It’s been a strange couple of seasons in Sonoma County wine.
Tasting room traffic is down.
Club events have quietly disappeared.
Tasting fees went up, but attendance didn’t.
Younger drinkers? Harder to reach, slower to return.
And across the board, wineries are asking a quiet, anxious question:
What happened to the magic?
The answer isn’t in your barrel program.
It’s in your experience design.
Recently, I revisited one of my favorite business staples: The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker.
It’s not about etiquette. It’s about energy. Purpose. Design.
And it’s filled with exactly the kind of truth the wine industry needs right now.
As a strategist and experience designer, I help businesses—wineries included—craft gatherings that connect and convert.
And right now, our local tasting rooms aren’t just facing economic pressure. They’re facing a relevance crisis.
Let’s change that.
Here are 8 ways your winery can shift from “pour and hope” to “connect and convert”—using strategic gathering principles to boost visits, loyalty, and membership.
1. Start With Purpose, Not Product
Don’t ask “What wines are we pouring?”
Ask: What do we want guests to feel, do, and remember?
Turn your next release into a storytelling night about regenerative farming.
Host a “Taste of Tomorrow” panel with your winemaker and a climate expert.
Design for transformation, not just transaction.
2. Bring Back Club Events as Belonging Builders
Your wine club isn’t just a subscription—it’s an identity.
If your events disappeared during the pandemic, this is your call to reimagine them.
Invite members to help blend or label a future wine.
Host “members as makers” sessions where they shape your next vintage's name or label.
People stay where they feel ownership.
3. Don’t Ease In—Begin With a Bang
Your first five minutes set the tone.
Skip the polite “menu and pour.” Instead, open with something that sparks curiosity or connection.
- A bold toast
- A sensory challenge
- A “what’s your wine personality” quiz
If you want guests engaged, don’t ease them in. Invite them in.
4. Ditch One-Size-Fits-All Tasting Models
Different visitors want different journeys. Are you offering more than one path?
Create “Mini Moments” for guests who want a 20-minute hit of delight.
Design longer, narrative-driven tastings for returning members or wine nerds.
Let guests choose their pace—and you’ll increase their willingness to return.
5. Train Your Team to Host, Not Just Pour
Most tasting room staff know their wine facts. Fewer are trained in experience orchestration.
Assign someone to guide the energy—timing, music, pacing.
Let another focus on story and emotional resonance.
This isn’t about info. It’s about how the guest feels.
6. Create Unexpected Entry Points
The people you're trying to attract? They might not care (yet) about wine.
Try this instead:
- “Writers in the Vines” quiet cowork mornings
- “Parent Reset” micro-tastings with childcare
- “Hike & Pour” walks with a story arc
People come for the feeling. The wine is the bonus.
7. End With Intention
Most tastings just… end.
But your final moment is the memory-maker.
Offer a handwritten note, a QR code with a secret invite, or a playful “wine horoscope” card.
Design an ending that lingers—one that whispers, come back.
8. Make Membership Feel Like Joining a Mission
No one joins for discounts. They join for meaning.
Position your wine club as a movement—protecting land, honoring story, preserving tradition.
Then design communications, events, and rewards to feel like a cause, not a coupon.
Final Thought
If your guests are walking away with nothing more than a few sips and a price list, you’re not just losing sales.
You’re missing the deeper connection—the kind that creates loyalty, advocacy, and referrals.
The good news?
You don’t need to discount or chase trends.
You just need to gather better.
Start with purpose. Design with care. And treat every visit like the beginning of a relationship.