Stop Selling Wine – Sell the Experience Instead

People don’t buy wine. They buy what it represents.

Relaxation. Celebration. A connection to a place, a memory, or even a version of themselves they wish they were. That’s the experience.

So if your marketing plan is focused only on products, promos, and shipping rates, it’s time to rethink the strategy.

The Best Brands Sell a Feeling

Think of the biggest lifestyle brands—Apple, Yeti, Patagonia. They’re not selling just a phone, a cooler, or a fleece. They’re selling identity, aspiration, community.

Great wineries can do the same. Whether you’re aiming for rustic and approachable or high-end and exclusive, the most effective marketing doesn’t just say “Here’s what we make.” It says, “Here’s who you’ll be when you drink it.”

Take the Experience Outside Your Tasting Room

The “experience” doesn’t only happen in your tasting room (though that’s a huge part of it). It should be baked into every single customer touchpoint:

Your Online Store
Does it feel like a boutique experience or like you’re ordering lightbulbs on Amazon? Platforms like Commerce7 and OrderPort give you tools to personalize the online shopping journey. Use them. Offer curated bundles, tailored recommendations, and copy that invites people into a lifestyle, not just a transaction.

Your Emails
Wine club members should feel known, not like they’re on a generic mailing list. Are you thanking them? Surprising them? Inviting them into your behind-the-scenes world? Or are they getting the same promo you sent your entire list?

Your Content
Photography and video aren’t about showing the bottle—they’re about showing what life with your wine looks like. From tablescapes to winemaker moments to a simple glass by the fire, your visuals should say, “Don’t you want to be here right now?”

Your Messaging
Think beyond “This wine has bright acidity and citrus notes.” Think: “This is your go-to bottle for impromptu backyard hangs, beach days, or just Tuesdays that need an upgrade.”

Why Selling Experience Matters to Your Bottom Line

We know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t just fluff. And you don’t have to be cheesy or overly saccharine to sell the experience. Selling the experience works by:

Building brand loyalty (because people remember how you made them feel)
Encouraging word-of-mouth marketing (people share stories, not links to your web store)
Increasing the perceived value (and experience with a product is worth more than the product alone)
Setting your brand apart from your competitors (who are still focused on oaky tannins)

How to Start Selling the Experience

Don’t worry, you don’t need to burn everything down and start from scratch. But if you’ve been leaning a little too hard on “here’s a bottle, please buy it,” it’s time to zoom out and rethink how you’re showing up.

Audit your brand experience: Are you giving customers a vibe or a product? (Hint: it should be both.)
Rethink your messaging: Make every customer interaction—from emails to events—feel like an invitation, not a pitch.
Invest in storytelling: Through visuals, copy, and thoughtful content, craft a world your customers want to step into.
Put a real strategy behind it: “Let’s wing it” is not a marketing strategy. Here’s how to craft a plan that will move your brand forward.