Pam Giganti, Owner, 61 Vineyard, MD
Attending a WISE workshop sponsored by Maryland Wineries Association was a real eye opener for me. As a small on-farm winery WISE insights and information were especially helpful to me. After attending I went right to work implementing several of the “best practices” for wine club and tasting room management. The ideas were easy to implement and train the staff on and we have been using them ever since. Thanks so much and cannot wait to attend another event soon!
Vanessa Bazzani, DTC Sales Manager, Bergstrom Wines, OR
As a long-time participant in WISE experiences, including the incredible Cabinet program, I’ve seen firsthand the power of their curriculum (take the Leadership class!), the strength of their community, and WISE’s unwavering commitment to the wine industry. Being part of the WISE Cabinet has been more than just professional development. As our next meeting draws closer, I find myself eagerly anticipating our 2-hour session. Led by the creative and dynamic Leslie and Jenn, our monthly meetings are a space for inspiration, support, and (what I call) work therapy. It’s where we share ideas, celebrate wins, tackle challenges, and lift each other up as we navigate this ever-evolving industry. WISE has been instrumental in my career, providing me with the knowledge, tools, and connections that continue to shape my evolution. If you’re looking to grow in the wine industry, there’s no better resource.
Melissa Aellen, General Manager, Linganore Winery, MD
From understanding the customer journey to hiring to incentive programs to membership to closing the sale, WISE’s courses have been nothing short of wonderful. Their focus and deep understanding of how winery DTC sales works makes WISE stand out as the clear choice in sales education. We had a short unknown mystery shop prior to the one-day seminar which unveiled so many other gaps in our sales process. The one-on-one session following was incredibly instrumental in helping us figure out how to convert more patrons to customers, and customers to club members. The techniques we learned from the seminar were eye opening and we still use them to this day. Since then, our staff has engaged in countless hours of online courses, and 4 of our team members are currently in a WISE cabinet. For such a small, intricate industry, WISE brings sales education to wineries in a practical and digestible manner.
Melissa Schulte, General Manager, Black Ankle Vineyards, MD
As the GM of Black Ankle Vineyards, I’ve had the pleasure of participating in both the WISE tasting room advancement classes and the WISE Cabinet program, and both have proven incredibly valuable for our team and business. The WISE classes were immediately useful for our tasting room management and staff, providing practical suggestions that we could apply right away to improve our customer experience and sales strategy. Currently, I’m part of the WISE Cabinet, which has been an invaluable forum for leaders across varied regions to share ideas, brainstorm solutions, and tackle industry and business challenges. The insights I’ve gained have led to real, actionable strategies, and I’ve already put several into practice to solve problems faster. In fact, I’m considering adding another team member to a Cabinet next year to help us focus on wine club retention and increasing tasting room traffic. Initially, I was concerned that our business model might differ from others, but I’ve found that the diversity of thought and experience from all over the country has been exactly what we needed to address the issues facing our business. After sharing a recent idea from a Cabinet meeting with the owners at Black Ankle, they were so impressed they said it alone was worth the investment. The WISE programs have been game changers for us, helping us emerge and take on the next phase of our business, and we have already left space for it in the budget for 2026!