At the Wine Tech Symposium 2025, Lailand Flaherty, Vice President Marketing at OrderPort, shared a perspective rooted in Napa Valley that speaks directly to the challenges of Italian and European wineries.
After more than twenty years working with wineries of all sizes, from micro-producers to major wine businesses, her message was simple and powerful:
the future of wine sales is no longer driven only by distribution, but by relationships.
Listen to Lailand Flaherty’s full talk at the Wine Tech Symposium 2025
Table of contents:
- From mass distribution to people: how the model has changed
- A new era of loyalty: why the traditional wine club is no longer enough
- Why this matters so much for Italian wineries
- Looking ahead: personalization and storytelling
From mass distribution to people: how the model has changed
Lailand began by describing how the US wine market has reached a turning point. For decades, the three-tier system (producer, distributor, retailer) kept wineries at a distance from the end customer. Wine ended up on a shelf, surrounded by many other labels, without the consumer really knowing who was behind that bottle.
The result? A fundamental challenge: “Who are our consumers and how can we connect with them?”. The growth of the direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel in the United States was born exactly from this question.
Wine tourism, e-commerce and digital channels opened up new ways to meet customers directly. The tasting room has become a strategic touchpoint, not just a place to taste wines. Online sales have made it possible to stay in contact even after the visit, turning a single moment into a long-term relationship.
Today, for many American wineries, DTC is the core channel. Not because distribution has disappeared, but
because the greatest value lies in the direct relationship between the winery and the final customer.
A new era of loyalty: why the traditional wine club is no longer enough
One of the most interesting parts of Lailand’s talk focused on loyalty models. Traditional wine clubs, which for years were at the heart of direct business, are now struggling to resonate with younger generations.
In the United States, most wine club members are around 60 years old, a segment that, for economic or health reasons, is gradually reducing consumption. Meanwhile, Millennials and Gen Z are approaching wine with completely different expectations: they seek flexibility, personalization and freedom of choice. They do not want to feel tied to rigid shipments and imposed deadlines.
This is why, together with wineries, OrderPort has started to rethink the club model. Instead of automatic bottle shipments, the customer pays a recurring fee that becomes credit they can use as they prefer: wine, tastings, events, dinners, winery experiences, overnight stays.
The result is a more modern, intuitive and psychologically powerful loyalty model: the credit is already there, ready to be used. For many wineries, this change in approach has been transformative: more members, higher average order value, greater engagement. The lesson is clear and universal: when people feel free and valued, they stay longer and spend more.
Why this matters so much for Italian wineries
Lailand’s message to Italy was very direct: “The principles behind the American DTC revolution can be adapted to European wineries without losing their identity, culture or sense of place.”
Italian wineries already have a huge advantage: history, authenticity and a deep connection with their territory. What is often missing is a structure designed to extend the relationship beyond the visit.
Reimagined loyalty models are designed for this:
- turning a visitor into a member of a community;
- ensuring that anyone who has visited once can stay connected all year round;
- integrating wine, experiences, food, events and real-life moments.
In Italy, this can take the form of solutions that combine benefits on wine purchases with privileged access to winery events, vertical tastings, vineyard experiences or activities linked to local products. For international tourists, it is not just a subscription: it is a way to take home a piece of Italian lifestyle.
Looking ahead: personalization and storytelling
Lailand closed her talk with a concept that applies equally to California and Italy: the future of wine sales belongs to those who can build personal, authentic and long-lasting relationships with their customers.
The focus is shifting:
- from “selling bottles” to building a community;
- from “offering a discount” to telling a story and expressing an identity;
- from “shipping a case of wine” to making the customer feel part of the family.
For Italian wineries, the opportunity is enormous: combining powerful storytelling, the richness of their territories and digital tools in a loyalty model that is not a copy of the American one, but its original Italian version, centered on hospitality, lifestyle and a strong sense of belonging.
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