Retain, That’s the Name of the Game

You worked hard to get people into your tasting room.You worked even harder to turn them into wine club members.

But here’s the real question…How many are still members a year later?

For many wineries, the biggest challenge today isn’t attracting new customers; it’s keeping the ones they already have. Today, retention is the name of the game. Because losing wine club members is costing wineries more than they realize. The wineries winning right now aren’t just better at getting signups, they’re better at giving members reasons to stay.

Here’s how smart wineries are increasing retention, building loyalty, and turning wine club members into long-term advocates.

Retain, That’s the Name of the Game

For years, wine clubs were considered one of the safest and most predictable revenue engines in the wine industry. A guest visited the tasting room, joined the club, shipments went out quarterly, and recurring revenue followed.

Today, things are different.

Many wineries are discovering that getting members is no longer the hardest part. Keeping them is.

Industry reports now show wine club churn averaging close to 20% annually, while some studies suggest nearly 40% of members leave within the first year. At the same time, the average wine club member stays only about 32 months.

That means wineries are constantly spending money replacing members they already worked hard to acquire.

And here’s another reality wineries are facing today: many wine consumers belong to multiple wine clubs at the same time. Your club is not only competing against neighboring wineries — it’s competing against every subscription, membership, streaming service, meal kit, and recurring charge fighting for attention and wallet share.

So the wineries winning today are not simply selling wine.

They are building experiences, community, exclusivity, and emotional connection.

Because people don’t stay in clubs for discounts alone. They stay because they feel part of something.

The First Year Matters Most

Like any relationship, the beginning matters.

After joining, members immediately begin asking themselves:

• “Did I make the right decision?”
• “Is this winery special?”
• “Am I getting value?”
• “Do I feel connected?”

That first year becomes the emotional testing period.

If the only interaction members receive is a shipping notice and a credit card charge, retention becomes difficult. But when wineries create excitement, hospitality, recognition, and belonging, members stay dramatically longer.

The wineries with the highest retention rates understand this psychology well.

They constantly reinforce the member’s decision to join.

What Successful Wineries Are Doing Differently

The best wine clubs today operate more like private clubs than subscription programs.

Here are some of the strategies wineries are using to increase retention:

Pickup Parties Instead of Just Shipments

When members come to the winery for pickup events, they reconnect emotionally with the brand. The energy, hospitality, music, food, and social atmosphere create memories that a cardboard shipping box simply cannot.

Exclusive Member Experiences

Private tastings, barrel samples, library wines, winemaker dinners, and members-only weekends make people feel like insiders.

Personalized Communication

The best wineries communicate personally, not transactionally. Members want stories, behind-the-scenes access, vineyard updates, harvest news, and recognition.

Community Building

People stay where they feel connected. Some wineries are creating community through member spotlights, social groups, referral events, and shared experiences.

Flexible Memberships

Modern consumers want flexibility. Allowing members to customize shipments, skip a shipment occasionally, or choose preferences helps reduce cancellations.

Recognition and Status

People enjoy feeling appreciated. VIP tiers, early access, birthday gifts, anniversary recognition, and surprise perks all reinforce loyalty.

Consistent Excitement

Top wineries create anticipation throughout the year instead of only at shipment time. They keep members emotionally engaged between purchases.

Hospitality Is the Retention Strategy

One of the biggest mistakes wineries make is treating wine clubs as fulfillment programs instead of hospitality programs. A shipment alone has very little emotional connection. A pickup party with friends, live music, food pairings, staff interaction, and storytelling creates something entirely different. That’s where retention happens. Wine clubs today are less about wine delivery and more about belonging.

Every Winery Is Different

And this is important… Not every winery should follow the exact same retention strategy. Every winery has a different audience, personality, location, hospitality style, price point, and competitive environment. What works for a luxury Napa Cabernet producer may not work for a boutique Rhône winery or a high-volume tasting room destination.

Retention strategies must align with the winery’s brand and customer psychology. Because wineries are competing for loyalty now — not just signups.

The Real Cost of Losing Members

In almost every industry, retaining customers is significantly less expensive than acquiring new ones. The same is true for wineries.

Think about the cost of:

• Advertising
• Events
• Staff
• Tastings
• Hospitality
• Follow-up
• Discounts
• Commissions
• Marketing campaigns

All to get one member. If that member leaves after only a few shipments, profitability disappears quickly. Retention protects revenue, increases lifetime value, and creates stronger brand advocates who bring in new members organically.

Retention Is What We Do

At WollnerStudios, we help wineries strengthen the full customer journey:

• Getting people into the tasting room
• Converting visitors into members
• Creating experiences that increase retention and loyalty

Because today, retention isn’t optional. Retention is the name of the game.