The food and beverage sector has found its sweet spot when it comes to maximizing the potential of digital and of online sales. With more online grocers joining and succeeding in the market (and the Amazon Effect making the e-commerce landscape even more competitive), it seems due time for wineries to follow suit. However, with regulatory and logistical challenges still posing a big obstacle for wine e-commerce and digitization across the industry, this has largely not yet been the case.

According to Beverage Daily, "if online grocery sales continue growing as projected while alcohol retailers underperform at the same rate [they have been, businesses in the wine industry] could lose out on nearly $4B a year in alcohol sales by 2022."

An e-commerce solution, along with the embracing of digital disruptors and technological innovation in the wine industry, may be a panacea for wineries as well as for wine manufacturers and distributors. The question that remains is: how can these businesses tap this digital opportunity, and when will they do so successfully?