2025 Oregon Wine Symposium | DTC Manager Fireside Chat

Building on insights from the Day 1 DTC Roundtables, Liz Mercer and Jenn Warrington from WISE will lead a focused discussion on key challenges facing Oregon’s direct-to-consumer managers today. They will share actionable strategies for addressing topics such as revitalizing wine club memberships, finding fresh approaches to tasting room employee training and compensation, and other critical issues affecting DTC operations.

This session will also provide an open forum for participants to discuss how Oregon tasting rooms can navigate current industry challenges, drawing on the unique spirit of that characterizes Oregon’s wine community, with a view to practical solutions for success.

Download Presentation

John Keleher, Founder, Community Benchmark
In June 2012 John decided it was time for a change. For seven years, he’d found major success building web-based businesses in Washington DC, co-founding two companies in that time: Benton Consulting, where clients included high-profile entities like the World Bank; and ARMS College Athletics Software, where he led a 300% growth in three years before being acquired. However, despite his success, he was in search of more than the fast-paced city life. He wanted a rural, hands-on, self-sufficient lifestyle. John wanted to grow his own food, build things, and be part of a smaller more intimate community. So, like the pioneering homesteaders of old, he moved west to Mendocino County, CA to grow and cook his own food, live healthier, and – it’s also worth mentioning – drink some excellent wine.

In time he found that while you can take the boy out of the business, you can’t take the business out of the boy. John became eager to find ways to use his skills and experience in entrepreneurial enterprise to contribute to his new community. Following a six-month internship with world-renowned agriculturalist John Jeavons, he started a business growing and selling market greens. Seeing that the area was, for many, a great place to live but a tough place to make a living, he also began consulting with small local businesses – especially wineries. John helped them organize and build financial and data systems to vastly improve their record keeping and sales. He found purpose in helping small business owners and wanted to help more.

Remy Sabiani, Owner, WinePulse
With a robust career spanning 30 years in software engineering, Remy Sabiani stands at the forefront of technology and data solutions in the winery industry. In 2019, Remy embarked on an entrepreneurial venture, founding WinePulse. This groundbreaking endeavor marked the inception of the first Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) reporting solution tailored for wineries. Under his leadership, WinePulse has evolved into an industry leader, now serving over 200 wineries with its innovative platform. Continuing his passion for data-driven technology, Remy is currently pioneering the first AI data assistant for wineries, ChatDTC. This revolutionary AI application promises to transform the way wineries interact with and utilize data, further cementing Remy’s role as a visionary in tech-based wine industry solutions.

On a personal front, Remy Sabiani is a family man, married with a daughter, residing in the picturesque, wine-rich region of Paso Robles. His commitment to family and his roots in a community known for its winemaking mirrors his professional dedication to enhancing the wine industry through technology.

Jennifer Warrington, Partner, The Glue, WISE
Jennifer is an industry professional with more than 25 years of experience, including her time with WISE. She began her career in the wine industry working for Lesley Berglund (Co-Founder & Chairman of WISE) at Ambrosia Wine Catalogue/The Winetasting Network shortly after completing her BA in English Literature. In her role as The Glue, Jennifer oversees all things WISE: WISE Operations which includes spearheading the WISE Mystery Shopping Program (now over 6,000 shops); overseeing content development; coaching; account management of WISE wineries; oversees marketing programs; moderates WISE Cabinets; coordinates, schedules, and communicates with coaches, attendees and winery partners for a robust class schedule of 30+ courses and onsite training programs throughout California, Oregon, Washington, New York and more.

In Jennifer’s free time, she can be found with her nose buried in her Kindle or puttering in her yard. She also loves to travel, spending time with her family and friends across the globe.