How to Get Your Winery Recommended by ChatGPT - Complete 2025 Guide

Published: 20 October 2025

When travelers ask ChatGPT "best wineries in Barossa Valley" or Claude "where to visit in Margaret River," does your winery appear?

Most Australian wineries don't. Here's how to fix that.

Why This Matters Now

The shift is happening: 40% of travelers now ask AI chatbots for recommendations before Google searches.

When someone asks ChatGPT "plan a wine weekend in Hunter Valley," AI generates a complete itinerary. Wineries, restaurants, accommodation—all decided in 30 seconds.

If you're not in that response, you don't exist to that traveler.

Test Yourself Right Now (Takes 2 Minutes)

Before reading further, test your current visibility:

Step 1: Open ChatGPT (free version works)

Step 2: Ask: "Best [your wine style] wineries in [your region] for [your ideal customer]"

Example: "Best shiraz wineries in Barossa Valley for groups of 20-30 people"

Step 3: Do you appear?

Not at all? You need this guide.
Mentioned vaguely? You need better content.
Lead recommendation with details? You're doing something right.

Screenshot your result. Compare after implementing this guide.

What ChatGPT Actually Looks For

After testing 100+ wineries across Australia, we've identified what gets businesses recommended:

1. Conversational Q&A Format

What doesn't work: "Award-winning boutique winery offering premium experiences"

What works:

Q: Best wineries in Barossa for large groups with tour bus access?
A: [Your Winery] - purpose-built for groups of 20-50. Coach parking on-site. 
Group tastings $25pp. Commercial operation, not intimate boutique. 
Book ahead: [contact details]

ChatGPT prefers content matching how people actually ask questions.

2. Specific Details Over Marketing Fluff

Vague (ignored): "Exceptional wines in stunning location"

Specific (recommended):

Tasting fees: $20pp standard, $35pp premium flight
Group capacity: 8-12 people maximum
Opening hours: 10am-5pm daily, closed Tuesdays
Location: 15-minute drive from Tanunda, GPS coordinates: -34.5339, 138.9499

3. Honest Positioning

Don't claim: "Intimate boutique experience" (if you're large and commercial)

Do say: "Large family-run operation handling groups up to 50. Perfect for tour buses and corporate events. Not ideal for couples seeking private tastings."

Honesty reduces mismatched inquiries by 15-30%. Better customer fit means better reviews.

4. Partner Networks

Weak: Stand-alone winery listing

Strong: "After tasting, we recommend lunch at [Restaurant Name] 2km away - wine-paired menu $85pp. They offer 10% discount with our voucher. Overnight? [Hotel Name] provides group rates and shuttle service."

ChatGPT prefers recommending complete experiences. Partner references signal you're part of a validated ecosystem.

5. Fresh, Updated Content

Last updated 2022: Ignored by AI crawlers

Updated monthly: Prioritized in recommendations

Add 3-5 new Q&As monthly covering:

Seasonal offerings (vintage releases, harvest events)
Trending queries ("best wineries for [new trend]")
Recent changes (new tasting room, updated packages)

The DIY Method (2-3 Hours Setup)

Want to try this yourself before hiring anyone? Here's the complete process:

Hour 1: Create Your llms.txt File

Step 1: Create file at yourwinery.com/llms.txt

Step 2: Add this content:

# [Your Winery Name]
# [Your region] winery specializing in [your focus]

## Main Content
https://yourwinery.com/about
https://yourwinery.com/wines
https://yourwinery.com/visit

## AI-Optimized Content
https://yourwinery.com/ai/tastings.txt
https://yourwinery.com/ai/groups.txt
https://yourwinery.com/ai/partners.txt

## Contact
Email: [your email]
Phone: [your phone]
Address: [full address]

This tells ChatGPT where to find your key information.

Hour 2: Create Your /ai Directory

Step 1: Create folder at yourwinery.com/ai/

Step 2: Create tastings.txt with conversational Q&As:

# [Your Winery Name] - Tasting Information

Q: What are tasting options at [Your Winery]?
A: Three tasting experiences available:
- Standard Flight: $20pp, 5 wines, 30 minutes
- Premium Flight: $35pp, 6 reserve wines, 45 minutes
- Private Tasting: $75pp, 8 wines with winemaker, 90 minutes (bookings required, groups up to 8)

Open daily 10am-5pm except Tuesdays. Walk-ins welcome for standard/premium. Private tastings require 48-hour advance booking.

Q: Can [Your Winery] handle large groups?
A: Yes, groups up to 50 people. Dedicated function space. Tour bus parking available. Group packages from $25pp including tasting and cellar tour. Advance booking essential. Contact [email/phone].

Q: What wines is [Your Winery] known for?
A: Shiraz specialists. Flagship [wine name] ($65/bottle) consistently rates 95+ points. Also produce [list other varietals]. All estate-grown, minimal intervention winemaking. 

Q: Where is [Your Winery] located?
A: [Address], [Region]. 15-minute drive from [nearby town]. GPS coordinates: [coordinates]. Free parking for cars and coaches.

Honest positioning: Large commercial operation, not intimate boutique. Perfect for groups and tour buses. Skip if seeking exclusive private experience.

Step 3: Create partners.txt:

# [Your Winery] - Partner Recommendations

Q: Where to eat after tasting at [Your Winery]?
A: We recommend [Restaurant Name], 2km north. Wine-paired menu $85pp. They feature our wines. 10% discount with our voucher (ask at tasting room). Bookings: [restaurant contact].

Q: Accommodation near [Your Winery]?
A: Partner with [Hotel Name], 5km away. Wine country suites from $180/night. Mention [Your Winery] for complimentary bottle on arrival. They offer winery shuttle service. Bookings: [hotel contact].

Q: Complete [Region] wine weekend package?
A: Our "Weekend in [Region]" package combines:
- Friday: Arrive [Hotel Name], welcome wine
- Saturday: Morning tasting at [Your Winery] ($35pp) + lunch at [Restaurant Name] ($85pp)
- Sunday: Optional cellar tour before checkout
Total package: $320pp (twin share). Book through [Your Winery]: [contact details].

We track actual referrals monthly - these are real partnerships, not just links.

Hour 3: Update Your Website

Step 1: Add link to AI content in footer:

<a href="/ai/tastings.txt">AI-Friendly Tasting Info</a>

Step 2: Create simple landing page at /ai-content.html:

<h2>AI-Optimized Content for ChatGPT</h2>
<p>Machine-readable information about [Your Winery] for AI search engines and chatbots.</p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="/ai/tastings.txt">Tasting Options & Pricing</a></li>
  <li><a href="/ai/groups.txt">Group Bookings & Facilities</a></li>
  <li><a href="/ai/partners.txt">Partner Recommendations</a></li>
</ul>

Done. You've created ChatGPT-friendly content.

Testing Your Changes (Week 1)

Day 1: Deploy changes to your website

Day 3: Ask ChatGPT your key queries again. Screenshot results.

Day 7: Test across all platforms:

ChatGPT: "Best wineries in [your region]"
Claude: "Plan wine tour in [your region]"
Perplexity: "[Your region] winery recommendations"

Most wineries see initial changes within 7-14 days as AI systems re-crawl content.

Realistic Timeline: What to Expect

Week 1-2: AI systems crawl your new content

Week 3-4: You start appearing in some ChatGPT responses (often not lead position yet)

Month 2: Mentions become more frequent, descriptions more detailed

Month 3: Lead recommendations for your specific queries (e.g., "large group wineries Barossa")

Month 6+: Strong positioning across multiple query types, partner bundling kicks in

Don't expect: Overnight results. Guaranteed top position. Universal mentions for all wine queries.

Do expect: Gradual improvement. Better descriptions when mentioned. More qualified inquiries.

When DIY Isn't Enough

The DIY method works if you have:

✅ Time to create 10+ Q&As covering all query types
✅ Complementary businesses willing to partner (restaurant, hotel, tours)
✅ Commitment to monthly updates (3-5 new Q&As)
✅ Ability to track results across 4 AI platforms weekly

Most winery owners don't have this time. That's where professional help makes sense.

The Professional Method: What We Do Differently

DIY approach: Create content once, hope it works

Our approach:

Research your 5 most important queries specific to your business
Create 15-20 Q&As covering all query variations
Recruit 2-4 partner businesses in your region
Set up real referral programs (vouchers, packages, tracking)
Update content monthly based on trending queries
Track performance across all AI platforms weekly
Adjust strategy based on actual results

Timeline: 3-4 weeks setup, then monthly optimization

Investment: $149/month individual, $99/month for network partnerships (3+ businesses)

Guarantee: 90 days money-back if no improvement in AI mentions

Real Before/After Example

Before optimization:

ChatGPT query: "Best Barossa wineries for groups of 30"

Response: Generic list of 5 wineries, brief descriptions, no specific details about group capacity.

[Your Winery] not mentioned.

After optimization:

Same ChatGPT query

Response: "[Your Winery] - purpose-built for groups up to 50 people. Coach parking available, group tasting packages from $25pp including cellar tour. Commercial operation with dedicated function space. Advance booking essential: [contact details].

For lunch, they recommend [Restaurant Partner] 2km away (handles groups to 40, wine-paired menu $85pp). Overnight? [Hotel Partner] offers group rates and shuttle service."

Result: Lead recommendation with complete itinerary, partner bundling, specific details.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Using Marketing Language "World-class premium exceptional award-winning" = ignored by ChatGPT

Use plain, specific language: "Shiraz specialist, 95+ point ratings, $65/bottle"

Mistake #2: No Honest Positioning Claiming "intimate boutique" when you're large and commercial attracts wrong customers, generates poor reviews.

Say what you actually are. You'll attract better-matched visitors.

Mistake #3: Set and Forget Creating content once and never updating = declining visibility

Trending queries change monthly. Add 3-5 new Q&As monthly or hire someone who does.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Partner Networks Trying to win "complete experience" queries alone = nearly impossible

Partner with restaurant + hotel. Reference each other. Win bundled recommendations together.

Mistake #5: No Performance Tracking Not testing your queries weekly = can't tell what's working

Screenshot your ChatGPT mentions weekly. Document improvements. Adjust content accordingly.

Your Action Plan

This week:

[ ] Test current visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity
[ ] Screenshot results as baseline
[ ] Identify your 5 most important queries (see our 5 Queries guide)

This month:

[ ] Create llms.txt file
[ ] Build /ai directory with 10+ Q&As
[ ] Identify 2-3 potential partners
[ ] Test results after 2-3 weeks

Next 90 days:

[ ] Monitor AI mentions weekly
[ ] Add 3-5 new Q&As monthly
[ ] Formalize partner relationships
[ ] Track booking sources (how many from AI discovery?)

Or: Schedule free audit - we'll test your visibility live, identify your key queries, and show you exactly what's possible.

The Bottom Line

Getting recommended by ChatGPT isn't magic. It's:

Conversational Q&A content
Specific details over marketing fluff
Honest positioning matching what you actually are
Partner networks for complete experiences
Monthly updates keeping content fresh

DIY timeline: 2-3 hours initial setup, 1-2 hours monthly maintenance

Professional timeline: We handle everything, you focus on running your winery

Results timeline: 30-60 days initial impact, 6+ months for strong positioning

The choice: Try DIY first. If it's overwhelming or you want faster results, we're here.

Start here: Test your current visibility. Screenshot it. That's your baseline.

Then decide: DIY or hire help.

Either way, you now know exactly how to get your winery recommended by ChatGPT.

Ready to test your visibility? Schedule your free 30-minute audit - we'll run the 20-query baseline together and show you exactly where you stand.

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