We recently presented the latest Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) insights for San Luis Obispo County wineries at the PRWCA Quarterly Update with Joel Peterson. Thanks to the sponsorhip of the PRWCA and partnership with Visit SLO CA, and backed by our data from over 550+ wineries in Community Benchmark, here are a few key takeaways from Q1 2025:
📉 Tasting Room Visits Dip, But Clubs Hold Steady
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SLO County DTC revenue dipped only -1.0% vs. Q1 2024.—driven mainly by declines in tasting room traffic.
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Tasting room revenue was down -5.4% year to date, largely due to a –3.5% drop in visitor counts.
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Revenue per visitor also declined slightly (-2.0%), but not dramatically—suggesting spending behavior is relatively stable.
🍷 Club Shipments Buoy Results
While visitation dipped, wine clubs helped soften the impact. Many wineries saw strength in club performance, especially shipments, helping maintain more balanced revenue overall.
📍 Visitor Origins: Local Still Matters
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The top-performing visitor segments are still largely California-based, though Texas remains a strong out-of-state market for Paso Robles in particular.
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Top CA counties and cities driving sales stayed consistent with prior quarters (see more Geographics Trends at the bottom of the Presenation here).
🧭 New Tools: Goal Positioning System (GPS)
We also introduced our Goal Positioning System (GPS)—a new way for winery teams to set targets, track progress daily, and benchmark against peers. It’s all about actionable insight and smarter strategy.
If you’re looking to understand how your DTC performance stacks up—or where to focus next—let’s connect. The tools are here, and the data is ready to guide your next move.