Craft Matters

In this week’s roundup, CEO of Ekos shares tips for improving inventory management. Learn how the industry can move from words to actions when it comes to supporting equality and inclusion. Artificial Intelligence (AI) brings new innovation to the wine industry. Obtaining DTC shipping licenses, while complex, are 100 percent necessary. Wineries train their tasting room staff to take on new responsibilities during trying times.

VineSpring’s General Manager, Kent Nowlin, shares advice on how to build a legacy business with a strong foundation. Breweries band together to create social change and support equality with their stouts. The Oregon Wine Board creates a long-term plan to ensure diversity and equality is interwoven into the Oregon wine industry. See what a new study predicts for wine buyer behavior post lockdown. Napa valley tasting rooms cautiously reopen. Get tips on how wineries can modernize their clubs for 2020.

In this week’s roundup, we share a recorded webinar that demonstrates the advantages of a Salesforce and VineSpring integration. Ekos bands together with five companies to provide much-needed eCommerce and storefront capabilities for craft producers. Chris Towt offers tips for implementing allocation programs at breweries. Wine-Searcher explores the possible permanent wine eCommerce consequences of COVID-19. Kentucky opens up to direct-to-consumer shipping. Lastly, learn how to check off tasks today that will benefit your business in the long term.

In this week’s roundup, we’re seeing a common theme; online DTC sales are thriving. Consumers are craving the sense of normalcy and moments of pleasure that craft producers provide. Those who are stepping up to meet their needs are being rewarded. Learn how to launch an online store and club to support your quarantined customers, explore the importance of marketing during a crisis, see how other wineries are dealing with the current climate, and familiarize yourself with loan assistance options. 

In this week’s roundup, learn what trends caught the attention of Aku Desai, VineSpring’s Director of Sales, at recent industry events. Wine sales have flattened, what can wineries do to spark growth? Hard seltzer’s marketing will continue to outperform wine unless a new approach is taken. The Wine Economists share his thoughts on recent industry challenges during a Liquid Assets podcast interview. Educational gaps are preventing US customers from purchasing wine online.

In this week’s roundup, ShipCompliant by Sovos has released its yearly Direct-to-Consumer Report and the State of the US Wine Industry report warns of oversupply. New and improved plugins make it easier for VineSpring customers to customize their storefronts and create an excellent online experience. The recycling crisis in California might soon affect drink manufacturers. The proposed wine tariffs on European wines will certainly affect distributers, but what about domestic wine producers? And lastly, get an overview of the compliance issues facing the beverage alcohol industry so far this decade. 

In this roundup, we’re welcoming the New Year with personalization and automation; learn how to increase efficiency while delivering personalized communication to your customers. A recent report warns beverage industry executives about missed eCommerce opportunities. A deeper look at the alcohol-free January trend shows that the BevAlc industry may need to put some thought into their communication about healthy consumption. Predictions are made about the next decade and Generation Z is regarded as an important demographic with tremendous buying power. 

In this week’s roundup, a seasoned compliance expert spells out the confusing fundamentals of DTC hard cider. A survey of US independent alcohol retailers reveals compelling insights on changing consumer expectations and global beer production increases for the first time in five years. Marketing automation is here to stay; learn the six steps to get your winery onboard. With excess wine in the North Coast, Napa developed a new system for how permits for smaller producers are managed. Lastly, while most US eastern and midwestern growing regions struggled, Ohio boasted near-perfect growing conditions and an excellent harvest.

In this week’s roundup, there’s good news for retailers as experts predict an increase in overall holiday spending. Extreme weather conditions caused by climate change have led to the development of grapes that can withstand the elements. See the top five areas where wineries can achieve better results in a changing social media world.  A new platform has made it easier for wineries to create, manage, and market augmented reality labels. Philosopher and award winner Warren Winiarski discusses his love of wine and the future of Napa Valley. 

The holidays are upon us (where did November go!?) It’s time to kick it up a notch when it comes to email campaigns to encourage more end-of-the-year sales. Anyone who does business with California residents needs to pay attention to the upcoming California Consumer Privacy Act, effective January 1st. Climate change is happening; how will it affect the growing season? Projections for the coming year are showing a slight wine market volume increase but a more robust growth in value wines. And lastly, now is the time to set sales goals. Get advice on how to keep things realistic and consider outside factors when setting goals.

In this week’s roundup, learn how to enjoy a holiday celebration while seizing a sales opportunity. Rob McMillan gives his take on 2019 wine trends and a recent consumer insights survey shows what people want to see when shopping online for craft beverages. Digital marketing experts discuss how marketing automation has caused a shift in strategy for wineries. Nielsen survey results show that while people are drinking less beer, they are spending and caring more.

In this week’s roundup, we highlight how wineries and breweries can prepare for the holidays and reel in profitable sales on Cyber Monday. Now that the Texas audit on Out-of-State Winery Direct permit holders has been going on for a month, wineries can get a better grasp on the scope. Join the Hit the Bottle podcast to discuss big data and how craft beverage producers can use it to make better business decisions. The shipping experience is highly influential in building customer loyalty; make sure it’s delightful. Lastly, California wineries don’t let the recent power outage slow them down.

In this week’s roundup, we share tips for crafting a successful corporate gifting campaign for an end-of-year revenue boost. This year’s Great American Beer Festival reveals new beer trends and those involved in making it legal to sell beer to-go at Texas breweries want to teach other states how they can work together to achieve legislature reform. Learn more about the Americans with Disabilities Act and what wineries can do to stay compliant. Sales Tax Nexus laws went into effect in 2018 but Texas, California and New York have made changes that craft producers should know about. Lastly, see if your winery possesses the traits that often go hand-in-hand with long term success.

In this week’s roundup, consumer studies reveal how Americans shop for alcohol and how the US premium market has evolved. In the beer world, the Great American Beer Festival kicked off this week and reports show that the economic impact of craft breweries continue to rise. Last but not least, we show wineries and breweries how they can launch an email nurture series that will improve their overall business. 

In this week's roundup, we feature a recording of the webinar that we held with the team at ShipCompliant on the topic of how to adopt DTC technology, affordably. We share how Matthiasson Wines uses VineSpring to grow their online sales and club memberships and Hit the Bottle Podcasts focuses on digital marketing strategies for wineries and breweries. The Texas ABC direct-shipping audit is in full swing; see an example list of questions you could be asked. And, done right, marketing automation can significantly boost revenue for wineries.

In this week’s roundup, VineSpring Senior Developer Matthew Fay, explains webhooks and how they can connect systems to deliver maximum efficiency and personalization. Napa County reports more winery visits than Use Permits and Hit the Bottle Podcast dishes out tips for DTC sales and marketing. Santa Barbara County is considering a new fee to fund marketing efforts. Is it worth it? And lastly, join next week’s live webinar with ShipCompliant and VineSpring to learn how to build an ideal DTC ecosystem without breaking the bank.