Latest dispatches

WIN Insider Series with Sandra DeMaria | Ehlers Estate

In this WIN Insider Series interview, George Christie sits down with Sandra DeMaria, Director of Sales & Marketing at Ehlers Estate, for a timely conversation ahead of the 2026 Wine Sales Symposium. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience across the wine supply chain—from restaurants to distribution to DTC—Sandra shares why strategic partnerships are more important than ever in today’s challenging market and how wineries can build relationships that truly drive value. From identifying the ri

A Better Blend: Turning Winery Touch-points into Revenue

Most wineries are trying to grow – but many are stuck with the same challenges: same channels, same tools, and same limitations. In this session, we’ll break down how modern wineries are increasing revenue by expanding beyond traditional DTC – into experiences, subscriptions, and events – all while simplifying their operations. You’ll be given a practical framework to grow revenue and reduce complexity – without adding more tools or unnecessary cost. We’ll cover: – How today’s wineries are unify

WIN Insider Series with Lauren Wong | Aperture Vineyards & Winery

In this WIN Insider interview, George speaks with Lauren Wong, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Aperture Vineyards and Winery, ahead of the Wine Sales Symposium on May 13th in Sonoma County. Lauren shares her journey from luxury fragrance brands to wine marketing, influenced by her father's work as a renowned wine label designer. She discusses Aperture's brand philosophy of combining high-quality wines with inclusive, approachable marketing, and addresses the evolving challenges wineries

Sunzaun - Vertical Solar System That Integrating into Farming

Agrivoltaics combines solar power and agriculture, making it possible to do both. When thoughtfully designed, these systems help farmers preserve their land, strengthen their operations, and earn a steady income from solar energy while also adding heat and wind protection to the vines.

Defranceschi Ceramic Barrel Heads

Defranceschi's ceramic barrel heads not only reduce cellar loss/evaporation through the head of the barrel, but they also keep the interaction with oak to the premium toasted wood in the longer staves of the barrel. Embedded in the ceramic head is an induction coil that can be used to keep individual barrels at the proper temperature for malolactic fermentation. For more information, visit www.defranceschiusa.com

Growing Forward - Insights on New Growing Techniques from the 2025 Season

What does it really take to adopt new growing techniques in your vineyard? This panel session features vineyard experts who’ve done exactly that over the past season. These early implementers will share their real-world experiences with new viticulture practices and technologies, covering the good, the challenging, and the unexpected. Learn which pitfalls to avoid, what results they achieved, what surprised them most, and their honest recommendations for others considering similar innovations. T

Wine Sales Symposium 2026 - Strategic Winery Partnerships

Hear how leading wineries are building visibility and customer acquisition through intentional collaborations & partnerships at the Wine Sales Symposium. Learn more: https://buff.ly/VTWRXvJ

Wine Sales Symposium 2026 - Strategic Winery Partnerships

Hear how leading wineries are building visibility and customer acquisition through intentional collaborations & partnerships at the Wine Sales Symposium. Learn more: https://buff.ly/VTWRXvJ

Smarter Winery Support: Faster Responses and Personalization With AI + SMS

Wine club season can overwhelm even the most organized winery teams. Customers expect fast answers, personalized service, and easy ways to manage their memberships — often all at once. In this webinar, WineSpot AI and RedChirp will each demonstrate how AI-powered tools can support modern winery communication workflows — from automating routine customer responses to intelligently selecting the right recipients for text marketing campaigns You’ll see how wineries can: – Automatically respond to co

Visibility Wins – How Consistent Content Drives Leads in the Wine Industry

The wine industry is crowded, buyers are busy, and most vendor decisions are made long before a conversation ever happens. Yet many suppliers remain invisible between trade shows and occasional campaigns. This WIN member-exclusive webinar breaks down what content marketing actually looks like in a B2B wine industry context—how wineries research and evaluate suppliers, and why credibility is built long before first contact. Presented by Adam Bird of Deksia, this session focuses on practical, achi

WIN Insider Series with Stuart Spencer | Lodi Winegrape Commission

In this WIN Insider Series episode, George interviews Stuart Spencer, Executive Director of the Lodi Wine Grape Commission and family winemaker. He shares the story behind Lodi's groundbreaking sustainability certification program, explains how his family carved out a niche with unique Portuguese and Spanish varietals, and delivers a candid critique of the bulk wine import market that's undermining American growers. Stuart advocates for legislation requiring American-labeled wines to be 100% U.S

WIN Insider Series with Alison Crowe | Plata Wine Partners

In this episode of the WIN Insider Series, George Christie sits down with Alison Crowe, Vice President of Winemaking and Partner at Plata Wine Partners, to explore her remarkable journey through the wine industry. From her early days growing up in California’s Central Coast to studying viticulture and enology at UC Davis, Alison shares how curiosity, hands-on experience, and a willingness to take risks shaped her career across roles at Chalone Vineyard, Curtis Winery, and Bonny Doon Vineyard. Sh

Expert Perspective: 2025 Data Shows Prohibition Level Challenges Ahead for the Wine Industry

Following the release of the Preliminary 2025 California Grape Crush Report, Turrentine Brokerage, the largest California grape and bulk wine brokerage company, has issued a market assessment characterizing the 2025 vintage as one of the most challenging for the wine industry since Prohibition. According to the new state data, the total tons crushed came in at 2.62 million tons, a figure that is above initial projections and well above what was felt by the industry. This statewide volume is 8% b

Bold Predictions - Navigating 2026: Expert Insights on Emerging Trends and Opportunities

For the fourth consecutive year, four seasoned wine industry thought leaders return to examine the critical challenges and opportunities defining the wine landscape in 2026. Each panelist will share their most important predictions and trends that wineries need to understand to thrive in the year ahead. This engaging panel discussion offers multiple perspectives on the forces shaping our industry, equipping you with practical insights to make informed decisions and capitalize on emerging opportu

Hamilton's Advanced Sensors for Winemaker's Water Monitoring

Modern technologies for real-time data analysis, allow winemakers to track and fine-tune every detail. These advancements not only enhance traditional winemaking methods but also help optimize production efficiency and consistency, ensuring that each bottle of wine is of the highest possible quality.

WIN Insider Series with Matt Hughes | Solos

In this WIN Insider Series episode, George interviews Matt Hughes, General Manager of Solos, a pioneering company specializing in aroma recovery and dealcoholization technology for non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages. Matt shares his journey from fine dining and winemaking to leading innovation in the no-alc/low-ABV wine sector, explaining how Solos' revolutionary vacuum distillation and aroma capture technology preserves wine's terroir and varietal character—solving the traditional problem

Vinoshipper 2026 National Direct Sales Report

Benchmarking growth & innovation across America’s beverage alcohol producers. Join Vinoshipper on January 16th for an in-depth presentation of the first comprehensive national study of America’s beverage alcohol producers. This webinar will combine real transaction data from over 3,000 Vinoshipper clients with fresh survey insights to provide an unprecedented view of direct sales trends, challenges, and opportunities across the industry. “With Vinoshipper data we have a unique opportunity to cre

Signature Mobile Bottlers at WIN Expo

avterra by Advanced Viticulture at WIN Expo

Advanced Cleaning Technology by Nilfisk at WIN Expo

WINnovation Award Winner: Wine Wallet by Bottle360

LEV2050 Bioreactor Introduced by VA Filtration at WIN Expo

LEV2050’s bioreactors, notably the BR-LEV-LC and BR-CV ranges, are automated systems that enable controlled multiplication of microorganisms – notably yeast and bacteria used in wine fermentations. These devices offer significant advantages, such as reducing yeast and bacteria purchase costs by up to 90%, improving the vitality and performance of inoculants, and enhancing the aromatic and structural quality of wines. https://www.wineindustrynetwork.com/c/va-filtration-u.s.a.?fid=BzdM41Zbo_gcAsgM

WINnovation Award Winner Clear Alc. By BevZero and Tomsa Distil

WINnovation Award Winner: Bottleshot.ai by Left Coast Marketing