Vintage Wine Estates Subsidiary Continues Improving All Facets of DIY Wine Brand
Windsor, Calif., November 10, 2017 — Windsor Vineyards, the Rodney Strong-founded wine brand that lets users create their own custom wine labels and etched bottles online and over the phone, is pleased to announce a series of operational improvements for the start of 2018. The virtual winery—whose warehouse is located in the heart of Santa Rosa—remains unharmed in the aftermath of the deadly Northern California wildfire outbreak that occurred in the middle of October. In response to the widespread devastation, parent company Vintage Wine Estates has set up The Heart of the Vine Relief Fund, which has provided basic needs for those affected by the fires.
Chief among the company’s build-outs in 2018 is an update to their label-designing platform, which will be built with HTML5 in order to provide marked speed and optimization improvements across mobile and desktop devices. The new developments add to the brand’s continued legacy as a seminal figure in the Direct to Consumer space with some of the most advanced technology in the wine industry. Since the brand’s inception in 1959, Windsor has served as a role model for the DTC system by implementing and executing excellent customer service, advanced marketing and forward-thinking technology.
“The U.S. consumer is more excited about wine today than ever before,” comments Pat Roney, President and CEO of Vintage Wine Estates. “Along with growing interest, we see consumers looking for new ways to purchase wine, such as their phone or tablet. In fact, nearly half of our online sales are from mobile devices.”
In recent months, DTC sales have been a large focus for the industry as a whole as the model continues to become one of the most important parts of a winery’s success. This past year, wine shipments rose 18.5 percent, to $2.3 billion, and 61 percent of all wine sales.
Similar to the trend of alcohol beverage services, convenience is another underlying factor in the growth of the DTC model. “People don’t want to have to go to the store for their wine anymore,” notes Chris Saylor, CTO of Vintage Wine Estates, “We’ve been putting in a ton of work into every facet of the Windsor platform so that anyone can buy a personalized bottle with a wine they truly enjoy.”
Along with the more streamlined label-making experience, Windsor has spent a significant amount of time in perfecting shipping processes. The brand recently increased its warehouse efficiency to enable same-day shipping (as opposed to the industry standard 3-5 days), and worked in collaboration with UPS to better track and inform customers of incoming packages.
Though much of the brand improvements targeted for 2018 center around their new technology, the company still places an emphasis on personalized customer assistance. Windsor’s concierge service is one of the few examples in the business that offers real, human help for consumers who need to select specific grapes or blends that are tailored to their taste.
In addition to its robust, web-based label-making technology, the company offers an additional in-house Etching and Painting service for customized corporate gifts. The process is done by hand for every bottle, designed and produced by a selective team of sandblasters and hand painters.
Personalized Windsor wines are available in 19 different varietals or blends that run the gamut from Moscato to Cabernet Sauvignon, and are additionally available via catalog, mailings and telephone.
About Windsor Vineyards:
Founded by wine legend Rodney Strong in 1959 on San Francisco Bay in Tiburon, Windsor Vineyards has been the home of prized wines you can personalize for over 50 years. Windsor wines are expertly crafted by a team of award-winning winemakers and artisans to be personally scripted, signed & gifted by anyone. Now owned by Vintner Patrick Roney, Windsor’s long traditions of serving consumers and businesses directly, producing incredible wines and offering personalized wine label opportunities, continue. Roney has expanded his vineyards and expertise and now owns ultra-premium Girard Winery in Napa Valley, Cosentino Winery, Sonoma Coast Vineyards, and more under the Vintage Wine Estates umbrella. For additional information, please visit http://www.windsorvineyards.com/
