Nearly every winery wants to grow — but some do it far more consistently than others.
In a recent three-question survey of 159 wineries (including 59 top 20% performers, measured by DTC growth), one clear pattern emerged: top performers don’t just set goals – they build systems around them.
Here’s what the data tells us about how high performers approach goals differently — and what we can learn from it.
📈 The Goal-Setting Gap: Structure Drives Success
| Top 20% | All Other | |
|---|---|---|
| Team Revenue & Metric Goals | 49% | 39% |
| Team Revenue, Metric, & Individual Goals | 36% | 27% |
| Team Revenue Goals Only | 5% | 11% |
| No Formal Goals | 10% | 23% |
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Top performers are structured.
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While 85% set both team and metric goals — compared with only 66% of all others — more than a third go even further, adding individual accountability to the mix.
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Simplistic goal structures skew toward lower performance.
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Non-top performers are twice as likely to have no formal goals, meaning nearly a quarter of all other wineries are operating without measurable targets.
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“Team revenue goals only” is also more common among all others (11%) than top performers (5%).
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Key Takeaway:
Top performers don’t just hope to hit their goals — they design a framework that aligns every person and metric behind them.
🔄 The Reinforcement Difference: Systems Beat Good Intentions
Goal setting is one thing. But the real magic is in how those goals are reinforced over time.
When asked “What is most important factor in their Goal success?,” here’s the results on how wineries keep goals alive once they’re set:
| Category | Top 20% | All Other |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Team Meetings/Check-ins | 36% | 38% |
| Tracking Tools/Systems | 30% | 24% |
| Incentives & Recognition | 21% | 28% |
| Clear Individual Accountability | 6% | 4% |
| Other | 6% | 6% |
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Regular communication remains central – both groups most often cited Regular team meetings and check-ins.
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Top performers are more likely to point to tracking tools and systems – as the key to success (30% vs. 24%), suggesting a stronger belief in data and structure over discussion alone.
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Non-top performers place greater emphasis on incentives and recognition (28% vs. 21%), indicating a more motivational than operational view of what drives results.
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Individual accountability was least emphasized as the top factor, but top performers were still 50% more likely to name it, reinforcing that accountability mindset as part of their culture.
Takeaway:
Top performers think differently about what makes Goals happen. They prioritize systems, visibility, and accountability over incentives alone.
Putting It All Together: The Top Performer Goals Formula
The data show that the more structure and reinforcement wineries put into their goal practices, the greater their performance results.
In a chaotic and competitive time for the wine industry, here are tangible best practices you can work toward putting in place to strengthen your goal achievement — and your overall performance:
The Top Performer Goals Formula:
Structure + Systems + Accountability = Top Performance
These are the shared traits of the top 20% — not one-off tactics, but habits that compound over time.