Come Over October Expands Globally for Third Year
News related to:COME TOGETHER-A Community for Wine Inc · 3 min read
ST. HELENA, Calif., Sep 29, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Come Over October, the global wine gathering campaign, is set to celebrate its third iteration with an expanded reach, including its first forays into Canada and New Zealand. The campaign, spearheaded by COME TOGETHER-A Community for Wine Inc., has grown in participation and scope, with new activations and partnerships across the United States, Canada, and New Zealand.
The third iteration of Come Over October marks a significant milestone in the campaign's evolution. The initiative, which began in 2024, aims to foster social connections and community through the simple yet powerful act of inviting someone over for a glass of wine. This year, the campaign has taken on a broader international dimension, with Canada and New Zealand joining the fold for the first time.
In Canada, Come Over October returns for a second year, led by Wine Growers Canada. The campaign will feature two major events: Open the Door on October 1 and The Long Table on October 16, both of which will be national days of gatherings and shared tables. To support wineries in their participation, Wine Growers Canada has provided an Event-in-a-Box toolkit, offering various levels of engagement, from simple "bring a friend" tastings to community dinners and regional events.
New Zealand is also participating for the first time, with a local campaign coordinated by Brent Eddy of Homefields Wine. The campaign is designed to be grassroots, encouraging producers, retailers, restaurants, and media to use free campaign materials and to bring the idea to life in ways that feel natural to their own businesses and communities. Wellington retailer Regional Wines is already participating in this local effort.
For the United States, Albertsons' Southern Region has adopted Come Over October as promotional programming for September and October, while Constellation Brands will activate the campaign for a third time across nearly 500 Kroger supermarkets. Independent and regional retailers, including Gary's Wine & Marketplace and Buy Rite New Jersey, are also getting behind the campaign, bringing Come Over October into local communities and neighborhood wine shops.
The campaign's expansion is accompanied by new tools and partnerships designed to make gathering easier and more fun. These include downloadable invitation templates, conversation starters, hosting ideas, and other tools to help consumers put the simple invitation to gather into action. A new partnership with BlindVine will introduce "What's Your Hosting Signature?", an interactive experience that lets consumers discover one of eight hosting personalities and share the results with friends. Come Over October is also partnering with the American Lamb Board on approachable recipes and wine-pairing ideas, culminating in a seasonal giveaway.
The campaign's recent Wine & Gathering Study revealed that 41% of wine consumers would be more likely to host a gathering with wine if they had a specific occasion or reason to gather, while 44% wanted easy recipes and food-pairing ideas. To address these needs, Come Over October will provide more ways for consumers to act on the invitation, including downloadable invitation templates, conversation starters, hosting ideas, and other tools intended to take some of the work out of gathering.
The continued retail adoption of Come Over October builds on previous programs that have demonstrated the campaign's ability to create a shared occasion around wine while giving retailers and suppliers flexibility in how they activate it.
Come Over October's expansion into Canada and New Zealand, combined with its growing presence in the United States, underscores the campaign's universal appeal while also allowing it to resonate with local cultures and traditions. The invitation is universal, but how people gather is wonderfully personal, according to Kimberly Noelle Charles, co-founder of Come Over October and president of Charles Communications Associates.
COME TOGETHER-A Community for Wine Inc., the mission-driven company behind the Come Over October and Share & Pair Sundays wine advocacy campaigns, is dedicated to telling the story of wine's historic and contemporary role as a beverage that brings people together. The organization's mission is supported by a network of supporters and partners, including Wine Growers Canada, Constellation Brands, and the American Lamb Board. For more information, visit www.cometogetherforwine.com.