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09.17.2025
Online Reservation Systems vs. Built-In Booking Features on Winery Websites — What Should You Choose?
In today’s wine industry, tasting room reservations are not just operational tools — they are strategic levers. According to the 2025 SVB State of the Wine Industry Report, tasting room visitation remains one of the most powerful drivers of Wine Club acquisition and the second-largest contributor to direct-to-consumer (DTC) revenue, following wine sales themselves.
Yet, as consumer visitation patterns evolve, how wineries manage reservations — whether through third-party platforms or built-in tools — has become a critical decision. The right choice can impact everything from guest satisfaction and Wine Club conversion to brand control and long-term revenue growth.
Let’s explore the two primary approaches wineries use today:
• External reservation platforms (e.g., Tock)
• Built-in reservation flows on the winery’s own website
Yet, as consumer visitation patterns evolve, how wineries manage reservations — whether through third-party platforms or built-in tools — has become a critical decision. The right choice can impact everything from guest satisfaction and Wine Club conversion to brand control and long-term revenue growth.
Let’s explore the two primary approaches wineries use today:
• External reservation platforms (e.g., Tock)
• Built-in reservation flows on the winery’s own website
WineSpot’s reservation feature integrated with Commerce7, enabling wineries to offer seamless, on-brand booking experiences directly on their website while keeping guest and reservation data synced in one place.
External Reservation Systems: Convenience with Constraints
Third-party reservation platforms like Tock, OpenTable, or CellarPass remain popular among wineries, especially those managing high guest volumes or multiple locations. These tools offer standardized user flows and built-in marketing benefits, making them attractive for operational efficiency.
Benefits:
• Quick setup with minimal technical resources
• Handles payments, confirmations, and reminders automatically
• Marketplace visibility (e.g., Tock’s regional winery listings)
• Advanced features like waitlists, seat maps, and tiered experiences
• Simplified Booking for Customers: Aggregators provide a single, convenient platform for guests to discover and book tastings across multiple wineries
Drawbacks:
• Guests are redirected off your website to book
• Limited control over branding and user experience
• Data is often stored within the aggregator’s platform, not your own
• Monthly or per-cover fees can reduce margins
• Dependence on the Platform: Your ability to take bookings relies on the aggregator’s technology and policies
“We use Tock for general tastings because it’s easy to manage. But for club bookings and private events, we need more control and flexibility.”
— DTC Manager, Interview Participant
Benefits:
• Quick setup with minimal technical resources
• Handles payments, confirmations, and reminders automatically
• Marketplace visibility (e.g., Tock’s regional winery listings)
• Advanced features like waitlists, seat maps, and tiered experiences
• Simplified Booking for Customers: Aggregators provide a single, convenient platform for guests to discover and book tastings across multiple wineries
Drawbacks:
• Guests are redirected off your website to book
• Limited control over branding and user experience
• Data is often stored within the aggregator’s platform, not your own
• Monthly or per-cover fees can reduce margins
• Dependence on the Platform: Your ability to take bookings relies on the aggregator’s technology and policies
“We use Tock for general tastings because it’s easy to manage. But for club bookings and private events, we need more control and flexibility.”
— DTC Manager, Interview Participant
Built-In Website Booking: More Control, Greater Integration
Many wineries choose to offer reservations directly on their own website, either through built-in tools from their DTC platform (such as Commerce7) or via a custom-designed booking flow. This approach focuses on ownership — of the experience, the data, and the customer relationship.
Benefits:
• Full Control: You maintain complete control over your reservation process, scheduling, and data
• No Commissions: You avoid paying commission fees on reservations
• Direct Customer Relationship: You build a direct relationship with your guests and have access to their information
• Guest Data Ownership: All guest data stays within your winery’s ecosystem
• Seamless guest experience — bookings happen entirely on your own website
Drawbacks:
• Requires setup and coordination with a developer or DTC provider
• May lack marketplace-style discovery features (e.g., being listed alongside other wineries)
• Ongoing maintenance and updates are your responsibility
• Limited Reach: Customers may not discover your winery through your own system if they are not already searching for you directly.
“We like having bookings stay on our site — especially for club members. But we had to work with our developer to get the flow just right.”
— Small Winery Owner
A Third Option: The Hybrid Approach
Thankfully, this isn’t an either/or decision.
Many modern wineries are choosing a hybrid reservation model — combining the discovery benefits of platforms like Tock with the ownership and branding of built-in tools on their website.
This gives you the reach of aggregators and the control of a direct channel, all while centralizing data and supporting long-term Wine Club growth.
Many modern wineries are choosing a hybrid reservation model — combining the discovery benefits of platforms like Tock with the ownership and branding of built-in tools on their website.
This gives you the reach of aggregators and the control of a direct channel, all while centralizing data and supporting long-term Wine Club growth.
The Smart Approach: WineSpot + a Hybrid Reservation Model
At WineSpot, we believe the most effective reservation strategy today is a hybrid model:
• Use external aggregators like Tock, OpenTable, or CellarPass to bring in new visitors and tourists
• Use your own website, powered by your DTC platform, to offer a seamless, branded experience that supports Wine Club growth
With WineSpot, your website becomes a fully capable reservation channel — not through static forms or redirects, but via an AI-powered conversation.
Guests simply ask to book a tasting, and WineSpot handles the entire flow:
• Checks availability in Commerce7
• Applies rules like membership access or max party size
• Books the reservation and sends confirmation — all within the chat
It’s the convenience guests expect, without sacrificing your brand or customer ownership.
• Use external aggregators like Tock, OpenTable, or CellarPass to bring in new visitors and tourists
• Use your own website, powered by your DTC platform, to offer a seamless, branded experience that supports Wine Club growth
With WineSpot, your website becomes a fully capable reservation channel — not through static forms or redirects, but via an AI-powered conversation.
Guests simply ask to book a tasting, and WineSpot handles the entire flow:
• Checks availability in Commerce7
• Applies rules like membership access or max party size
• Books the reservation and sends confirmation — all within the chat
It’s the convenience guests expect, without sacrificing your brand or customer ownership.
Mobile interface showing WineSpot’s reservation flow — from experience selection to calendar availability and confirmation — fully synced with Commerce7 for a smooth, on-brand guest booking experience.
Centralize Guest Data with Commerce7 + Tock
Commerce7 gives wineries the tools to run smart, integrated reservations — with features like:
• Multi-location support
• Flexible reservation types and pricing
• Visual property mapping
• Club-only access
• Custom booking rules
If you’re using Tock, you can still keep all customer data in one place by enabling partial or full integration in Commerce7.
This allows guest contact info — and optionally reservation orders — to sync into your Commerce7 records, so you can manage Wine Club activity, segmentation, and communication without missing a beat.
This means you can use Tock to bring in traffic, but still manage your guest data, club segmentation, and reservation history inside Commerce7.
• Multi-location support
• Flexible reservation types and pricing
• Visual property mapping
• Club-only access
• Custom booking rules
If you’re using Tock, you can still keep all customer data in one place by enabling partial or full integration in Commerce7.
This allows guest contact info — and optionally reservation orders — to sync into your Commerce7 records, so you can manage Wine Club activity, segmentation, and communication without missing a beat.
This means you can use Tock to bring in traffic, but still manage your guest data, club segmentation, and reservation history inside Commerce7.
Final Thought
In a market where every tasting room visit is a Wine Club opportunity, wineries need more than a booking link — they need an integrated, flexible strategy.
A hybrid approach, supported by platforms like Commerce7 and powered by WineSpot, gives your winery the tools to grow smarter:
• Reach new guests through aggregators
• Retain control and guest data through your own site
• Book instantly, through chat, without lifting a finger
No silos. Just a better experience — for you and your customers.
See WineSpot in action — and turn your website into a reservation assistant that works while you pour.
Learn more: How WineSpot’s Email Bot Turns Messages Into Resolutions
A hybrid approach, supported by platforms like Commerce7 and powered by WineSpot, gives your winery the tools to grow smarter:
• Reach new guests through aggregators
• Retain control and guest data through your own site
• Book instantly, through chat, without lifting a finger
No silos. Just a better experience — for you and your customers.
See WineSpot in action — and turn your website into a reservation assistant that works while you pour.
Learn more: How WineSpot’s Email Bot Turns Messages Into Resolutions
Eugene Bazhutov
CEO and Founder of Wine Spot
Email: ebazhutov@winespot.ai