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Smart thinking for wine brands that want to grow. From practical marketing strategies to bold takes on industry trends, our blog shares what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next in wine DTC. No nonsense. No filler. Just honest insights from the agency trusted by wineries around the world.

A picture of the Miroir d'eau in Bordeaux in front of the Place de la Bourse. Text reads "Bordeaux - beyond en primeur with Jane Anson"

Bordeaux Beyond En Primeur with Jane Anson | Real Business of Wine

On the day that the Bordeaux En Primeur week should be getting underway, Decanter correspondent and award-winning writer, Jane Anson discusses with chateau owners, merchants and scientists who have been analysing the region using satellite imagery, what the 2019 vintage is really like, the implications of delaying its Spring release, and more generally how the…

Picture of horns used in biodynamic practices. Text says "Getting the horn with Monty Waldin"

Getting the Horn, with Monty Waldin, Real Business of Wine Ep. 7

Star of TV’s Chateau Monty series, Monty Waldin is the world’s leading expert on Biodynamic wine, and author of two guides and a seminal book on the subject.

A picture of different style wine glasses, filled with different styles of wine (red, white, rosé..)

From The Top, with Jancis Robinson, Real Business of Wine Ep. 6

Jancis Robinson MW is unquestionably the world’s leading wine authority today. Editor of the Oxford Companion to Wine, co-author of the World Atlas of Wine, Financial Times columnist, and creator of https://jancisrobinson.com. What would *you* like to ask her?

A vintage map of East Europe in the background with the text reading "The East wind with Philip Cox

The East Wind, with Philip Cox, Real Business of Wine Ep. 5

Eastern European wines are finally beginning to gain more recognition, but it’s not easy, as British-born Philip Cox, Romania’s biggest exporter, will explain.

A picture of chairs arranged upside down on top of tables. Text is "when on.premise turns off".

When On-premise Turns Off, Real Business of Wine Ep. 4

As lockdowns are enforced from Naples to New York and restaurants put up “closed until further notice” signs, how is this affecting the sommeliers? How are thousands of men and women spending their time, now they are not pouring wine for customers? In Episode 3, we talk to James Tidwell of Texsom, co-head of the…

Young people looking at virtual graphs in a futuristic way. Text reads as "Remote control".

Remote Control, Real Business of Wine Ep. 3

As countries and regions, from Spain to San Francisco declare States of Emergency and lockdown, tens – possibly hundreds – of thousands of wine professionals are having to change the way they work. For our second Live Panel, we share experiences with three leading members of the wine industry, and an expert on digital tools…

Dark smoke as background. Text says "Events beyond our control"

Events Beyond our Control, Real Business of Wine Ep. 2

Our first Live Video Podcast – focusing on the wine world in the face of the postponement/cancellation of all of its major Winter/Spring events: Chengdu Wine Fair, Prowein, Vinitaly, Vinexpo Hong Kong, RAW London… We were delighted to welcome: Ian Ford, former CEO of Summergate, one of China’s top importers, and now heading the Nimbility…

A road that runs until the horizon, and says START. Text on top of that picture says "Making a start"

Making A Start, Real Business of Wine Ep. 1

An honest discussion about what led to the Real Business of Wine series, a content initiative by Robert Joseph, aka WineThinker, and Polly Hammond, Founder, 5forests.

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Accessibility, compliance, and your winery website

Greetings, friends, and welcome to another Must Read. This week, I’m handing the reins back to Michael to give us the lowdown on Accessibility compliance, why it’s a must, and why a solution that looks too good to be true, generally is. In the last DBAD series, we talked about site speed. What it is, why…

Mike’s Don’t Be a Dick Series, Part 1: Site Speed

They say speed kills. In this case, a lack of speed kills. I’m talking about the speed of your website. So, what is speed? What exactly is speed relative to? Simply put, website speed refers to the time it takes for your visitors to see your website in their browser, from the moment they click…

We're screwed scene from 10 Things I Hate About You

How do we sell wine to GenZ?

The oldest of Gen Z turned 21 in 2018. It is estimated that by 2020 (that’s only fourteen months away), they will comprise one-third of the population of the U.S. They have never known life without a cell phone or social media … or school shootings. And they are a force to be reckoned with.…

“Hi Virginia” or "Does your personalization suck?"

“Hi Virginia” and the Problem with Personalization in Wine Marketing

Technology, data, and the interwebs gave us an ability to “personalize” content, which many businesses took at face value: add a name here or there, automate emails based on what someone’s bought or visited, remarket elsewhere to the same people; but, for the vast majority, it simply meant adding someone’s first name to an email…