If you sell wine online, Black Friday–Cyber Monday (BFCM) is your Super Bowl.
It’s not just another weekend. It’s the moment when your entire digital ecosystem is put to the test. BFCM is the centrepiece of the holiday shopping season, when shoppers are actively searching for the best deals and last-minute gift ideas. Black Friday is the biggest digital shopping day of the season. Cyber Monday accounts for 6.1% of total holiday retail sales in the US, making it a crucial opportunity for online wine retailers. Flash sales and early announcements of Cyber Monday deals are essential for driving urgency and maximizing sales during this period.
For a few days, every winery on Earth becomes an e-commerce brand.
Your ability to move wine, engage customers, and convert browsers into buyers will define your entire Q4 performance.
Here’s the catch: most wineries treat BFCM like a discount bonanza, while the best treat it like a data-driven loyalty accelerator.
🟨 Your goal isn’t to sell a few more cases. It’s to turn one-time shoppers into lifetime buyers.
Great BFCM campaigns don’t start on Thanksgiving week; they start in September. Holiday shopping begins as early as September and October for wine sales. The holiday season is the peak time for wine sales, accounting for approximately 30% of California wineries' annual revenue. Sparkling wines, in particular, see increased sales during the Christmas and New Year periods, making them a key focus for holiday promotions. Wine is one of the most popular gifts during the holiday season, further driving its demand.
Retail sales in the US, UK, and Canada grow by 30% during the Christmas period, highlighting the global significance of this time for retailers. To maximize results, it’s crucial to plan ahead and take advantage of early promotions and opportunities.
Just like a football team reviews game film, you should analyze last year’s performance. Preparing in advance by reviewing past campaigns can guide effective marketing strategies for upcoming sales events. Be sure to analyze data from the past few years to identify trends and shifts in customer behaviour.
Here’s a simple BFCM Preparation Matrix to structure your review:
🟨 Pro Tip: The most successful wineries don’t chase discounts. They chase data. They see every click, cart, and purchase as a signal that informs their next year’s playbook.
If you blast the same offer to everyone, you’re already losing. Run targeted ads to engage users who have previously shown interest in your products.
Black Friday isn’t about sending more emails; it’s about sending the right offer to the right customer at the right time so that they can activate.
Here’s how to break it down:
Your top 5–10% of customers are your best customers (high-lifetime-value and engaged) and deserve special attention. They’re the ones who open every email, attend every release, and share your wine with others.
Strategy:
🎯 Goal: Convert emotional loyalty into financial loyalty.
These are club members or repeat e-commerce buyers who purchase 2–4 times a year. Keep them engaged with tailored promotions, loyalty rewards, and special holiday offers that make them feel appreciated.
At the end of your segmentation, use social media to encourage followers to engage with your BFCM offers and build anticipation for your sales events.
Strategy:
🎯 Goal: Nudge them to increase AOV (average order value) and purchase frequency.
First-time or gift buyers are your biggest opportunity segment... but also your most fragile.
Strategy:
🎯 Goal: Turn one-time customers into repeat purchasers by Day 30.
The psychology of wine buyers is different. They don’t want “50% OFF EVERYTHING”; they want meaningful offers that reinforce your brand’s value, not dilute it. Special offers and great deals, especially during BFCM, are key to attracting attention and driving engagement.
🟨 Data Insight: Across the DTC wine sector, bundled offers outperform single-bottle discounts by 28–35% in conversion rate. Offering gift sets with wine and related items can boost wine sales during the holiday season. Creating themed wine packages for holidays further enhances their appeal and drives sales. Offering gift-wrapping options for wine purchases enhances the buying experience, making it more convenient and appealing for customers shopping for presents.
When you sell bundles, you’re not selling discounts; you’re selling confidence and ease of decision-making.
Wine is emotion bottled. Black Friday is math weaponized. The magic happens when you merge the two.
For example, tell a story about sharing a special bottle of wine with loved ones during the holidays, or highlight how your wine makes the perfect holiday gift.
“Our 2024 Syrah was harvested under a blood-red sunset. The kind of vintage you remember forever. For one weekend only, it’s part of our Collector’s Bundle, available exclusively to our subscribers until Sunday night.”
🟨 Emotional. Visual. Urgent.
The old model, “send email, hope for sales”, is dead.
Winning wineries orchestrate multi-touch campaigns across various channels to maximize impact during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Here’s a breakdown of key strategies to optimize your wine marketing efforts:
By implementing these tactics, wineries can create a seamless, engaging, and efficient shopping experience that drives more wine sales during the critical Black Friday and Cyber Monday period.
🟨 Futurist Edge: In 2026, expect AI-driven dynamic offers to dominate — automatically adjusting discounts and bundles in real time based on user behavior.
To maximize your success during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, optimizing your wine e-commerce website for SEO and leveraging AI technologies is essential. These strategies will help you attract more wine lovers, improve online sales, and convert visitors into loyal customers.
You can’t sell what you can’t ship. And nothing kills a holiday sale faster than a delayed delivery or out-of-stock message. Forecast demand and manage stock levels to avoid overselling during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. More than half of holiday orders are expected to include free shipping, so ensure your shipping strategy aligns with customer expectations. Additionally, a smooth and hassle-free checkout process can significantly reduce cart abandonment rates during these high-traffic shopping events. Efficient logistics not only improve customer satisfaction but also help save money and boost your margins.
Before BFCM hits:
✅ Inventory syncs daily with your e-commerce platform
✅ Fulfillment team briefed on BFCM shipping surge
✅ Customer service scripts ready for shipping questions
✅ Contingency plan for courier delays
🟨 Key Insight: Operational excellence isn’t sexy. But it’s how you build trust. Providing exceptional customer service is key to building trust with customers during busy shopping periods.
A well-prepared team is essential for wineries aiming to maximize sales and deliver exceptional service during the holiday season. Winery owners should invest in comprehensive staff training, ensuring every team member is knowledgeable about the wines, holiday packages, and special promotions available. Well-trained staff can confidently answer questions, recommend the perfect holiday gift, and guide customers through the purchase process: whether in the tasting room or online.
Preparation goes beyond product knowledge. Staff should be prepared to handle the increased pace of the holiday rush, manage inventory efficiently, and create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that encourages customers to return. By equipping your team with the necessary tools and information, you’ll create a seamless shopping experience that drives sales and fosters lasting customer relationships.
Ultimately, your staff is your secret weapon for turning the holiday season into a period of record-breaking sales and unforgettable customer experiences.
After the dust settles, the work begins.
Analyze every campaign component:
Use a Post-BFCM Performance Dashboard:
Your job isn’t just to celebrate sales — it’s to systemize what worked and eliminate what didn’t.
While online wine sales are crucial during the holiday season, in-person winery events and strategic partnerships can significantly expand your reach and boost sales. Hosting festive events, such as holiday wine tastings, themed dinners, or local holiday markets, invites customers to experience your wines firsthand and discover new favourites for their holiday celebrations.
Collaborating with local businesses, restaurants, or hotels can also open new sales channels and introduce your wines to fresh audiences. Joint promotions, bundled holiday packages, or exclusive discounts for event attendees can entice customers to buy wine as a holiday gift or for their own celebrations. Participating in community events, like holiday parades or tree lighting ceremonies, increases your winery’s visibility and connects your brand with the festive spirit of the season.
By thinking beyond the digital shelf, wineries can create memorable experiences that drive sales, attract new customers, and strengthen their presence in the local wine industry.
Black Friday shouldn’t be a one-night stand.
It should be the start of a long-term relationship. Consider offering exclusive rewards, such as sparkling wine, to loyal customers as part of your year-round loyalty program.
🟨 The brands that win aren’t those who discount hardest. They’re those who retain longest.
The holiday season is the ideal time for wineries to show appreciation to their customers and turn one-time buyers into lifelong brand advocates. Offering early access to special releases, exclusive discounts, or unique holiday promotions makes customers feel valued and encourages them to return for future purchases.
Loyalty programs, such as wine clubs, reward repeat customers and foster a sense of belonging. Engaging with customers on social media, thanking them for their support, sharing their stories, and responding to feedback builds a genuine connection that goes beyond the transaction.
By prioritizing customer appreciation, wineries can increase sales, boost customer satisfaction and inspire word-of-mouth recommendations. When customers feel recognized and valued, they’re more likely to become enthusiastic advocates for your winery, helping you grow your business not just during the holiday season, but all year long.
The future of BFCM will be shaped by personalization, automation and transparency.
Here’s what’s coming next:
The wineries that thrive will merge craft and code: combining their storytelling DNA with data-driven precision.
When it comes to BFCM, the difference between “selling wine” and “building a brand” is how you use the data.
You’re not competing for discounts. You’re competing for attention, loyalty, and trust.
Get your segmentation right. Craft offers with integrity. Deliver flawlessly. And most importantly, turn your seasonal buyers into lifelong advocates. Email remains an incredibly powerful marketing tool during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Because in wine, as in life, the long game is always the one worth playing.
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