In June, Silicon Valley Bank, released their annual Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey Report. Have you watched the video or read the report? If not, head over to their website.

This year the report was more uplifting than years past. Winery visitation is on an upward trend. Wineries selling wine at a premium price – $30 – $80 are reporting an increase in sales.

A great example in the video replay, was hearing from Sonyia Grabski, General Manager for Trinitas Cellars, share their niche of selling to Catholic customers. They have normal customers, too, but through a deep dive in getting to know their customers found many were Catholic. They have run with this idea and now target Catholic publications and customers with print, promotions, email, social etc. Sonyia says “More wineries need to figure out what separates them out.”

How does a typical winery find this niche? Sometimes it is an interest of the founding members, other times it is doing a deep dive into getting to your customers passions. One brand found they were off the charts for people interested in Tennis.

At Bauerhaus we often talk about the importance of knowing your target consumer and creating a brand and marketing strategy around them. We created the Bauerhaus Brand and Marketing Map to help wineries find out what is unique about their brand, understand their customers, and how to market to them with integrated marketing: 6-8 touches across platforms.

Do you need clarity on who you are targeting? Schedule a free discovery call here.

Where are premium wine drinkers?

If you find your niche, where should you focus? SVB shared this great graphic of the Top 10% DTC wine buyers. They are not just on the coasts, but show a huge potential for wineries in the Midwest.

Importance of Wine Clubs

A final note! This last year I gave a presentation to a Midwest wine association about the benefits of wine clubs. Every winery should have a club or another type of loyalty program.

Why do I recommend this?

Picture this: You attract people to your winery with events, they visit, but what happens to them next? Do they purchase again? A wine club is great way to stay connected throughout the year so you are the first ones they think of for gifts, celebrations, and wine dinners.

Plus, take a look below how the SVB DTC Channel Drilldown was in 2023 = 39% of revenue was from their wine club. What could your winery do with an additional 39% of revenue?

Need help finding your target market?

Don’t let your wine brand get lost in the sea of competition. We help brands like yours by diving into their existing data and creating a persona around existing customers. We also help wine startups define their target market based on their business model, location, and price point. Click here to schedule your free discovery call with owner Rebecca Ritz.