Most of the wineries I talk to (which is dozens every week) claim the thing that sets them apart from other wineries is their wine. Theirs is grown a special way on a special hill in a special part of the world.
But according to Liz Mercer, Winery Coach, Content Developer, and Instructor at WISE, that's not what separates the wineries that are growing from the ones that are standing still.
After helping educate winery teams, consulting with DTC leaders, and conducting nearly 7,000 mystery shops, Liz’s experience and recommendations follow one consistent pattern: The wineries seeing the most success have built a culture around customer data.
"The number one distinguishing factor is they have a strong culture of data capture, and they do something with it. They're building their mailing lists and they're using their tasting room as a launchpad for a long-term relationship."
So what happens when wineries emphasize learning, understanding, and treating the customer like a friend? In short, magic. Customers respond with higher lifetime value, lower churn, and overall satisfaction.
Great Wineries Collect More and Better Data
Ask most wineries what customer data they collect and you'll hear the basics. Name, email address, phone number, maybe a birthday. Liz actually jokes she'd be excited if every winery consistently captured ZIP code because even that isn't always happening.
Without the basics, you can't continue the relationship after someone leaves your tasting room. But top-performing wineries don't stop there and Liz thinks about customer data in three layers.
Level 1: Contact data
This is the information that allows you to stay in touch with someone.
Name
Email
Phone number
SMS and email opt-in permission
Birthday
Address
Level 2: Behavioral data
This tells you how someone interacts with your winery.
Purchases
Tasting room visits
Event attendance
Wine club membership
Favorite wines
Referral activity
Level 3: Relationship data
Relationship data provides context.
Who referred them?
What other wine clubs do they belong to?
Do they travel often?
Are they local or destination visitors?
Do they host guests at home frequently?
Why did they visit your winery in the first place?
Who did they attend with?
Level one helps you contact a customer. Level two helps you understand their behavior. Level three helps you build an actual relationship.
As Liz puts it, wineries need to move "beyond anecdotal to actionable."
How to Train Your Tasting Room Team to Reveal Relationship Data
Every day, guests tell wineries exactly how to build better relationships with them.
One guest mentions they're visiting from out of state. Another says they're members at three other wineries. One group mentions they only make it to wine country once every few years.
Those are opportunities to better understand your customers. The challenge is that too much of this information lives in employees' heads instead of your CRM.
Liz believes wineries should intentionally train tasting room teams to uncover relationship data, understand why it matters, and consistently record it.
That doesn't mean hospitality needs to turn into an interrogation. It means wineries are responsible for creating a culture where conversations become meaningful customer insights.
I recognize that most wineries don't have perfectly built-out CRMs, robust training programs, or convenient places to record every customer insight. We're not working in a scientific lab, and the data capture process doesn't have to be perfect.
What I consistently see among the wineries that are growing is a willingness to start anyway. They're finding creative ways to capture relationship data today because they understand its long-term value, even if the process is held together with a little duct tape.
Every Useful Piece of Data Should Change What Happens Next
If someone gives you their email address, the easiest solution is to add them to your monthly newsletter and move on. A better approach is to use every piece of information you've gathered to intentionally guide that customer into the right lifecycle flow.
Someone who attended a winery event has a different relationship with your brand than someone who was referred by an existing wine club member. An event attendee may need more education about your winery before they're ready to join. A referred guest has already borrowed trust from someone who loves your brand so you may be able to skip some introductory messaging and instead recommend wines or membership benefits that align with what you already know about them.
If a guest tells you they belong to three other wine clubs, ask why. What attracted them to those clubs? Which benefits do they actually use? That conversation can shape how you position your own membership, what benefits you emphasize, and even ideas for future improvements.
During a personal trip, Liz told a winery she was visiting from across the country and likely wouldn't be back anytime soon. Instead of emphasizing shipping benefits, exclusive wines, or the convenience of membership from afar, the tasting room associate focused almost entirely on complimentary tastings, winery events, and bringing friends. The winery had the right data, they just didn't use it.
The same principle applies everywhere:
ZIP code: Segment local guests from destination visitors, promote nearby events, regional roadshows, pickup opportunities, or shipping benefits accordingly.
Referral source: Strengthen relationships with hotels, concierges, existing members, creators, or local businesses that consistently send high-quality guests your way.
Favorite wines: Recommend similar bottles, new releases, or club customizations that align with what they already enjoy.
Purchase history: Someone who buys the same bottle of sparkling rosé every visit shouldn't receive the same recommendation as someone building a reserve wine collection.
Visit frequency: Reward your regulars differently than someone who visits once every few years. Frequent guests may value member events and exclusive experiences, while infrequent visitors may need more digital touchpoints to stay connected.
None of these data points are valuable on their own. Their value comes from changing what happens next.
Turn Customer Data Into “Controlled Chaos"
One of Liz's favorite concepts is what she calls "controlled chaos." Rather than overwhelming customers with endless choices, wineries should use customer data to confidently guide people toward the right experience.
Instead of asking, "Would you like to take anything home today?" Try, "You mentioned you really enjoyed the Reserve Chardonnay and the single-vineyard Pinot Noir. How many bottles can I set you up with?"
The same philosophy applies to memberships. You likely don't need six different club structures with dozens of benefits. You need a few clear options that staff understand well enough to confidently recommend based on what they've learned about the guest.
Technology can surface purchase history, preferences, and customer attributes, but your staff still provides the judgment. Together, they create a much better customer experience.
Better Data Creates Better Relationships
The wineries seeing the most growth don't think of guests as people moving through a tasting room. They think of every tasting as the launchpad for a long-term relationship.
Data isn't collected because your CRM needs another field filled out. It's collected so your next email feels more personal, your next text message is more relevant, and your next membership conversation is more helpful.
Technology makes that easier, but technology isn't what creates memorable hospitality. People do.
The wineries that continue to grow will be the ones that consistently collect the right information, empower their teams to use it, and make every interaction a little more personal than the last.