New Wine Vintage: 7 Tips for Sales Campaigns -- ProWein Trade Fair

It’s the great spring routine every year: little by little, the new wine vintage arrives, while the remaining stocks of the previous vintage need to leave the warehouse. We can’t take that work off your hands—but we can show you how to promote the new vintage effectively.

The new vintage is just around the corner, bringing with it the perfect opportunity to boost your sales. But how do you strike the right balance between celebrating the freshness of the new release and smartly selling off the previous vintage? Discover seven well-founded strategies that inspire customers, spark curiosity, and sustainably drive wine sales both online and at the point of sale (POS). At the same time, we assess the required workload, time investment and budget for each campaign to help you plan realistically and efficiently.

The “Out of Stock?” Campaign Using Marketing Automation

Use automated email flows to be present exactly when a customer’s at-home supply is likely running low. Did a customer purchase six bottles of the previous vintage three months ago? Now is the perfect moment to automatically send a friendly reminder: “Run out already? The new wine vintage has arrived and is waiting for you.”

This approach reaches customers at the precise moment of need, combining a service-oriented message (replenishing their stock) with the excitement of a new product release. From a technical perspective, this is implemented via trigger-based emails within your shop system. Customers don’t have to search—one click in the newsletter takes them directly to a pre-filled shopping cart featuring the new vintage.

Resource check:

Workload: High (one-time technical setup)
Time: One day initially, then fully automated
Cost: Medium (depending on the automation software used)

The “Allocation” Strategy via Segmented Newsletter

Let’s move on to another newsletter-based approach. Use the power of scarcity and exclusivity, familiar from subscription models, for your standard wines as well. Instead of announcing the new vintage to your entire mailing list at once, segment your database within your CRM system (Customer Relationship Management) based on customers who purchased the previous vintage. Address these customers exclusively and offer them early access—a so-called allocation—to the new vintage before it officially goes live in the shop.

In the newsletter, briefly explain the climatic characteristics of the vintage and why this particular winery has once again delivered outstanding quality. This personalised communication makes loyal customers feel valued. Combine the offer with a discount on the remaining bottles of the previous vintage (“Last Call”) to efficiently clear your inventory. In this way, you reward loyalty and make room for the new vintage in a single, well-targeted communication.

Resource check:

Workload: Medium (data analysis and copywriting)
Time: 2–3 hours for segmentation and dispatch
Cost: Low (newsletter software costs)

The Vertical Package: Old Meets New

Bundle remaining stock and the new release into an attractive package that helps you sell wine without eroding price levels. Create a “generations package”, for example, containing three bottles of the new vintage and three bottles of the previous vintage. Promote it as an educational “vertical tasting at home”, allowing customers to directly compare different vintages of the same wine.

Customers love discovering differences and refining their sensory skills. Support this by providing a short tasting guide, either online or as an insert, explaining “what to look for when comparing vintages.” This approach adds value to remaining stock instead of discounting it as a slow seller. The strategy works equally well in-store with attractive displays and online as a bundled product.

Resource check:

Workload: Low to medium (packing and system setup)
Time: One-off 1–2 hours for concept development and POS setup
Cost: Low (possibly packaging or printed inserts)

Live Tasting with the Winemaker on Social Media

Bring the producer digitally into your customers’ living rooms. To launch the new vintage, organise an Instagram or Facebook Live event where you open the first bottle together with the winemaker. Promote a “tasting package” of the new vintage in advance so viewers can taste along in real time.

Authenticity sells: let the winemaker talk about challenges such as hail in May or the perfect autumn weather. These stories add emotional depth to the product and strengthen customer loyalty to the winery. Answer viewers’ questions live to encourage interaction. Save the video as content for your website and future newsletters—this way, the effort delivers value twice.

Resource check:

Workload: Medium (coordination and moderation)
Time: 1 hour live event plus preparation
Cost: Low (organic social media is free; optional small ad budget)

The “Blind Date” Station in the Retail Store

Spark curiosity among your customers at the point of sale with a playful in-store concept. Set up a tasting zone featuring two covered bottles: the old vintage and the new one. Invite customers to taste blind and vote for the wine they prefer—before revealing the identities.

This significantly boosts interaction and conversation at the POS. Often, the mature older vintage wins with its harmony, while the new vintage impresses with freshness—both outcomes support sales. The concept lowers barriers, as customers can taste in a relaxed, informal way. For the duration of the promotion, offer a special take-home price for the “winner of the day.”

Resource check:

Workload: Low (daily setup)
Time: Ongoing during opening hours
Cost: Low (product use for tastings)

Interactive Landing Page with a Vintage Story

Create a dedicated landing page for your focus wines that truly dives deep into the story behind the vintage. Standard product descriptions are often not sufficient to sell higher-priced wines. Use infographics showing the course of the weather, harvest videos, and statements from the cellar master to illustrate and substantiate the character of the new vintage.

Integrate a digital advisor or an interactive quiz, such as “Which vintage type are you – Team Maturity or Team Freshness?” Based on the result, guide customers directly to the appropriate shopping cart—either remaining stock or the new release. High-quality content also improves your SEO ranking for search terms like “new wine vintage [region/grape variety]”, generating valuable long-term organic traffic.

Resource check:

Workload: High (content creation and web design)
Time: 1–2 days per campaign
Cost: Medium (in-house resources or freelance copywriter)

Tactile Direct Mail for Premium Customers

Break free from the flood of digital messages and leverage high-quality print mailings. Send your top 50 customers an elegant card or letter on fine paper announcing the new vintage. Include a tactile element, such as a piece of slate from the vineyard or a dried vine leaf, to make the wine’s origin tangible.

In a world dominated by emails, physical mail signals special appreciation. Link the mailing to a QR code that leads to a hidden order page. This form of tactile marketing feels highly exclusive and is particularly effective for positioning premium reserves or top-tier wines.

Resource check:

Workload: Medium (design and handling)
Time: 1 day for preparation and mailing
Cost: High (printing and postage), but with a high ROI (return on investment) for premium wines

New Wine Vintage: Selling with Attention to Detail Instead of Generic Claims

There are many different ways to reduce remaining stock and effectively market the new wine vintage. Let’s be honest: a few years ago, strong brands in particular may have sold themselves. Today, however, even these require effective marketing and a well-targeted communication strategy. If these foundations are in place, the new vintage will also sell more smoothly and successfully.