2026-04-21
AUSTIN, Texas — The Weinheimer Group on Tuesday released a report on how wineries are using artificial intelligence in marketing and discovery, saying the industry is moving quickly toward AI tools even as many operators remain unsure how to turn that interest into measurable business results.
The company’s Wine Industry AI Marketing Readiness Report surveyed verified winery owners, operators and marketing decision-makers and found that 93% are either actively experimenting with AI or gathering information about it. Only 7% said AI is not a current priority. The report said 60% of respondents identified improving online discoverability as their top opportunity, while 36% said uncertainty about what is real and what is hype remains their main obstacle. Another 29% said proof of return on investment would be the factor most likely to push them to take a first step.
The release came with the launch of VINTAGE², an educational system the company says is designed to help wineries understand how AI is changing the way consumers and trade buyers find brands. The system focuses on AI search behavior, brand visibility audits, narrative alignment and Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, a term used for efforts to make brands easier for AI-powered discovery platforms to understand and cite.
Tim Weinheimer, the company’s founder and brand-AI marketing strategist, said wineries that are not visible in AI-driven search systems risk losing attention before a customer or buyer ever reaches their website or tasting room.
“The wine industry has crossed a threshold that cannot be walked back,” Weinheimer said in a statement. “AI-powered search and generative engines are already functioning as the first point of discovery for consumers and trade buyers alike.”
The company said VINTAGE² is meant to be a working knowledge system rather than a software product or subscription service. It is intended to give winery teams a framework they can use internally as AI becomes more central to digital marketing.
William Chris Wine Company in Texas said it had already seen value from one of Weinheimer’s workshops. Valerie Elkins, the company’s director of memberships, said the session helped clarify how AI is shaping consumer discovery and where the winery could improve its visibility.
For newer businesses, the company said the stakes are even higher. Vinoth Rajkumar, proprietor of Cork2Glass, said early visibility in news coverage, online ratings and reviews, and AI search had been important to the business’s growth over its first five months.
The Weinheimer Group, based in Austin, describes itself as a winery brand strategy consultancy focused on AI readiness, brand clarity and digital visibility. Weinheimer said he has more than 30 years of marketing experience and previously founded Su Vino Winery in Grapevine, Texas.