Influencer Marketing for the Wine Industry: Cheers to Winning Content

More vintners, wine producers, and retailers are creating influencer campaigns to promote and sell everything from Chardonnay to Zinfandel. Given the industry’s shifting trends and the benefits influencers can have on brand awareness, engagement, and sales, it’s not surprising to see rising interest in creator collaborations.  

Shifting trends explain the need for influencer marketing

The wine industry looks a lot different today than it did 20 or even 5 years ago. Emerging industry trends encourage the use of modern, innovative marketing tactics like influencer marketing to attract and retain customers. Trends like: 

Wine sales shifted from in-person to online

Years ago, the majority of wine sales were done in-store, but now online purchases are quite common. The pandemic forced online wine sales, and many never went back to standing in liquor store lines. 

Wine e-commerce revenue went from $2.5 billion in 2017 to an estimated $5.2 billion in 2025. 

If your customers are shopping online, your brand needs a stronger online presence, which influencers can support.  

Younger wine drinkers listen to influencers

Millennials make up 20% of wine sales, and as Gen Z reaches drinking age, they’ll become target customers too. 

To reach the younger generation, influencer marketing is an effective tactic. Statistics from IZEA’s Trust in Influencer Marketing report prove it: 

• 50% of consumers ages 18-44 follow up to 20 influencers on social media.
• 50.7% of all consumers have purchased a product after an influencer’s recommendation.
• 52% of consumers find authentic influencer content more compelling than scripted brand ads.

Wine enthusiasts are diverse

Wine drinkers aren’t just parents sharing a glass of red after dinner anymore. Wine drinkers vary in age, gender, race, and income, which means you need tailored strategies to reach each group. By hand-selecting influencers that mimic your core audiences, you can connect with new customers in an authentic way. 

Benefits of influencer marketing in the wine industry

Incorporating influencer marketing into your current outreach might seem out of your comfort zone, but working with creators who have experience in the wine industry can result in immediate benefits for your brand. Advantages of influencer marketing include:

• Reaching your target audience. You’ll work with wine influencers whose followers match your customer personas.
• Creating subtle, effective advertising. The younger generation doesn’t respond to sales tactics; they prefer recommendations from trusted friends, including influencers. 
• Producing cost-effective campaigns. Your brand can find influencers that meet your budget and keep costs down. 
• Driving customer engagement. Influencer marketing thrives on communication, which bolsters relationships, as opposed to traditional broadcast ads that aren’t interested in customers’ opinions. 

Examples of influencer campaigns in the wine industry

Gather inspiration from these wine campaigns:

Vineyard or restaurant visit

Consider inviting a few wine influencers to your vineyard and ask them to share content during their trip. Your company pays for the influencer trip and usually creates an itinerary around their stay. You might host exclusive tastings, tours, or wine-pairing events, for example. 

In this campaign with Casillero del Diablo, influencer Giulia, known as @palmtreesandpellegrino, shared her experience at an immersive experience with the wine brand and Manchester United’s 12-year partnership. “We had so much fun celebrating the two brands’ partnership at the @mcasandiego overlooking the La Jolla coastline,” she said in her caption.

Make a wine cocktails

Provide wine drinkers with new inspiration through fresh recipes. Connect with a creative wine influencer or bartender who can create a customized cocktail using your wine. 

In a campaign with Yellow Tail Wine USA, Leah Bergman showed an easy-to-make summer beverage in an aesthetically pleasing video, complete with edible flowers.

Create a wine guide

Which wines are best for the holidays? Which foods pair well with each wine? Consider tasking an influencer with creating a wine guide or sharing a tip that answers questions that your target audience might have. Wine guides present a subtle way to promote a variety of your wines.

In a post promoting Trivento Reserve Malbec, influencer Teresa shared her steak and blue cheese crostinis, which are ideal pairings for the wine. Her caption shares information about the wine: “Coming from the renowned Mendoza region and is crafted with 100% Malbec. It boasts lush fruit flavors with velvety soft tannins and a hint of vanilla.”

Educate wine drinkers

Help your wine aficionados learn more about vino. You can task wine influencers to explain everything from the fermenting process to the proper way to clink wine glasses during cheers. 

In a campaign for 1865 wines, influencer Simon Goldman shares the history of the wine in his caption: “The story of the winery dates back to the mid-19th century, when Don Francisco Undurraga set out to establish a winery in Chile’s Maipo Valley. Undurraga imported French grape varieties to Chile and used his knowledge of winemaking to produce high-quality wines that were quickly recognized for their exceptional flavor and complexity.”

Inspire date night

Help your audience see themselves enjoying your wine with lifestyle inspiration. In this campaign to promote 1865 Wines, Chicago influencer Olga Goffman shared how she and her partner host an at-home date night, seamlessly and authentically incorporating the wine.

If you’d like to launch a sophisticated influencer campaign that involves multiple creators across multiple cultures and locations, we can help. Reach out to us for more examples of how we have executed impactful campaigns to promote wine brands.