No, this year had traffic, and club members who asked about winemaking, and ways to ferment yeast, pruning, or organic pest management. These customers were smart, there’s not much they don’t get perhaps, just perhaps, they are all on ‘net and go on those sites, CellarTracker and Twitter to see which wine’s sweet, and which one is bitter.

They know what they’ll like, and they tell all around “try this small-lot Pinot” or Chard that they found. They Yelp, they post, they cause such a commotion that wineries must listen, or be a drop in the ocean. They are shopping at midnight, they shop with their phones check prices, and share ratings, they’re nothing like drones. Now that eCommerce is mobile, we’re all going bleary but if setting up stores for iPads sounds dreary fear not, there is help now from lots of smart vendors to guide us along, a hand they will lend.

For these days wine is more than what’s served to your Mom, wine’s now sold on Facebook and Amazon dot com. And wine can be shipped – fewer states have it banned, so sign up customers from here to Maryland. On Jersey, on Tampa, on Denver and Austin, send clubs and send wine; ship now and ship often. Increase that database, and segment those names so 2013 will be one where you claim that you’ve never been better – never seen such conversion on emails or offers or other diversions.

Then sit back relax, enjoy what you’ve done because soon the next vintage will just have begun. Lift up your glass and allow just this boast to yourself, you worked hard, you deserve this small toast. So, cheers to you, friends, enjoy this brief time to remember why it is… we all work for wine.

—–Cheers to all – have a great holiday!