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Creating a Must-Attend Experience That Grows Your Wine Club

05/01/2025

Building on Chapter 2 of The 2025 Guide to Wine Club Growth

Every winery hosts events. A release party, a tasting experience, a harvest dinner. They’re great for engagement, but not all events drive wine club growth. Then, there are signature events—the ones that members build their calendars around, the ones they wouldn’t dream of missing.

One of our winery customers hosts an event so popular that thousands of wine club members travel from all over the country to attend. It’s not just another wine release party—it’s a destination experience. The result? A wine club that people don’t just join—they stay in, year after year, because they don’t want to miss out.

Not every winery can host a festival-scale event, but the concept holds true at every level: a well-crafted, exclusive event can drive massive growth for your wine club.

What Makes a Signature Event Different?

Not all winery events move the needle on wine club growth. A signature event isn’t just another tasting or release party. It’s something guests talk about for months, something they plan for every year, and most importantly—something non-members want in on.

A successful signature event is defined by these five traits:

Exclusive	Wine club members get priority access—or it’s members-only.
Highly Anticipated	It happens annually or seasonally, and people look forward to it.
Immersive	It’s not just wine—it’s an experience.
Talked About	Attendees rave about it, creating organic buzz for your winery.
A Tradition	It becomes part of your winery’s identity over time.

Your goal isn’t just to create an event. It’s to create an experience that sells your wine club on its own.

Step 1: Choose a Theme That Stands Out

A great event theme should make people say: “I’ve never seen a winery do this before!” If your event is something that guests could experience anywhere, you’ll struggle to make it feel exclusive. Instead, it should feel so unique, so special, that guests will join the club just to be part of it.

Creative Event Concepts

Traveling Wine Club Dinner Series	Instead of members coming to your winery, bring the experience to them. Host exclusive wine club events in different cities, featuring wine-paired meals at top restaurants or intimate library tastings in luxury hotel suites.
Wine & Wilderness Retreat	A vineyard glamping weekend with sunset hikes, bonfire tastings, and stargazing wine pairings.
Secret Cellar Speakeasy	A members-only underground tasting where guests enter through a hidden entrance and enjoy a prohibition-style wine experience with live jazz.

Why this works: These experiences aren’t just about tasting wine—they create stories that members can’t wait to share.

Step 2: Make It Members-Only (or Give Them VIP Access)

If your event is open to everyone, there’s no urgency to join the club. The easiest way to drive sign-ups? Make membership the ticket in.

Access Strategies That Encourage Conversion:

Members-only access	“This event is exclusive to wine club members.”
Priority access & discounts	“Members get first access and a special price.”
Early RSVP benefits	“Club members can reserve their spots before tickets go public.”

When guests see an event they want to attend but can’t unless they’re members, FOMO kicks in.

Step 3: Make It a Tradition That Members Plan Around

Your first event might be small, but the goal is for it to become something members expect, plan for, and prioritize every year.

How to Build a Repeatable Tradition:

Give it a memorable name so people associate your winery with the event.
Keep core elements the same, but add a twist to make it fresh each year.
Offer members first access to reinforce the exclusivity.

Example: If your event is an annual Vineyard Dinner Series, introduce a new featured chef or winemaker each year to keep things fresh while maintaining the core experience members love.

Step 4: Scale Your Event Without Overwhelming Your Team

Many wineries hesitate to scale their event programs because they worry about staffing demands, costs, and logistics. But a signature event doesn’t have to be a massive production to be successful.

Ways to Scale Strategically:

Start small and build up: Begin with a VIP Winemaker’s Tasting for 25 members, then expand as demand grows.
Leverage partnerships: Collaborate with chefs, musicians, or other wineries to share effort and enhance value.
Host off-site events: Create luxury experiences without the overhead of hosting on-site.
Use ticket sales to offset costs: Offer VIP upgrades or early access packages to help fund the event.
Automate & streamline: Use online RSVPs and email campaigns to reduce manual workload.
Document everything: Create repeatable processes with vendor lists, checklists, and setup guides.

Bottom line: A great event doesn’t have to break the bank or burn out your staff. By starting small, leveraging partnerships, and streamlining operations, you can create an unforgettable experience without unnecessary stress.

Final Thoughts: Why Signature Events Are the Key to Wine Club Growth

Wineries that host events but don’t tie them to wine club growth are leaving money on the table. A signature event isn’t just another gathering—it’s a membership driver, a retention tool, and a tradition that builds deep loyalty.

The wineries that succeed:

Create events that feel exclusive and unique
Leverage FOMO to drive wine club sign-ups
Make their events a yearly tradition that members plan around
Scale their program sustainably without overwhelming their team

If your winery is still hosting one-off events without a clear strategy, it’s time to shift your approach. A well-designed, high-impact event isn’t just fun—it’s one of the most powerful tools for wine club growth.

Want More Wine Club Growth Strategies?

This blog expands on concepts covered in The 2025 Guide to Wine Club Growth. If you haven’t read the book yet, grab your copy here to dive deeper into event-driven wine club acquisition strategies.

Post By: vinSUITE