; it’s about de

The tasting room used to be the heart of the winery business model. Walk-ins became club members. Club members became brand ambassadors. Revenue flowed predictably, and the formula worked. That’s changing. Visitation to wine regions is softening and tasting room traffic that wineries once counted on is declining. The cohort that’s most noticeably absent? Millennials and Gen Z, the consumers who should be building the next generation of wine loyalty. For many wineries, the drop-off has been gradual enough to rationalize. Blame the economy. Blame changing drinking habits. Blame competition from craft beer and cocktails. But the reality is harder to swallow: younger consumers aren’t avoiding wine country because they don’t like wine. They’re avoiding it because the traditional tasting room experience no longer competes with how they want to spend their time and money. And if wineries don’t adapt, they risk becoming relics of an industry that waited to

Most wineries still send the same message to everyone—and leave money on the table. In Session #2 of the Wine Club Symposium, Laura Simons (Simons DTC Consulting) and the team at Enolytics show how targeted segmentation turns “almost” into “I’m in,” boosts retention, and creates predictable DTC revenue—without deeper discounts.  â–¶ Watch the Full Session (Free Replay)  What You’ll Learn  Club vs. Non-Club: Convert high-potential buyers with member-only perks and short-window join offers. At-Risk & Lapsed: Re-engage 6–12-month gaps with “welcome back” bundles and quick pulse surveys. Potential Churn Members: Catch early signals (skips, fewer add-ons) and save with holds, swaps, and plan changes. High-Value VIPs: Use micro-exclusivity (library drops, small-lot access, VIP invites) to deepen loyalty. First-Time Buyers & Recent Converts: A 30-day path that turns a one-time order into a new me

Wine Club Symposium — Session 1 State of the Industry: Why Wine Clubs?  Watch the full recording of vinSUITE’s opening keynote to see how leading wineries are growing clubs in a softer market—by reducing sign-up friction, making commitment flexible, and keeping members engaged between shipments. The panel shares field examples from tasting rooms and clubs, then maps them to simple operational changes you can test this quarter. You’ll leave with practical ways to shorten the join flow, add flexible commitment (pause/skip/swap or prepaid), and build habit-keeping touches between shipments—plus the metrics that show it’s working. What you’ll learn Reduce tasting-room friction: capture contact earlier and streamline the join flow. Flexible commitment: pause/skip/swap and prepaid balances convert “almost” members and save cancels—without discounting. Between-shipment engagement: one planned touch + a simple cancel-save step k

vinSUITE has announced the full agenda and speaker lineup for the 3rd Annual Wine Club Symposium, the leading virtual event for winery professionals focused on driving wine club growth, boosting member retention, and leveraging AI in direct-to-consumer (DTC) operations.  Taking place online on Tuesday, July 15, and Wednesday, July 16, 2025, the Symposium features six sessions, more than a dozen speakers, and data-backed content designed to give attendees clear, tactical steps for immediate application. The event is free to attend and begins each day at 9:00 AM PDT. Register at wineclubsymposium.com or directly via GoToWebinar. With wine clubs generating as much as 60% of DTC revenue for top-performing wineries, this year’s agenda focuses on increasing profitability through strategic customer targeting, member experience innovation, and operational efficiency. 2025 Wine Club Symposium Agenda Day 1 – Tuesday, July 15 9:00–9:50 AM PDT— State of the

This two-day virtual symposium brings together leading voices in wine club management, marketing, technology, and data to equip wineries with actionable ideas to grow membership, improve retention, and increase lifetime value.  Topics Include: State of the Industry – Wine Clubs Top 5 Customer Segments to Target Now, Proven to Drive Revenue WISE Academy Presents: Roadshows and Member Travel Beyond the Bottle: What Really Drives Wine Club Retention Start to Finish: Crafting the Ideal Wine Club Texting Strategy AI Panel Register here.

We're excited to share with you a comprehensive blog post that captures the game-changing strategies discussed during WISE Academy's session at the Wine Club Symposium. Whether you attended the live session or not, this blog post offers valuable insights that could transform your wine club strategy. Here's a sneak peek of what you'll discover:  Top 3 Game-Changing Strategies: Embrace the "Yes, And" Approach to Member Experiences Conduct a Wine Club-Focused SWOT Analysis Implement a "Constant, Gentle Pressure" Training Approach These strategies aren't just theoretical - they're backed by real-world success stories from wineries that have implemented them. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your wine club to the next level. We've made it easy for you to access all the information: Read the full blog post here. Watch session recording here. Download slides here. We're excited to see how you'll apply these insights

2024 Virtual Wine Club Symposium: Opening Insights on the State of the Industry Key Takeaways from Jason Curtis and Rob McMillan's Presentation The 2024 Virtual Wine Club Symposium kicked off with an insightful session on the current state of the wine club industry. Industry veterans Jason Curtis, President of vinSUITE, and Rob McMillan, EVP & Wine Division Founder at Silicon Valley Bank, shared valuable insights based on the latest SVB 2024 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey. Their presentation covered key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of wine clubs. 1. The Power of Consistent Communication Wineries that communicate with their club members bi-weekly or monthly are 127% more likely to experience growth. This statistic underscores the importance of maintaining consistent engagement with wine club members. Regular communication keeps your winery top-of-mind and fosters a sense of connection and loyalty among members. Implementation Strategies: Develop a

Join us for the 2024 Virtual Wine Club Symposium, an expanded two-day event dedicated to exploring the latest trends and strategies in wine club management. This year's symposium features a dynamic lineup of sessions designed to provide actionable insights and innovative solutions for wine club professionals. Don't forget to complete our Wine Club Survey here: https://forms.gle/WPzZVFxBdcxiCUoV7.    Session Highlights: State of the Industry & Survey Results: Kick off the symposium with a comprehensive overview of the current state of the wine industry, featuring key findings from our latest survey. Enhancing Wine Club Experiences: Discover innovative ways to create unforgettable and engaging experiences for your members. Leveraging Wine Club Data: Learn how to harness the power of data to drive growth and optimize your wine club operations with insights from Enolytics and Bergstrom Wines. AI-Powered Marketing: Delve into practical applications of artificial int

vinSUITE, a leading provider of winery DTC software, is excited to announce its inaugural Virtual Wine Club Symposium, a groundbreaking event designed to empower wineries with knowledge and strategies to thrive in the ever-evolving world of wine clubs. The symposium, featuring a dynamic agenda and industry experts, will take place on June 20th.  The Virtual Wine Club Symposium presents a comprehensive agenda, enriched by the deep experience of industry veterans. Jason Curtis, President of vinSUITE, who will deliver the opening remarks, shared his enthusiasm about the event, stating, “Wine clubs form a crucial component of a winery’s DTC revenue, often accounting for more than 40% of sales. Therefore, every strategy that wineries can implement to expand and sustain their clubs directly bolsters their bottom line. This Virtual Wine Club Symposium aims to serve as a powerful catalyst for wineries. By uniting industry leaders and innovative strategies, we hope to propel wi