Meet Me at Brunch

A few weeks ago, alcohol-related pages across Facebook were flagged as ineligible for recommendation. Meta has since clarified that it was a technical issue and largely resolved it. But the lesson remains. If your growth relies heavily on algorithm-led discovery, your business is exposed to decisions you do not control.

In this episode, we cover:

Social media is powerful. But it is rented space. Your database, your website, your ecommerce store and your automated flows are assets you control. If this moment made you question how exposed your current setup is, that’s a good thing.

Download our free resource and explore the rest of our resources on the website.

And if you want to talk it through properly, reach out to us here. 

In today’s chat with Tim , we talk about how winemakers learn to communicate outside the winery, why different audiences need different stories, and how to keep your message clear across cellar door, trade, and wine club.

Tim shares how his retail background shaped his approach to selling wine, why people connect more with place and personality than technical detail alone, and what extra resourcing can unlock inside a winery. We also touch on how Oakridge is adapting its cellar door focus, and what the current season is doing in the Yarra.

In this episode:

• How retail experience translates to better wine sales
• Why knowing your product builds confidence and trust with consumers
• How to tailor your message for cellar door, trade, and wine club
• Why people and place matter more than technical detail alone
• What resourcing can change inside a winery and vineyard
• How Oakridge is adapting its cellar door offering
• Weather in the Yarra and the upcoming vintage

All Links & Resources

• Find all of our free resources here
• Want to chat through your winery’s email strategy? Book a free consult with us here
• Visit us at brunchagency.com
• Follow us on Instagram
• Connect with us on LinkedIn

Todays chat with Pete is one that you don't want to miss. We go inside Pikes’ export playbook: why the right distributor beats the “right” market, what's moving the needle in our current market, and how to stay steady when tariffs and travel knock plans around. Pete also shares first steps for small wineries and the health routines that make the job sustainable.

In this episode:

• How strong customer relationships set the foundation for DTC growth
• Why working together beats going it alone in regional wine networks
• How trade and export connections can support your long-term goals
• First steps for small wineries with limited hands on deck
• Health, routines, and staying balanced when you're on the road

All Links & Resources

• Find all of our free resources here
• Want to chat through your winery’s email strategy? Book a free consult with us here
• Visit us at brunchagency.com
• Follow us on Instagram
• Connect with us on LinkedIn

From cellar door loyalty and winery collaborations to trade partnerships and regional networks, this episode dives deep into what makes the Australian wine industry so connected.

Hugh, Charlotte, and John share their experiences across every layer of the wine world, from building trust with customers to working with regional associations and industry bodies. They also explore how collaboration can lift the whole sector, making Australian wine stronger at home and abroad.

In this episode:

• How strong customer relationships set the foundation for DTC growth
• Why working together beats going it alone in regional wine networks
• How trade and export connections can support your long-term brand goals
• What regional and national wine bodies do, and how to get involved
• Stories of wineries backing each other and building something bigger together

Mentioned in this episode:

• Wine Australia
• Australian Grape & Wine
• Wine Victoria
• Wine Tasmania
• Wines of Western Australia
• NSW Wine Industry Association
• Queensland Wine Industry Association

📍 Explore your regional wine association: AGW Regional Directory
📘 Learn more about Vision 2050: Australian Grape & Wine Vision 2050

All Links & Resources

• Find all of our free resources here
• Want to chat through your winery’s email strategy? Book a free consult with us here
• Visit us at brunchagency.com
• Follow us on Instagram
• Connect with us on LinkedIn

We’re going back to basics with Social Media That Sells (Part Two) designed for the small winery teams doing it all. In this episode, Maddy and Amber share what matters most on your socials.

Learn how to:

• Build simple content pillars that guide your posts
• Use Facebook and Instagram effectively
• Share the social load across your team
• Repurpose user-generated content
• Batch, schedule, and simplify your posts
• Use AI tools without losing your winery’s voice

👉 Download Social Media Basics for Wineries here

All Links & Resources

• Find all of our free resources here
• Want to chat through your winery’s email strategy? Book a free consult with us here
• Visit us at brunchagency.com
• Follow us on Instagram
• Connect with us on LinkedIn

If you’ve ever been curious about what makes Pike’s Wines so consistently popular, this episode is a must-listen. Nick sits down with Jamie Pike, second-generation co-owner, and Pud Smith, Direct Sales Manager and long-serving cellar door extraordinaire, to unpack the history, strategy, and heart behind this iconic Clare Valley brand.

What We Cover:

• How Pike’s started and grew from a small family operation into a national brand.
• The importance of building relationships with customers, both in the cellar door and via direct-to-consumer channels.
• How they manage varietal diversity and product innovation while staying true to their core offerings.
• Tips for delivering exceptional customer experience in wine and hospitality.

All Links & Resources

• Pike’s Wines: https://www.pikeswines.com.au
  Access our top ten marketing tips right here
• Find our Free Resources here
• Want to chat through your winery’s email strategy? Book a free consult with us here
• Visit us at brunchagency.com
• Follow us on Instagram
• Connect with us on LinkedIn

Winemaker. General manager. All-round legend. Andrew Duff has done it all, and in this chat, he shares what he’s learned along the way. From brewing beer in boarding school to leading the team at Briar Ridge in the Hunter Valley, Duff reflects on the moments that shaped his winemaking journey and what’s driving innovation today. He and Hugh talk about cellar door surprises, the rise of new varietals, and how to keep things simple when you’re running a small team.


What We Cover:

• Duff’s journey back to the Hunter and into winemaking
• Why Albariño, Fiano and other new varieties are on his radar
• How Briar Ridge balances heritage with fresh ideas
• What surprises visitors when they visit the cellar door
• Why simple marketing is often the smartest move
• Practical advice for small winery teams doing it all

All Links & Resources

• Access our top ten marketing tips right here
• Find our Free Resources here
• Want to chat through your winery’s email strategy? Book a free consult with us here
• Visit us at brunchagency.com
• Follow us on Instagram
• Connect with us on LinkedIn

Done right, paid media is one of the most powerful ways to grow your wine business. But too often, it’s confusing, expensive, or just plain frustrating.

In this episode, Maddy and Amber cut through the noise and break down how wineries can use Meta Business Suite to get better results from their ads. They cover how to set up a simple, effective funnel, choose the right audiences, and write copy that actually converts. If you’ve been guessing with your ads, this episode gives you a clear place to start.


What We Cover:

• How Paid Media flows through your sales funnel
• The difference between boosting and strategic advertising
• Budget tips: what to spend and when to scale
• Audience types and how to target them
• What makes a great wine ad: visuals, copy and creative formats
• Daily optimisations that move the needle
• Why Meta will always spend your budget, and how to make your spend count
   

All Links & Resources

• Access our top ten marketing tips right here
• Find our Free Resources here
• Want to chat through your winery’s email strategy? Book a free consult with us here
• Visit us at brunchagency.com
• Follow us on Instagram
• Connect with us on LinkedIn

A busy cellar door is great, but real growth happens when you keep those customers coming back.

In this episode, John and Dave explore how wineries can turn casual drop-ins into loyal customers. They talk about creating memorable experiences, capturing the right data, and using simple automations to stay connected once the visitor walks out the door. Whether you’re new to CRM or already running loyalty programs, this chat will help you get more from every tasting room interaction.


What we cover:

• Why your cellar door team are your most powerful brand ambassadors
• What makes an experience memorable
• How wine tourism is shifting from walk-ins to booked, immersive tastings
• Smart ways to collect data that helps your marketing
• Easy CRM tricks for better follow-up and segmentation
• Loyalty vs. subscriptions - what works best, and when
• How to motivate staff to capture better data
• Setting up follow-up flows that feel personal and authentic
• Using purchase behaviour to tailor future offers
   

All Links & Resources

• Access our top ten marketing tips right here
• Find our Free Resources here
• Want to chat through your winery’s email strategy? Book a free consult with us here
• Visit us at brunchagency.com
• Follow us on Instagram
• Connect with us on LinkedIn

We all know wine quality matters. But when someone is standing in front of a shelf or browsing online, there are a dozen other things that drive the sale.

In this episode, Bronte, Adam and Lachie break down what catches a buyer’s eye and what makes them hit purchase. You’ll hear how label design, storytelling, DTC conversations and even phone calls impact trust, loyalty and spend. This one is packed with insight from people who talk to customers every day, and who know how a single bottle becomes a repeat order.

What we cover:

• Why some bottles get picked up while others get ignored
• How strong branding and storytelling drive sales
• What wine buyers care about
• How one-on-one conversations shape trust and influence decisions
• Why phone sales often result in higher basket sizes
• What the Brunch Direct team notices when interacting with their customers
   

All Links & Resources

📝 Access all our Free Resources here: linktr.ee/brunch.agency
📞 Want to chat about your winery’s sales strategy? Book a free consult with us here
🌐 Visit us at brunchagency.com
📸 Follow us on Instagram
🔗 Connect with us on LinkedIn