Is the tasting room dead? This has been a topic on everyone's mind through 2025. The 2025 year has been a year of great discussion and concern amongst wine industry members. While sales dropped in 2024, it is likely that the 2025 year may be similar or worse in terms of decreasing sales. However, there are beacons of light shining through that may highlight areas of opportunity for wine brands to pivot. Virginia and I spend this episode talking about those pivot opportunities, the current statistics regarding the wine economy, the advantages of direct-to-consumer operations and various ideas we have on how wineries can better engage with consumers of all generations. Enjoy.

You can find a list of our ideas, links, and information on our Show Notes at www.dgwinemaking.com under the Podcast archive.

We're in a period of time where the flow and feel of a tasting room is under scrutiny. Today's wine drinkers have less time and less disposable income to visit tasting rooms, in general. It is possible a tasting room visit – which comes in many forms – can forever change an individual's view on wine in general. With the question of whether or not tasting rooms survive our modern times, we took the time to discuss challenges and barriers we have individually experienced when visiting tasting rooms across the U.S. Overall, even as wineries look to improve sales again, there is still an incredible amount of onus on the consumer to ensure they have a good experience at a tasting room or wine event. While the industry is at a crossroads determining what today's wine lover wants from a winery visit, this is an episode in which wineries can learn from and make small, but impactful changes in how they come across to their visitors.

Show notes for this episode are available at dgwinemaking.com

In an age in which the tasting room is getting called "dead in the water," we explore the history behind the winery tasting room, how it has evolved over time, and one big barrier to entry for potential wine consumers: rules for tasting rooms pushed by the rhetoric of the American wine industry. This episode truly highlights one of the big expectations that is put on consumers in terms of understanding and engaging with wine. Thus, if you are a winery that has experienced drops in tasting room sales, this episode may highlight one thing you can actively change for your business – the rules around wine tasting room engagement.

Show notes of this episode are available at dgwinemaking.com. Follow us on Instagram @dgwinemaking for clips and social discussion.