2026 DTC Wine Symposium Conference Schedule

10:30 AM - Noon
OTR to Monterey: The Wines of the Santa Lucia Highlands

Tasting at ROAR Winery featuring the wines of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. This will be a ticketed event around $35.

8 Wineries Pouring

• Bernardus
• Caraccioli Cellars
• McIntyre Family Wines
• Morgan Winery
• Odonata
• ROAR Wines
• Talbott Vineyards
• Wrath Wines

2 PM - 2:45 PM

Wine Keynote

Main Ballroom

Making Sense of Chaos: building the future of the wine industry

Elaine Chukan Brown

The industry today faces not just climate change, and financial challenges, but also generational transformation, global economic uncertainty, consumer diversification, and more. We are living, arguably, in one of the most chaotic periods the wine industry has ever seen. But how do we succeed in business, or build good strategy in the midst of chaos?

This keynote digs into making smart decisions when dealing with uncertainty, creating opportunity from inside the mayhem, and the power of collaboration to create solutions.

2:45 PM - 3:45 PM

Outside the Box: New Rules for Winning the Modern Wine Consumer

The era of one-size-fits-all wine marketing is over. As consumer expectations evolve, winning their attention requires more than just knowing their age and location. It's about understanding what motivates them, what they believe in, and how they live. Join us for a discussion with some of the wine industry's most creative minds on how they are differentiating their brands and winning new customers. Moderated by Jason Haas of Tablas Creek Vineyards, this panel will feature pioneers in unconventional engagement for the DTC wine community.

Attendees will learn:

• Actionable ways to identify and engage with communities of consumers who share a common mindset, not just a stereotype.
• Real-world examples of successful, unconventional campaigns that have driven sales and built lasting loyalty.
• How to create an authentic brand experience that stands out in a crowded market.

Moderator: Jason Haas, Tablas Creek | Partner & General Manager
Panelist: Christine Noonan, Edio Vineyards | General Manager
Panelist: Sam Coturri, Winery 16600 | Proprietor
Panelist: Janie Heuck, Brooks Winery | Managing Director
Panelist: Suzy Garcia, Vina Robles | Wine Club Manager

3:45 PM-4:05 PM

Coffee Break + TradeShow

4:05-5:15 PM

Pour Decisions & Perfect Service: The Ultimate Hospitality Challenge with Kelly Cornett

This high energy, educational session, led by podcaster Kelly Cornett from A Cork in the Road, is an interactive competition designed to test the skills of wine hospitality professionals. Four regional representatives who work in tasting rooms, hospitality, or wine club management will compete for fun and prizes.
The challenge features three engaging rounds:

• Blind Tasting Challenge: Contestants must describe a mystery wine to the audience in under a minute. They will need to identify the grape, its origin, and the bottle price. The audience will vote on who "sold it best" to a particular audience.
• “What Would You Do?” Rapid-Fire Scenarios: Participants will have two minutes to rapid-fire answers to real-world customer service situations, such as a guest complaining their white wine is too warm or a large bachelorette party arriving without a reservation. The audience will react with green or red cards to show their approval.
• Final Jeopardy!: The final round is a knowledge-based game show in the classic Jeopardy! format, with categories like "Shipping Shenanigans" and "Tasting Room Etiquette". Contestants will buzz in to answer questions, earn points and win valuable prizes.

6:15-8:15 PM

One Night in Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay Aquarium
Ticketed Event - Tickets available soon
Wine/Beer/Cocktails/Light Bites

8:30 AM- 9:15 AM Keynote

Uncorking the Future: How Brands Thrive When They Focus on Meaning Over Metrics

Louis Monoyudis - CMO Artware Editions/DTC Brand Marketer/NYC

In an industry defined by centuries of tradition and shaped by regulations and logistics, it’s easy to forget that at the heart of every great brand lies something deeply human: meaning.

After years of chasing funnels, click-through rates, and attribution models, a shift is underway. Today, the brands that win are not necessarily the most efficient, they're the most emotionally resonant. They make people feel something. And that feeling turns into loyalty, community, and long-term growth.

In this keynote, Louis draws on his experience helping build some of today’s most compelling brands, from global icons like Coca-Cola and Calvin Klein to fast-growing DTC startups like Bokksu and Fable Pets. Through stories, strategy, and a healthy dose of candor, he shows how the most successful companies today are not just selling products, they’re building relationships, identities, and belonging.

This is not a talk about tricks, tools, or temporary wins. It’s a mindset shift. A call to action to move from marketing as a transaction to showing up in a way that truly matters to your customer. Whether you're a legacy winery or an upstart DTC player, this keynote will challenge you to think bigger, speak more personally, and build a brand that resonates in a noisy world.

9:15 AM

Steve Gross State of the States/FTG Intro

10:15 - 10:35 AM 

Coffee Break + TradeShow

10:40-11:10 AM

Wine Connects Us: The Share Wine Co‑Lab Story

In this session, Honore Comfort, VP Marketing of the Wine Institute shares how the Share Wine campaign evolved into a bold experiment in connection—bridging brands, markets, and mindsets. From Gen Z engagement strategies to DTC activations that actually work, you’ll hear what this new era of collaboration is teaching us about relevance, reach, and resilience.

What if sharing wasn’t just a value—but a strategy? Launched by Wine Institute, the Share Wine Co‑Lab is part think tank, part test kitchen—a collaborative space where wine professionals come together to test ideas, trade insights, and reach the modern wine drinker in new ways.
Key takeaways:
• Real-world lessons from Co‑Lab experiments and activations
• New tools for connecting with today’s evolving wine consumer
• Why “sharing what works” could be your most powerful growth strategy

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

The Customer Decoded: Moving Beyond Demographics To Thinking That Will Sell More Wine

Simply using generic demographics to view customers in the wine business limits your ability to sell more. While understanding things like age and income have some use in creating experiences and marketing, there are ways to think about people that could accelerate sales. Outside the wine business, marketers approach their customers differently. In this session, a leading strategist from outside the wine industry will challenge your preconceived notions about how to think about your customers.

Discover how understanding and applying concepts beyond demographics – psychographics (attitudes, beliefs, interests, etc.), mindsets, needs states, and behavior can unlock powerful new avenues for connection and conversion. And you’ll be introduced to a new way to segment – demand spaces – which introduces context into thinking about your customers.

You’ll also be introduced to a strategic thinking framework to help position your brands to consumers, whether you have access to data or not, that could ultimately lead to increased sales and a more robust understanding of your market. This workshop is designed for anyone in the wine industry who is ready to evolve their approach to reaching and engaging customers.

Mike Siska
Award-Winning Brand Strategist | Ex-VML, Ogilvy, Burnett | 20+ Effie Awards | 20+Cannes Lion Awards | Developed Breakthrough Ideas for Leading Brands including Allstate, Firestone, Walgreens, Hyatt and SC Johnson

WBIs, BIDs & Heritage Districts: A Discussion on Tourism-Opportunities, Difficulties, Successes and Options

Wineries are fiercely debating the pros and cons of Wine Business Improvement Districts and Heritage Districts. This session will explore factual, real-world experiences from California's diverse wine regions to understand what works, what doesn't, and what is debatable. We'll examine regions at different stages of development:

• Temecula Valley: We will discuss the outcomes of their long-standing district, which is well underway and has iterated along the way.
• Santa Barbara County: We'll analyze their recently approved Wine Business Improvement Districts and the lessons learned from its process.
• Livermore Valley: We will explore the challenges and successes of their district, which is in the middle of its first term.
• Sonoma County: We'll address the heated debates during their public comment and discussion phase.
• Lodi: We'll examine their current proposal and their process. What they hope to achieve.

This discussion will cover opportunities, from branding and shared marketing to the practical difficulties, such as fair assessment collection and transparent governance and communication. We’ll dive into the differing perspectives of small versus large wineries. Join us to learn from the experiences of others in the wine community and the facts

Patricia O’Brien (Temecula), Alison Lasette (Santa Barbara), Kelly Mantel (Lodi), Sonoma Representative TBD, James Lovaas (Livermore)

Cracking the Code on Luxury Wine: Customer Acquisition Costs – Smarter Spending for Scalable Growth

Are your marketing dollars working hard enough?

Join us for an eye-opening workshop designed for marketers, brand leaders, and founders who want to get serious about customer acquisition efficiency. You’ll learn how to evaluate your CAC, ROI, reach, and frequency across the wine industries top-performing channels
We’ll walk through real benchmarks, scorecards, and frameworks you can start using immediately to optimize your spend and scale smarter—whether you're managing wine club signups or luxury brand rollouts.

Walk away with:

• A plug-and-play CAC scorecard
• Channel-specific ROI benchmarks
• A roadmap to reallocate budget for real growth

From SMS to RCS, AI, and Beyond: What’s Next for Text Messaging

The possibilities of winery text messaging are changing.

In 2026, innovations like RCS and AI are moving text beyond its SMS roots — adding trust, interactivity, and intelligence that will reshape how wineries connect with their customers. At the same time, new tools are turning the challenge of growing your database into one of the biggest opportunities for future revenue. This session will cut through the noise to highlight what matters most right now. Discover real-world examples and actionable strategies to help your winery take advantage of these breakthroughs. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of the changes ahead, and a practical roadmap to future-proof your text messaging program for stronger customer relationships, smoother club operations, and higher sales in 2026 and beyond. Sponsored by Red Chirp.

Sponsor Session To Be Announced.

12:00-1:00 PM

LUNCH

1:00-2:30 PM

5/ 90 Minute Bootcamp Sessions

Think OTT is Out of the Question? Think Again: Opening Up Affordable Streaming Advertising for Wineries

This 90-minute session will demystify Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming advertising, empowering even small wineries to leverage platforms like Hulu with a shoestring budget. Gone are the days when OTT was exclusive to large brands; the landscape has shifted, making it a powerful, accessible tool for driving direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine sales.

You'll discover how to:

• Navigate the OTT Revolution: Understand why streaming advertising is now viable for wineries of all sizes.
• Leverage Connected TV (CTV): Learn to precisely target engaged wine lovers.
• Implement Shoestring Strategies: Explore cost-effective campaign setups, targeting, and measurement.
• Measure Your ROI: Understand key metrics and how to attribute sales to your OTT efforts.

Lane Soelberg will present real-world insights into successful, budget-conscious OTT campaigns. These examples will detail specific setups, budget allocations, performance metrics, and creative approaches that drove tangible DTC sales uplift.

This session is a must-attend for any winery aiming to diversify marketing, increase brand awareness, and boost DTC sales by effectively competing in the streaming advertising landscape. Leave with actionable strategies and the confidence to embrace streaming advertising.

Lane Soelberg is a Media, Tech and Strategic Business Development Executive based in Los Angeles with an MBA and over 14 years of experience driving exponential revenue growth, forging high-impact partnerships, and leading cross-functional teams to innovate and expand market presence across diverse industries.

Meta Ads 101 for Wineries: Design, Launch, and Optimize Campaigns on a Budget

This 90-minute bootcamp will equip you with the practical skills to master Meta (Facebook & Instagram) ads and drive DTC sales. We'll provide a step-by-step blueprint to confidently design, build, and launch high-impact campaigns, even with a modest budget. We’ll dip into branding too, and why it helps performance.

What You'll Learn:

• Strategic Campaign Planning: Define clear objectives for DTC wine sales and identify your ideal wine consumers.
• Effective Targeting: Unlock Meta's targeting options, including custom and lookalike audiences.
• Compelling Ad Creative: Craft high-performing visuals and persuasive ad copy for wine.
• Hands-On Campaign Build-Out: Walk through setting up your campaign, ad sets, and ads in Meta Ads Manager.
• Budgeting & Bidding: Optimize your ad spend, even with less than $500.
• Real-World Case Study: Analyze a successful winery campaign that achieved excellent results on a small budget in the 1st AVA in America.
• Performance Measurement: Learn to track key metrics and optimize for better ROI.

Speakers:

Ed Feuchuk-General Manger, Tank Garage Winery-Farm Collective Napa Valley, Californi

Mike Zitt-Wine Brand Architect & Designer. Union, Missouri.

Plunder & Profit: A Pirate's Guide to Email Automation Success

Forget the old tales; true bounty lies in your email system. This isn't just a workshop—it's a 90-minute mission to maximize your loot. We'll show you how to plunder greater profits by building high-converting flows and making every email count. From forging a strong brand identity to building complex automations, you'll learn to use advanced features in Klaviyo and Mailchimp to streamline your workflows. Bring your laptop and join our crew to learn the secret to a successful raid on abandoned carts, disengaged members, and a full treasure chest of customer loyalty

Learn how to:

• Build a strong brand foundation by creating a consistent email design system and asset organization, setting the stage for all future communication.
• Master high-converting flows like abandoned cart and re-engagement campaigns, using conditional logic and personalization to maximize sales and customer retention.
• Implement advanced automations to save time and empower your team, including internal alerts for critical events like high-value abandoned carts or member unsubscribes.
• Use Klaviyo and Mailchimp's full capabilities to move beyond basic campaigns and build a smarter, more intelligent customer journey.

Speaker: 

Kelly Mantel, Harney Lane Winery/Director, DTC Marketing and eCommerce

Unlocking AI Visibility: A GEO-First Approach to Discovery

Is your winery ready for the new era of search? With the rise of generative AI, consumer discovery is shifting from ranked links to synthesized answers. This session goes beyond traditional SEO and introduces a new framework: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). We'll reveal why AI is the new gatekeeper for brand visibility and show you how to ensure your brand's story is not only seen but also chosen. Through live demos and hands-on activities, you will learn how to audit your brand's current AI visibility, master the principles of authority-building content, and walk away with a personalized content plan to drive growth in the age of AI.

Join us to discover:

• An overview of the most impactful and commonly used AI applications relevant to DTC wine businesses.
• Real-world examples and actionable strategies for leveraging AI within wine tasting rooms to enhance guest personalization, streamline operations, and boost engagement.
• A forward look into emerging AI applications and integrations anticipated within leading wine retail and DTC platforms.

Leave equipped with a clearer understanding of AI's potential and practical insights to begin harnessing its power for your winery.

Speakers:
Shem Swerkes-Senior Director of Digital Innovation-Treasury Wine Estates
Justin Noland - Vice President of Digital Experience at Treasury Wine Estates

The Influencer Bootcamp: From Partnership Pitfalls to Strategic Success

This session is a highly interactive, hands-on workshop specifically for brands and their marketing teams. It's designed to demystify the business of influencer partnerships by setting real-world expectations and building a foundational strategy.

• Expert Guidance: Two influencer experts lead this session, acting as consultants. They would walk brands through their specific goals, helping them understand which type of influencer—macro, micro, niche, or storyteller—is the right fit for their budget and objectives.
• Realistic Expectations: This is where we break down misconceptions. For example, we'll address the reality that successful, ROI-driven campaigns often require consistent engagement over several months, not a single one-off post. We'll provide strategic alternatives that lead to more meaningful results.
• Legal Clarity: To address a major point of hesitation for brands, we will have a lawyer influencer present to provide a high-level overview of contracts and what to expect when formalizing a partnership.

Speakers:

Isis Daniel/2 Influencers

2:30-2:45 PM

Coffee Break & TradeShow 

2:45PM-3:30 PM

Sessions 

Repositioning yourself. How to take where you’ve been and create a career roadmap.

Helping ambitious professionals turn their personal brand into job offers and amazing careers.
In today's challenging landscape for hiring and the wine industry, adaptability is key. This hands-on workshop, led by personal branding and reinvention expert Selena Stirlen, will guide you through the process of leveraging your past experiences to forge a clear path forward.

PivotOne Method works in 3 stages:

• Position – I make you unforgettable. I refine your career narrative, connecting the dots in your experience, and optimize your resume & LinkedIn to position you as a top-tier candidate.
• Propel – This stage transforms your job search from a reactive process into a strategic, high-impact career pursuit. You’ll learn how to confidently navigate the hidden job market through powerful, authentic networking, sharpen your interview skills, and boost your negotiation confidence—so you stand out as the candidate hiring managers and recruiters are eager to choose. Inside the Pivot Ecosystem, you’ll build meaningful connections, access insider opportunities, and position your unique skills and story as your greatest competitive edge.
• Presence – Success doesn’t stop with an offer. I help you define your brand pillars and develop a thought leadership strategy, creating a "Show Up System" that keeps your career momentum strong. As your personal brand becomes second nature, you’ll naturally attract new opportunities and shape your next chapter

Speaker: 

Selena Stirlen—founder of PivotOne.

Beta of new HR AI platform to be included.

2 Sponsor Sessions

Turn Your Winery’s Data into Action: Key Metrics and the Playbook to Act on Them

In 2025, many wineries found success by turning metrics into meaningful action—and WISE had a front row seat. Through our vast partnerships and our WISE Leadership Forums (Cabinet), we engage with more than 100 top winery leaders every month to uncover what truly moves the needle. In this session, we’ll distill those insights into a clear roadmap: the essential metrics you need to track, whether your winery relies on limited internal reporting, industry leading platforms, or your own data analyst. Perhaps most importantly, we will take a deep dive into how to translate those numbers into immediate action plans that drive results for wineries of all sizes. Walk away with both clarity and confidence on how to put your data to work, right now. Sponsored by WISE Academy.

Modern Wine Clubs: Strategies for Engaging Today’s Consumers and Building Lasting Loyalty

Wine clubs have long been a cornerstone of winery success but today’s consumers expect more than just bottles on their doorstep. This session will explore how wineries can adapt to shifting demographics, embrace flexibility, and create meaningful experiences that turn members into lifelong brand advocates. Sponsored by OrderPort.

3:30-3:35 PM

Session Transfer

3:40-4:20 PM

Sessions 

Leading Through Change: A Candid Conversation.

Join us for an honest conversation with Alyson LaVarnway from Force Majeure Vineyards and Kasey Helt from Laetitia Vineyards & Winery, two seasoned leaders recruited to guide established wineries through significant leadership transitions.

This session will dive into how they balance honoring each brand’s heritage with addressing past missteps—ensuring their wineries not only weather change but emerge stronger than ever.

Topics we’ll explore:

• Crafting a focused, actionable marketing plan
• Rethinking release dates for maximum impact
• Navigating community engagement: openness vs. maintaining “cult status”
• Retelling the brand story—even to long-time industry and club members.
• Correcting company culture to empower teams during change
• Evolving customer culture among long-time members while staying true to the brand’s new vision
• Building mutual respect within teams by holding firm to standards and values

Whether you’re leading through transition yourself or simply want to learn from those who have, this candid conversation will offer practical insights, fresh ideas, and real-world lessons from the front lines of the wine industry.

Moderator: Susan DeMatei

The New Digital Terroir: Cultivating Wine Communities through Substack, Reddit, Discord & Podcasts.

Over the past decade, wineries have turned to Facebook and Instagram to connect with customers. At the same time, new communities of wine drinkers are taking shape on Substack, Reddit, Discord, and podcasts.

These platforms attract highly engaged consumers who want deeper knowledge, honest stories, and direct conversation. For wineries, participating in these spaces creates opportunities to reach motivated audiences, foster loyalty, and help shape wine culture’s future. In this session, we'll explore the landscape of these fringe communities and how wineries can participate and benefit from joining in conversations.

Speakers:
Ed Feuchuk - General Manger, Tank Garage Winery-Farm Collective Napa Valley, California

Tyler Balliet - Author, Rebel School of Wine & Co-Founder, Catching Flights

The Art of Visual Storytelling: Elevating Your DTC Wine Brand

This workshop will delve into the often-underestimated power of visual design in the direct-to-consumer wine space. Moving beyond simple analytics, we'll explore how thoughtful design and strategic visual storytelling can transform a transactional experience into an immersive brand journey, ultimately boosting conversions and fostering customer loyalty.

This session will feature a dynamic discussion with Byron Hoffman from Offset Partners, Jordan Fiorentini from Epoch Estate Wines and Nora Sibley Sanders of Scribe Winery. We'll kick off by revealing how a strong, cohesive design foundation, from labels to tasting room aesthetics, sets the stage for an authentic brand narrative. The conversation will then expand beyond the analog world to the digital realm, where great art, photography or video can make or break an experience. We'll go behind the scenes to explore how high-quality work is produced: from goal setting to effectively navigating the nuances of the creative process.

Attendees will leave inspired, armed with practical insights on leveraging design, photography, video, and consistent visual execution to elevate their brand's presence and drive sales in the competitive DTC and luxury wine market. Bring your challenges and questions for a ten minute Q&A.

Moderator: Barbara Gorder

Is Your Wine Club Still Relevant? Reinventing Benefits to Meet Today’s Consumer

Wine clubs have long been the backbone of DTC, but with visitation down, many wineries are questioning if their current models still connect. This workshop invites wine club managers and DTC leaders to rethink structure, benefits, and engagement/retention strategies. A panel of winery professionals, who recently revamped their wine club offerings, will share why they made the change, the impact they’ve seen, and how they’re using digital and in-market tools to drive growth. Walk away with fresh insights and actionable recommendations to ensure your club stays compelling in a shifting landscape.

Jessah Diaz/Cakebread Cellars, Lois Cho/Cho Wines, Meg Barkley/Clif Family

Delivering More Than Wine: How Fulfillment Shapes Customer Loyalty

Wineries are finding success through allocation growth, curated gifting, and personalized customer experiences. In this session, WineDirect Fulfillment moderates a discussion with two winery leaders, one an allocation expert and the other a gifting innovator, who will share how fulfillment excellence strengthens customer connections and drives loyalty. Learn how thoughtful customization and seamless execution can turn every shipment into a powerful brand moment, setting the stage for lasting relationships and continued growth in 2026 and beyond. Sponsored by Wine Direct.

4:20 PM - 5:15 PM

Real Consumers in Real Time

Moderator: Brian Baker

Real Consumers in Real Time: What’s on the minds of wine consumers right now? Brian Baker will moderate one of our most popular sessions with four generations (GenZ to Boomers) of wine consumers to better understand how they view, engage and purchase our products, followed by Q&A.

5:30-7 PM

Bring Your Own AVA Event

Hotel Patio & Ballroom
Whova Sign up
Free to attend
Donated Wines and Beer : Cheeses

8:30 AM

Duskie Estes

Gumption & Glory: A Culinary Partnership

Chef Duskie Estes

In the kitchen and the vineyard, gumption—that gritty blend of determination and spirit—is the secret and most powerful ingredient. For Chef & Farmer Duskie Estes, it's the very force that has carried her through thick and thin, turning chaos into culinary triumph. Her journey is a testament to the power of relentless effort, a dash of joyful mayhem, and the unwavering support of her community. It’s this same gumption that great wine and great food possess when they dare to partner and succeed. Prepare to be inspired.

9:20 AM

WISE Announcement on Scholarship

9:25 -10:10 AM

Why Wine Industry Professionals are your best customers.

Join us for a dynamic workshop at the DTC Wine Symposium focused on a powerful, yet often overlooked, customer acquisition strategy: industry referral programs.

Discover why your fellow wine industry professionals are not just colleagues, but potentially your most valuable customers. This session will dive deep into how leveraging these relationships can become your top source of new, high-value clients for your DTC business.

Uncover the unique advantages of engaging this specific audience and how they can drive sustained growth for your winery.

• Strategies for Building and Measuring a Successful Referral Program: Gain actionable insights into different models for structuring your referral initiatives and effective ways to track their impact and ROI, including insights from Industry Wine Clubs.
• Real-World Success Stories: Hear from industry leaders who have successfully implemented referral programs and results.
• Cyndi Yoxall, Balletto Winery, Wine Club Manager
• Jasmine Egan, Winery 16600, General Manager
• Jo Armstrong, Hope Family Wines Director of Hospitality & DTC
• Moderator: Susan DeMatei, President, WineGlass Marketing

Balancing Your Sales Strategy: How to focus on the right customers?

Are you struggling to decide how to focus your marketing efforts? It’s tough to be everything, everywhere at once, especially in the competitive wine industry. This session, led by industry experts Damien Wilson, from the Wine Business Institute, and Miryam Chae from Darioush Winery, will change the way you think about growth via your wine business strategy.

We'll dive into how to properly implement the 80/20 rule (also known as Pareto’s Law), which states that about 80% of your sales revenue comes from just 20% of your customers. You'll learn how to identify these key customers — from new, loyal to returning buyers — and how to prioritize your efforts to the ones that matter most.

This isn't just theory. We’ll show you how to apply these concepts to your winery, whether you produce 2,000 cases or 15,000 cases.

You will learn how to:

• Calculate essential benchmarks: Get hands-on with metrics like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Lifetime Value (LTV) to understand what drives your sales.
• Build a high-performing wine club: Learn how to use these benchmarks to create a thriving club that boosts your bottom line.
• Create demand for your brand: Discover how to segment your media and marketing efforts to attract the right customers and grow your business.

By the end of this session, you’ll have a clear, actionable plan to put systematic practices in place and achieve high performance. Get ready to shift your focus and acquire the customers who will make the biggest impact.

Damien Wilson: Faculty Director, Wine Business Institute, SSU
Miryam Chae: Darioush Winery DTC Director

Next Level Training: Innovative Tools for Building Winery Talent

The wine industry is evolving—your training should too. Join this dynamic session designed for winery owners, managers, and sales leaders ready to elevate their teams beyond tastings and tech sheets.

Learn how to build a true culture of learning through engaging video content, scalable digital onboarding, and sales training that drives results. Our expert panel will share real-world case studies—from microlearning modules to on-the-floor coaching—proving that modern training methods not only inspire staff but also boost the bottom line. Walk away with practical strategies you can implement immediately to transform your team’s performance and guest experience.

Patricia O’Brien – COO, Callaway Vineyard & Winery
Topic: From SOP to Story: Creating Culture Through Training

• Building a learning culture vs. delivering information
• Using branded video content to reinforce hospitality standards
• Leveraging team buy-in through storytelling & mission-focused training

Hannah Robinson – HR Leader/MacCrostie
Topic: Building Scalable Onboarding Programs with Digital Tools

• Leveraging LMS platforms, onboarding portals, and recorded modules
• Designing training journeys for seasonal & full-time staff
• Accessibility & DEI considerations in modern training

Walter Carter – Director of Hospitality, Danza del Sol Winery & Masia de la Vinya Winery
Topic: Empowering the Sales Floor: Training for Results

• Weekly rhythms & flash training
• Roleplaying, incentives, and coaching feedback loops
• Using POS & CRM integrations for data-driven sales coaching

Inbox & Impact: The State of Email & SMS Marketing

Panelists:
Lindsey Jessup - Vice President, Member & Consumer Engagement, Domaine Serene
Jessica Kollhoff - Director of Hospitality and Direct Sales, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
Taylor Eason - Cork & Fork Digital Media
Moderator: Laura Fontana - LPF Digital Marketing

In a digital landscape flooded with noise, email and SMS remain two of the most powerful tools for direct engagement—when used strategically. This workshop dives deep into the current state of these channels, exploring the technologies, trends, and challenges shaping their evolution.
Backed by extensive research and shoulder-to-shoulder comparisons, we’ll unpack which tools are truly delivering ROI. Hear firsthand from leading brands about how they’re leveraging automation, personalization and segmentation to drive results.

Sponsor Session

10:15-10:35 AM 

COFFEE BREAK -TRADESHOW

10:40-11:30 AM

Fix Your Winery Data Today, Sell More Wine Tomorrow

Wineries often struggle with duplicate customer records, disconnected systems, and siloed data that make it hard to market effectively and grow sales. Inventory visibility and allocation add to the challenge, with stock spread across warehouses and no simple way to know what is available or where. These issues create friction, making it harder to sell. In this session, we'll use a relatable demo scenario to show how a winery can turn fragmented information into connected insights that directly drive revenue. By walking through real-world examples, you’ll see how cleaner data, better integration, and stronger inventory visibility open the door to more effective marketing campaigns, confident financial decisions, and more wine sales. This “crawl–walk–run” perspective ensures you can see both where to begin and how to grow over time. Sponsored by EndSight.

Beyond the Tasting Room: How In-Market Events are Changing the DTC Landscape

The reality is most wine enthusiasts will never set foot in your tasting room and not every club member is local. So how do you find fresh customers and keep your biggest fans engaged? Simple: you meet them where they are. Whether it’s the intimacy of an in-home tasting, the community of a club-focused gathering, or the buzz of major showcases like the High Museum Wine Auction or Aspen Food & Wine, in-market events open doors to new audiences and deepen loyalty with existing members. In this session, industry leaders will share strategies, insights, and real-world examples to help you choose the right event style to make every pour count.

Moderator: Meredith Hayes
Meghan Delzell, Director of Sales and Marketing, Sangiacomo Family Wines
Sherrie Perkovich, Head of Marketing & Consumer Experience, Sojourn Cellars
Carla Jeffries, General Manager, Blue Rock Vineyards

Building Community and Business Through Wine: Philanthropy

Developing a strong brand identity and nurturing a loyal community are essential for the wine industry. One effective way to do this is through strategic philanthropic events and partnerships. This session will explore how wineries can leverage "experiences money can't buy" to create value for their brands, communities, and charitable causes.

We'll hear from speakers who have successfully integrated philanthropy into their business models. They will share how these initiatives have grown beyond simple donations to become a key part of their brand's story.

The discussion will cover topics such as:

• Philanthropic events as a membership perk: Learn how philanthropic events can serve as an exclusive benefit for your top-tier members.
• Empowering your community: Discover the importance of allowing your members to choose the charities to support, giving them a direct role in your philanthropic efforts.
• Creating unique experiences: Hear how wineries have crafted one-of-a-kind, live auction experiences that go beyond just a bottle of wine.
• Tangible impact: Gain insights into how these events can raise substantial funds, as exemplified by Halleck Vineyard, which has raised over $1 million for various global charities.

By emphasizing community and shared values, philanthropic events can significantly enhance a winery's value, fostering customer loyalty and promoting a positive brand image.

Ross Halleck-Halleck Vineyards
Monica Lopez-Bacchus Landing & Aldina Vineyards
Moderator: Cyndi Yoxall - Balletto Vineyards

More than the Sum of its Parts: How to use Brand Partnerships and sell wine to new audiences

How to create low or no cost marketing partnerships that will open the door to new audiences for your winery.

Intro to Brand Partnerships: What are they and why can they help you company

• Example of Great Brand Partnerships: A few BIG examples like Airbnb X Mattel (Barbie and Polly Pocket spaces to rent) and then more relevant to wine/CA examples to smaller brands like Little Words Project (Wicked the Movie Collaboration, but started with really small brands and worked their way up) and then examples of wineries, like Las Jaras and wine fridges.
• Template for How to Have a Brand Collaboration Conversation: Create a template they can download after -- but show them a live example how to brainstorm "what your winery can GIVE" and "What you would like to GET from the partner" and any non negotiables/costs associated
• How to identify possible partners and how to reach out to them to start the conversation.
• How the conversation moves to action
• Brainstorm what type of offerings they could offer that would be of great value: Morgan gives examples of brands that might be a good fit from the top of her head but also a big list that she makes before the event of ideas
• Q&A

GOAL AND TAKEAWAY: We have explained a new marketing tool for their tool kit, made it exciting, made it actionable and given the wineries tools to implement it. I will have the deck available for them as well as have PDF downloads of worksheets for the trade and brainstorming partners.

Morgan First, Founder & Creative Director, Catching Flights and Rebel School of Wine

Sponsor Session

MAIN BALLROOM

11:30 -12:30PM

Influencer Town Hall

"The Critics Are Dead. Your Consumers Are Talking. Are You Listening?

For too long, the wine industry has relied on traditional gatekeepers to tell its story. But today's most influential voices aren't on a scorecard—they're on a screen.

Join us for an electrifying Town Hall that cuts through the noise and gets to the real truth of modern wine marketing. This isn't another "Influencer 101" session. We're challenging the old playbook to bring you an unfiltered, dynamic discussion about what’s actually moving the needle in a DTC-driven world.

Led by influencer Isis Daniel in an open interview with two other industry-leading digital creators, we'll dive into the conversations that matter most.

Beyond the Numbers: Unlocking ROI and Brand Awareness

Impressions are just vanity metrics. We’re going beyond surface-level data to show you how strategic influencer collaborations unlock tangible ROI. Discover how to identify, partner with, and empower the right creators—from niche storytellers to macro creators—to build genuine brand loyalty and drive sales for your wine business.

The Unspoken Truths of Wine Marketing

Let’s talk about the hard realities. What's truly connecting with today's consumers? What are they not telling you? This session is an honest, no-holds-barred look at what's working and what's not, inviting an open discussion about the marketing strategies you need to abandon and the ones you need to embrace.

Beyond the Critics' Score: How Digital Voices Redefine Value

A nine-point score doesn't sell wine to a new generation. We’re exploring how digital creators are redefining the value of a wine, driving purchasing decisions through authentic content and community-building. Learn how to leverage these new channels to make your wine a must-have, not just a high-scorer.

Your future in the DTC space depends on your ability to connect with new audiences. This is your chance to hear directly from the voices shaping the market and walk away with insights you can't get anywhere else.

Don't just stay relevant. Future-proof your winery.

12:45-2 PM

LUNCH 

Conference Close