Welcome to Episode 2189 of the Italian Wine Podcast. In this episode of Masterclass US Wine Market, host Barbara Fitzgerald interviews the Napa-based wine entrepreneur Paul Mabray.

In this episode, they explore the macro-level changes shaping the wine industry and how wineries are adapting through digital strategies. They dive into the successes and challenges faced by online wine businesses and analyze their evolving role in the market. Lastly, they discuss the digital transformation journey of wineries, from small family-run operations to large-scale producers, uncovering insights for businesses of all sizes.

 

More about today’s guest: 


Paul Mabray has been a powerful agent for change in the wine industry for over twenty years. He has been at the forefront of significant digital trends in the wine industry, working with WineShopper.com and Wine.com when they entered the wine-digital space. He founded two companies that changed the digital landscape in the US wine market, first by introducing winery e-commerce with Inertia Beverage Group, which transformed into WineDirect.com pioneering winery e-commerce, and then again by introducing social media and social customer relationship management with VinTank.com. 

 

Connect:

Website: https://transformingwine.substack.com/

LinkeIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmabray/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pmabray/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pmabray/ 

X: https://x.com/pmabray 

 

More about today’s host: 


With a career of nearly two decades in the wine industry, Barbara specializes in D2C marketing and business development. She's led roles from entry level to senior management, combining her extensive experience with data analysis, critical thinking and storytelling while driving revenue growth and brand recognition for California wineries. As a part of the 4th generation of an Italian-American family among the California wine industry pioneers, Barbara has spent her life around wine growing, production, marketing, distribution and hospitality. A Syracuse University graduate, she returned to California to gain diverse industry perspectives from a range of wineries. As an Italian Wine Ambassador, she brings her expertise to the Italian wine market, known for its authenticity and consumer demand. Barbara now runs Apri La Creative Consulting, coaching wineries in Italy and the US to strategically develop their D2C channels in line with their brand values. Together with her husband, Barbara also owns and operates a boutique wine production company, and a small import company specializing in Italian wines to the US.


Connect:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilabottiglia

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-fitzgerald-iwa/

Website: https://www.aprilacreative.com

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Until next time, Cin Cin!