Latest news with #winery
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How One California Winery Is Reinventing Wine Clubs For Millennials And Gen Z
A growing number of younger consumers are opting out of traditional wine clubs in favor of more flexible, personalized membership models. The traditional wine club—long defined by quarterly shipments, fixed selections and rigid commitment structures—is showing signs of strain. Amid shifting consumer behavior and mounting pressure to adapt, some wineries are beginning to rethink a model that has remained largely unchanged for decades. In El Dorado County, California, a few hours north of Napa Valley, Edio Vineyards has introduced a new approach that challenges the standard template. The winery now offers a monthly, pay-as-you-go membership in which funds accumulate in a customer account that can be used at their discretion—for wine, cider, food or goods from an on-site bakery. Christine Noonan, co-owner and general manager, says the motivation to rethink the system emerged from personal experience. 'Being in the wine industry for a while now, I have felt and learned that the traditional wine club system is a little archaic,' says Noonan, via Zoom. 'It's dated. Consumers don't want to be forced to take certain wines and are more interested in customizing.' Traditional wine clubs continue to serve an aging demographic, with a 2024 study showing that the average member is 59 years old and more than 75% are over the age of 50. Nearly 50% are retired, and about 33% earn more than $400,000 annually. This entrenched model faces increasing pressure as younger consumers—particularly millennials and Gen Z—show limited interest in rigid, quarterly-shipment clubs and instead favor flexible, personalized options. According to the 2024 Silicon Valley Bank Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey, 19% of wine club members canceled their memberships, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with the conventional structure. Despite this, 40% of wineries do not track member churn, limiting their ability to address retention issues and respond to shifting expectations. Flexibility is at the center of the model. Members pay a monthly fee—starting at $39—which builds over time and never expires. The funds can be redeemed on a timeline that suits the customer. The structure is designed to resemble a digital wallet rather than a subscription. 'We don't like calling it a 'subscription club' because it is so much more than that,' Noonan says. 'The word 'subscription' can be overused, often not even providing you with that much. Subscriptions can also be shady, continuing to charge people without them even realizing it.' Instead, Edio calls it a 'member account.' The goal is to eliminate surprises and remove the pressure to purchase unwanted products. Members can choose when and how to engage. For some, that might mean a single annual visit to restock. For others, it could mean smaller, more frequent visits with the option to use funds on a bottle of cider and a cheese plate. The approach is rooted in a generational shift. With Millennials and Gen Z consumers driving most new membership sign ups, wineries are facing increased demand for personalization and transparency. 'With all of us owners being Millennials, we obviously think a lot about what we would like,' Noonan says. This shift hasn't been without challenges. Moving away from fixed shipments complicates forecasting and inventory management. 'For larger wine brands, it might be hard to know what wines will move,' she says. 'Will you have an inventory issue? Will you find you shouldn't be making a particular SKU now?' Edio's solution is to release wines first to members, adopting a first-come, first-served model. Once a product is gone, it's gone. Communication is key. 'We've had to focus a lot on communication,' Noonan says. 'We frequently reach out to encourage members to make an order once their funds build up.' The model also addresses a longstanding concern for wineries: financial predictability. Even with flexible redemption, Edio still receives a steady monthly income. 'That was my biggest challenge when trying to figure out a new club structure—we need the dependable income,' Noonan says. 'But the beauty of this club structure is that we still get it. It's just monthly now.' So far, the results appear promising. 'The cancellation rate is significantly lower than what our traditional club was, and we are seeing a better retention rate,' she says. 'Our customers love the customization as well as smaller monthly payments instead of larger quarterly charges.' Other wineries are watching the shift with interest, but many are not ready to overhaul their own models. At Romeo Vineyards and Cellars in Napa Valley, general manager Mary Simmons says tradition still holds value. Romeo does allow members to adjust or skip shipments, but the core structure remains fixed. She says the model offers benefits of its own. 'Our members value the consistency and quality of our traditional biannual shipments, which offer a thoughtfully curated selection without overwhelming them with frequent deliveries,' Simmons says. 'This approach allows us to maintain a meaningful connection with our members while ensuring they receive just the right amount of wine at well-timed intervals.' Still, she acknowledges external pressure. 'There is a growing industry trend toward more customizable memberships, particularly among younger wine enthusiasts who appreciate flexibility.' Wayfarer Vineyard, located on the Sonoma Coast, takes a hybrid approach. The winery offers three annual shipments and allows full customization, including alternate selections and access to library wines. 'Why set ourselves up for failure by forcing our members to take a set selection of wines or quit the membership?' says Cleo Pahlmeyer, proprietor and general manager. 'Our club membership receives top priority in all that we do.' For Wayfarer, club tiers are deliberately limited. 'Our entry-level tier membership receives 18 bottles per year and the majority of our bottlings are $100 or over,' Pahlmeyer says. Still, the winery has introduced a second label, WF2, at a lower price point in an effort to reach younger audiences. 'We are finding these wines, with their value proposition and affordable price point, are resonating with younger audiences,' Pahlmeyer says. 'We have clientele who only purchase our WF2 [pinot noir] wines at the moment—but we hope with time they'll engage with the rest of our portfolio.' That long-term vision—creating a lower barrier to entry and building loyalty over time—is shared by Edio. 'A pay-as-you-go structure could serve as a stepping stone for customers who may later transition into a more traditional membership,' Simmons says. Pahlmeyer echoes the importance of deepening customer relationships over time, regardless of the model. 'The goal is to provide a compelling value proposition that also drives deeper engagement with our wines,' she says.
Wall Street Journal
23-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
What Does It Take to Sell Wine to Millennials and Gen Z? Donkeys, for One.
Will wine drinking end when Boomers and Gen Xers no longer raise their glasses? If you've been reading the same headlines I have, you might think this could happen. Here, a small sample of the bad news: 'Dour Grapes: Why Wine Makers Are Struggling to Attract Gen Z and Millennial Drinkers' (Fast Company); 'Boomer-Centric Wine Industry at a Crossroads as Gen Z Turns Away From Alcohol' (Fortune). But do these headlines tell the whole story? Do younger drinkers truly lack interest in wine, or have winery owners failed to figure out what they want? I talked with vintners all over the country and found a number getting quite creative to draw in millennial and Gen Z drinkers as well as boomers and Gen X.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sun shines on local winery as Debonné gets solar panels
MADISON TOWNSHIP — Debonné Vineyards celebrated the installation of five arrays of solar panels with a ribbon cutting Thursday afternoon. The winery's owners were joined at the ribbon cutting by prominent business and political leaders from eastern Lake County. 'There's no other winery that I know in the state of Ohio right now that's got a solar field, especially of this size,' Debonné owner Tony Debevc said. The array of panels helps power the vineyard's wine production, Debevc said. 'We were at the beginning of this industry, and we're proud to continue that reputation,' he said. 'We're expanding our business, we're opening a new facility in Harpersfield.' Debevc said the winery production relies on lots of electricity, especially for refrigeration, bottling and other equipment. 'This was a way for us to control some of our costs in the future of our business,' he said. Debonné got federal grants during the COVID-19 pandemic because the winery kept its employees. The federal support helped them still profit during the pandemic, as wine demand increased while people were stuck in quarantine, Debevc said. 'We decided, let's use that money for something positive for the community and sustainable for our environment, and not just buy a condominium somewhere in Florida,' he said. 'That didn't make a lot of sense to me.' The winery got other federal grants to more directly fund the project, too. 'We got Debonné a [Department of Agriculture] grant, specifically for this,' Sun Lion Energy President Jess Ennis said. 'They also got a 30% tax credit.' Sun Lion Energy sets up solar projects across northern Ohio. 'We're based in Summit County,' Ennis said. 'We design and build solar power systems, mainly for commercial entities, especially farms. We've been doing that for eight or nine years.' Ennis said the solar panels are connected with the power grid. 'Whenever they're generating power, and it's more than they're using for their loads to run the equipment, what happens with is the excess is first it replenishes the batteries,' he said. 'Then once the batteries are full, then the system will export excess power back to the utilities, and that in effect makes Debonné's meter run backwards.' The winery will get credit for the power being exported, Ennis said. 'Whatever customer is drawing power from First Energy that's close by, likely they'll get that electricity,' he said. Ennis said the array of panels will save costs for the winery. 'This system is producing even more than we projected on the high end,' he said.
Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Billionaire Chelsea owner ‘pestered employee for sex'
A Swiss billionaire and co-owner of Chelsea FC known for funding left-wing causes has been accused of sexually harassing an employee at his California winery. Hansjorg Wyss, 89, made his fortune through a medical device manufacturer he founded and sold to Johnson & Johnson in 2012 for $20.2 billion. As well as a stake in the Premier League club Chelsea, he is the owner of the Halter Ranch winery in Paso Robles. A former employee has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit alleging Wyss subjected her to unwanted advances and lewd behaviour, including attempting to initiate a threesome with her and her husband. It is alleged that Wyss acknowledged the offences and told the employee: 'If you ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Aperture Winery Unveils 'Collage,' A New Chapter In Sonoma Winemaking
Aperture Cellars Collage Aperture Cellars has never shied away from blending art and wine—but with Collage, its most ambitious release to date, the Sonoma winery founded by Jesse Katz is taking that philosophy to soaring new heights. Officially launched on May 3 with a vibrant celebration at the Aperture Estate, Collage is more than just a pair of wines. It's a statement—on craftsmanship, on terroir, and on the cultural power of creative expression. 'This is the next chapter,' says Katz. 'We've looked at over 300 different lots to create these two unique, proprietary wines. There are no boundaries to this project—only the goal of making the best wine possible from a single vintage.' Aperture Cellars Collage The new Collage collection includes two inaugural wines: the 2022 Proprietary White Wine ($375/3-pack) and the 2021 Proprietary Red Wine ($1,275/3-pack), both available beginning May 13 via These aren't simple blends—they're labor-intensive, high-concept creations that draw from over 200 acres across five distinct Sonoma AVAs, including estate vines planted as far back as 1912. From over 300 individual vineyard lots, Katz and his team selected only the finest barrels to create what he calls 'a sense of time'—a bottled snapshot of a singular vintage, refined by meticulous craftsmanship. 'There's no recipe to this,' Katz says. 'If I can't make something perfect from a vintage, we won't bottle it.' Aperture Collage The 2022 Proprietary White Wine, made entirely from Sauvignon Blanc, was aged for 18 months in barrel and then transferred to custom-made concrete vessels for six more months of refinement. The result is a white wine with precision, polish, and unexpected depth. It's vibrant yet rich—layered with tropical fruit, citrus, green papaya, and a distinctive lemon meringue note, all buoyed by a subtle mineral finish courtesy of the concrete aging. 'It's unlike any white wine I've ever tasted,' Katz says. 'Bright, focused, and full of richness. There's nothing else like it.' The 2021 Collage Proprietary Red is a striking study in balance—intensely structured yet polished, with deep concentration and finesse. Crafted from select hillside vineyard sites and aged for two years in barrel followed by six months in concrete and an additional year in bottle, the wine offers a rich tapestry of dark fruit, savory spice, and integrated tannins. 'This is not just a powerful wine—it's a focused one,' Katz says. 'The concrete aging adds lift and texture, allowing the components to marry together and evolve as one.' The wine's extended aging and complex construction showcase Katz's deep global winemaking experience—now over 25 harvests strong—and his dedication to redefining what California blends can be. Aperture Cellars Collage True to its name, Collage is also a visual masterpiece. Designed in collaboration with Katz's father, renowned photographer Andy Katz, the label features more than 20 of Andy's images layered together using a camera shutter motif. It took seven production passes, custom die cuts, and new label technology just to bring it to life. 'No one's ever made a label like this,' says Katz. 'It's as ambitious as the wine inside.' Each bottle is sealed with hand-dipped wax and exudes tactile artistry—intended to mirror the sensory depth of the wines themselves. While Aperture's prior wines have always been site-driven and varietally focused, Collage represents a more avant-garde evolution—one where boundaries are removed and creativity is the only rule. It's a collection rooted in Sonoma's storied soils but expressed through Katz's global perspective and bold sense of innovation. 'Sonoma County still has that spirit of discovery,' Katz says. 'It allows us to be pioneers and create something truly new, while honoring those who came before us.'
