The 2025 holiday season wasn’t just strong — it was clarifying. Wineries saw earlier gifting windows, higher mobile conversion rates, stronger club engagement, and a meaningful shift in how buyers interacted with seasonal offers.
Most importantly, this year confirmed what many operators already suspected: holiday performance now predicts first-quarter demand, club behavior, and long-term customer value.
For a broader view of the operational and behavioral shifts shaping these trends, see the 2025 Highlights + 2026 Vision Infographic.
Holiday performance is no longer a year-end spike. It has become a strategic indicator for:
customer behavior
operational workflow
segmentation strategy
future revenue patterns
Historically, holiday sales lived in their own silo — a seasonal burst, then a reset.
In 2025, that changed. Seasonal behavior now reveals:
early Q1 reorder likelihood
new membership potential
segmentation opportunities
LTV from gift buyers
preferred communication cadence
According to NielsenIQ, consumers began gift shopping earlier and compared wineries before committing — a clear signal that intentionality replaced impulse.
These behavioral shifts reflect the broader stabilization seen across 2025. For deeper context, explore 2025 Highlights & Lessons Learned.
For many wineries, the holiday season effectively began in mid-October.
What drove earlier purchasing?
tighter and clearer shipping expectations
consumers planning ahead
early-season bundle releases
frictionless mobile checkout enabling faster decisions
Earlier gifting expanded the seasonal runway, creating more predictable revenue and reducing last-minute promotional pressure.
Key winery takeaway:
Start earlier, simplify offers, and launch segmented messaging before Thanksgiving.
Mobile performance surged again — reinforcing mobile as the default DTC buying experience.
What the data showed:
55–60% of holiday wine purchases occurred on mobile
single-bottle gifts and bundles converted fastest
urgency and deadlines performed better on mobile than desktop
slow or confusing mobile checkout directly reduced seasonal revenue
This trend mirrors broader retail ecommerce and aligns with 2025’s year-round mobile patterns.
Key winery takeaway:
Even the best holiday campaign can’t outrun a slow mobile checkout.
Bundles were the clear winner of the 2025 holiday run.
Winning bundles consistently offered:
simple choices (2–3 options max)
value framed around the occasion, not the discount
relevance for both members and non-members
easy-to-understand shipping incentives
Bundles helped wineries:
increase AOV
reduce decision fatigue
streamline inventory
Key winery takeaway:
Design bundles around moments — hosting, gifting, celebrating — not product lists.
Wineries that hosted December events (holiday tastings, club socials, library releases) saw stronger seasonal follow-through.
Data revealed that:
event attendees converted 2–3× higher into holiday orders
48-hour event follow-ups increased club interest
event purchasers became prime January reorder targets
This directly mirrors 2025’s event-to-club pattern: events create momentum, not just transactions.
Key winery takeaway:
Every event attendee is a high-intent seasonal buyer. Follow up early.
Gift buyers were historically one-time purchasers. In 2025, that changed.
Wineries reported:
January reorders from gift recipients
early club interest from gift subscribers
increased engagement with winemaker-led content
curiosity about tasting room visits
Gift buyers proved to be a meaningful pipeline — not just a seasonal revenue boost.
Key winery takeaway:
Gift buyers deserve their own onboarding flow.
In 2026, holiday momentum acts as the starting line, not the finish.
Targeted follow-ups beat batch-and-blast messages.
Your warmest Q1 audiences:
event attendees
gift buyers
high-intent seasonal purchasers
Mobile-first campaigns will outperform email-heavy strategies.
Most impactful automations:
gift recipient onboarding
timed reorder nudges
event-based follow-up flows
For the full strategic view of where this momentum leads, explore 2026 Predictions for DTC Wineries.
Create messaging for:
gift buyers
gift recipients
one-time purchasers
high-AOV buyers
December event attendees
Align seasonal promotions with:
club recruitment cycles
reorder incentives
limited release timing
Audit:
page load
checkout flow
bundle presentation
shipping clarity
A three-email sequence can establish early trust.
Evaluate:
top-performing bundles
repeat buyers
event-driven spend
product and format preferences
Small adjustments create meaningful revenue lift.
1. Why did holiday wine sales start earlier in 2025?
Consumers planned ahead and responded to early bundles and clear shipping deadlines.
2. Did mobile checkout influence conversion?
Yes — over half of seasonal purchases occurred on mobile.
3. Are gift buyers valuable beyond December?
Absolutely. Many reordered in January and showed interest in membership.
4. Should wineries run fewer or more campaigns?
Fewer, clearer, segmented campaigns perform best.
5. What bundles worked best?
Occasion-based bundles with 2–3 simple options.
6. Do holiday events still matter?
Yes — they significantly boosted seasonal revenue and created early Q1 prospects.
7. How early should holiday promotions begin?
Late October through early November drives the best results.
8. What data should wineries review post-holiday?
Segment performance, gift buyer activity, AOV, reorder timing, mobile conversion.
9. Is automation necessary?
For small teams, automation is what makes consistent communication possible.
10. How does holiday performance affect 2026?
It predicts reorder behavior, club interest, and customer value more than ever before.
The 2025 holiday season delivered clarity about how consumers buy, what they value, and how wineries can carry momentum into Q1 and beyond. Earlier gifting behavior, mobile-first purchasing, bundle-driven sales, and event-powered engagement defined the strongest performers — and these trends will shape 2026 strategy.
The opportunity now is to turn these insights into year-round operational strength.
To align this momentum with your upcoming plans, download the 2026 Roadmap for DTC Wineries.