I'm excited to share that VINTAGE², The Weinheimer Group's AI Marketing Readiness Model for the wine industry, has been recognized with a Gold Merit Award in the 2026 Business Merit Awards in the Business Strategy category. The Merit Awards recognize organizations demonstrating excellence in innovation, strategy, and measurable business impact across industries.
What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that VINTAGE² wasn't created to chase AI trends. It was built to solve a practical problem: How do wineries become visible, trusted, and discoverable in an AI-first world?
Over the past six months, VINTAGE² has evolved into an eight-step framework that helps wineries:
Measure their AI visibility.
Build authoritative brand narratives.
Optimize for AI search and generative discovery.
Create evergreen content that compounds over time.
Turn AI visibility into business growth.
Thank you to every winery, association, client, partner, and colleague who trusted me, my new model, and showed a new willingness to be curious about AI.
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Is Your Winery Invisible to AI? Here’s How to Fix That. - The Weinheimer Group
When a potential customer opens ChatGPT and types “best wineries to visit in Sonoma this weekend,” your winery either shows up or it doesn’t. There’s no page two. There’s no “you were close.” There’s just who the AI recommends, and everyone else. That’s the new reality of wine discovery. And for most wineries, it’s a…
AI Marketing Readiness Report 2026 | Wine Industry Data
New research: How ready is the wine industry for AI marketing?
The Weinheimer Group has released its 2026 AI Marketing Readiness Survey, the first primary research study of its kind focused on AI adoption among winery operators and marketing decision-makers.
Key findings from the verified respondent set:
— The majority of winery operators have not yet integrated AI into their marketing workflows, though awareness is high and directional intent to act is growing.
— When asked what would move them toward adoption, respondents identified education and a clear starting point as the primary catalysts, ahead of budget or access to tools.
— AI-powered search visibility is emerging as a priority concern. Operators are beginning to ask how their winery appears when a consumer queries an AI assistant for a recommendation.
The findings are grounded in responses from verified wine industry professionals and presented alongside my VINTAGE2 AI marketing roadmap framework.
Note that all of these findings are directional as it can be challenging I've learned to pull winery folks away from their work to share their perspectives. Thank you to all of those who participated.
I also welcome your perspective!
Observations from an AI Marketing Consultant on AI for Winery Brand Growth
I’ve spent a lot of time this past quarter talking with winery owners, marketers, and operators.
Mostly listening.
What’s coming through isn’t hype or resistance to AI. It’s curiosity… mixed with a bit of uncertainty about where it actually fits in day to day.
Questions like:
How are people really using AI to find my winery?
Does this actually impact tasting room traffic or DTC or not?
What should we be doing differently right now, if anything?
Good questions.
With my feet wet, once again, now only 65 business days in the wine industry, what stood out to me in Q1 is that this shift is already happening, just unevenly. Some wineries are starting to show up in AI-driven discovery in meaningful ways, while others aren’t even aware of how they appear, and that's okay.
I'll be releasing my Winery AI Marketing Readiness Survey findings next week which I hope will be helpful guidance with some hallmarks and cost-effective recommendations.
But for now, I've pulled my Q1 2026 observations into a short viewpoint. Cheers!
Advantages of early AI search visibility for wineries and how-to system for achieving results.
AI is quickly becoming the first place consumers turn when deciding what wine to buy, which winery to visit, and what experiences are worth their time. For wineries, this shift represents more than a new marketing channel. It is a fundamental change in how discovery, consideration, and purchase decisions are made.
The key insight: AI search visibility compounds over time.
Wineries that invest early in being visible, understandable, and trusted within AI-driven search environments gain a measurable advantage that grows. Each mention, citation, and recommendation strengthens future visibility, creating a flywheel effect that late adopters will struggle to match.
This is not about quick wins or isolated tactics. It is about building a durable presence across the digital ecosystem that AI systems rely on to generate answers. As these systems learn from consistent signals, brands that show up early and often become more likely to be recommended again and again.
At the same time, the market environment makes this even more critical. Consumers are more price-sensitive and more selective, increasingly asking AI questions like “What wine is worth it?” or “Where should I go?” In that moment, visibility is no longer just awareness. It directly influences revenue outcomes.
The implication for winery leaders is clear:
- AI visibility is becoming a leading indicator of future sales performance
- Discovery is shifting from traditional search and social to AI-driven recommendations
- Brands that delay investment risk becoming invisible in high-intent buying moments
The wineries that will outperform in the coming years are not necessarily those with the largest budgets, but those that commit early to building structured, credible, and consistent visibility in AI search.
In a category defined by long-term thinking, this is a familiar concept. The difference is that the compounding curve is now digital.
Visibility is no longer just a marketing outcome. It is an economic asset.
SURVEY: AI Readiness for Wineries / $100 Gift Card Drawing Apirl 30
The Weinheimer Group is running a 2-minute AI Marketing Readiness Poll right now — gathering data on where wineries actually stand with AI readiness as it relates to marketing and brand visibility. I'll present findings at the 2026 Wine Sales Symposium in May.
If you're kindly weighing in here, your survey response will add real signal and insights to the aggregate picture. All answers are confidential, and every completed entry enters a drawing for a $100 Wine.com gift card (drawing April 30).
Thank you!
AI is already shaping how wine brands are discovered.
Not someday. NOW. And there's never been a more advantageous time to win in today's down wine economy.
When someone asks, “What wine should I buy?” or “Which winery should I visit?” AI is often the first answer they see.
So here’s the question I keep coming back to: Is your brand showing up clearly in those moments or not at all? (For most wineries, not at all.)
I wrote a short piece for winery CMOs and marketing leaders on what this shift really means and how to think about it: How a Global Wine Leader Can Strategically Integrate AI into Marketing.
I took a look at recent articles and research to get a better understanding on how AI is moving the sales needle or not. While there's not a lot of reported public data just yet, there's significant evidence that brand visibility alone for a handful of wineries and wine brands is the path to purchase(s). But more importantly, I once again found the same truths about what's necessary for AI brand search visibility - educational, informative, and comparative public content is king for improving AI search visibility today. Is your brand providing an answer to the desired users AI intent?
AI Readiness Survey - Weinheimer Group
Thank you for participating! This 2-minute survey helps me understand where your winery or business are today with AI relative to brand marketing visibility, and growth.