Archive for Wineries
Solar Power Growing in Wine Industry
Posted by: | Commentsby Brian Wright
It’s no surprise that wineries are pioneers in a green industry like solar as the success of the grape grower can be measured by how well they interact with the environment. Clean energy and agriculture go hand in hand… and solar is proving to be more than the “vintage du jour” in the wine industry, it has taken hold and is here to stay. Read More→
5 Things Every Video Marketer Should Know…Before Production Begins!
Posted by: | CommentsWe recently celebrated the completion of our 175th wine industry related promotional video and had several people ask 
us what the “secret” is to creating something that’s actually effective versus “just another marketing spend”.
Well, the secret is… Read More→
Wine Industry Network Launches WIN Media
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The Wine Industry Network (WIN), today announced that it would expand their current offering of marketing services to provide complete video marketing and production tailored to meeting the needs of wine industry suppliers, service providers, wineries and winery associations.
Since launching in 2009, WIN has earned a reputation for providing creative new direct marketing services to wine industry suppliers. “Over the past two years we have developed a wide range of marketing services for our members,” said WIN President/Founder George Christie. “Nearly every supplier we work with has expressed a desire for marketing videos to help promote their products. WIN Media is in direct response to these requests,” explained Christie.
The production team that is now WIN Media has produced more than 150 wine industry videos over the past four years and has garnered two prestigious Telly Awards. As video on the internet continues to grow at a tremendous rate, large and small businesses in every area of the wine industry are embracing this medium. It has proven to be one of the most effective ways to communicate a brand message, and more importantly, the personalities behind those brands.
“Providing video marketing & production is the natural evolution for the Wine Industry Network,” said Christie. “We are already in the business of creating first class marketing content for our clients and our video team is committed to producing top quality promotional videos as another way to execute on their strategic marketing goals.”
WIN’s extensive experience within the industry and ability to produce the highest quality videos at an affordable price offer an exceptional opportunity. WIN Media will offer a number of affordable video packages to industry suppliers, service professionals, wineries, industry trade associations, publications and other closely related businesses.
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Nick Young Joins Wine Industry Network as Membership Operations Manager
Posted by: | CommentsGeorge Christie, President of The Wine Industry Network (WIN) is pleased to announce the appointment of Nick Young as their new Membership Operations Manager who will be key support for the rapidly expanding industry resource and marketing platform. “Nick has extensive experience with membership retention and customer management. His technical knowledge and proven track record in direct marketing, web design and management will add value to our organization and push our level of customer service over the top,” said George Christie.
Young brings with him a versatile background in marketing, database management and design. He has spent his past five years working as Information Services Director for the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce, an organization that has experienced tremendous growth and success in recent years. His contributions to the chamber have been numerous including the migration to digital communications, maintenance of database systems, and implementation and maintenance of social networking channels. Additionally, Young is a local Healdsburg native with a rich wine industry heritage as the grandson of Robert Young, renowned winegrower and industry icon.
Young’s ability to build and maintain customer relationships along with his versatility and resourcefulness were the deciding factors for Christie. “His entrepreneurial spirit was a big plus for me,” says Christie. “I’m looking forward to Nick bringing his strong interpersonal skills, fresh perspective, and energy to WIN.”
“The Wine Industry Network is breaking new ground in the industry,” said Nick Young. “Their model is extremely exciting and innovative and is a perfect fit for my interest and experience. I am eager to be a part of such a dedicated group of people.”
About the Wine Industry Network :
The Wine Industry Network (www.wineindustrynetwork.com) is a comprehensive business-to-business (B2B) Internet marketplace and resource site specifically created to help wine industry professionals more effectively and efficiently locate and connect with suppliers and service providers, regardless of region or category of interest.WIN is dedicated to the business of wine and to providing information crucial to the success of the entire wine industry.
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And The Winner Is…
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It’s interesting these days to look at the results of wine competitions around the country that are open for entry to national and, in some cases, international wines. These days we are seeing a much larger number of winners from states that are not traditionally thought of winegrowing and winemaking states.
For example in the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle wine competition, which had 5,050 wine entries from 23 states, two sweepstakes winners came from wineries that are outside California, one from Washington and one from New Mexico. Out of the six sweepstakes wines selected only one wine was from Sonoma County and none were from the Napa Valley.
This is getting to be more and more common as wineries from all over the country regularly enter and receive medals for their wines. Of course we are used to seeing wines from California, Washington, Oregon, New York’s Finger Lakes and Virginia on the winners lists, but until recently we have not been quite as accustomed to seeing wines from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Mexico, Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia. Missouri, Michigan and South Dakota to name some of the states that entered wines and won medals. And the medals awards to wineries in these states are primarily for vinifera wines, although some are for grapes not grown on the West Coast and some are for fruit wines.
As I travel so much to wine regions around the United States and Canada it comes as no surprise to me that wines from so many different parts of the US are doing so well. I taste the wines and they are delicious.
Congratulations to all the medal winners from around the country and good luck to the wineries that, though they may not have won a medal this time, might the next.
Keep up the good work!
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New Year, New Start…I Assume
Posted by: | CommentsSo how are the new year’s resolutions going? I have already discarded a couple of mine but have high hopes for some of the others. In addition to making (and subsequently breaking) my resolutions for 2011, I have decided that one resolution that I am very much planning on sticking with is one that encourages me to challenge my assumptions.
We assume so much and create so many phantom rules by which we live, that we end up with a brain full of “facts” that actually are dubious opinions with no real evidence that they are indeed… facts. Turning opinions or assumptions into facts can be prevalent when you retail staff makes assumptions as to whether visitors to the tasting room are, or are not, going to purchase wine or join the wine club.
Many times visitors walk into a tasting room and the staff sizes them up, deciding that these particular visitors aren’t going to buy anything. Based on these assumptions they don’t talk to visitors in terms that will trigger a buying response or present them with reasons that will make these visitors want to join the wine club.
Create a different outcome when you’re selling wine or wine club memberships. Do it by simply changing your attitude or assumptions. Instead of assuming that your visitors are not going to join the wine club because they probably already belong to too many clubs already, imagine that the visitors to your tasting room that day are planning to join eight different wine clubs and so far they have only joined two.
Elizabeth Slater- Founder & Vice President of WIN
Our assumptions can just as easily be positive as negative. We really can make it happen. It’s not too late to add one more resolution, especially if you have already broken one, there should be plenty of room.
For a copy of my one-page handout: Challenge Your Assumptions email contact@wineindustrynetwork.com
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It’s Almost Trade Show Season
Posted by: | CommentsElizabeth Slater- Founder & Vice President of WIN
It’s almost trade show season. I say almost because even though it is only November and the first trade show doesn’t happen until January of next year, we all know how time flies… and no time flies faster than between now and the holidays! In addition to the large regional shows: Unified, the Midwest Wine & Grape Conference, and Wineries Unlimited, there are also many conferences happening in individual states.
As Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors the prepared mind”… clever fellow was Louis. It’s not too early to start preparing for the upcoming conference/trade shows. Trust me, there is plenty of prep work to do no matter which side of the booth you’re on.
For wineries, take a look at the conference schedule and pick out the sessions that will give you the information you need the most. After you have honed in on the sessions, take a look at the exhibitor list and prioritize the “have to visit” booths and the “want to visit” booths. Plan enough time to walk the whole show. You never know what’s out there that will make your job easier or your business more successful. And of course, be sure and stop by the WIN booth to visit our team, we will be at all three shows.
If you’re going to be at the Midwest Conference or Wineries Unlimited, definitely don’t miss the full day Tasting Room Profitability/Wine Club Summit and kick your direct-to-consumer sales and service into high gear. Admittedly I am biased about these sessions as I am going to be participating, but I am confident that they are going to be great!
Finally, don’t forget to save some time for networking. Not only is it beneficial, it’s lots of fun too! Talk to people from different countries and from different parts of the county. A new perspective might trigger a new idea for your business.
The best thing about the conferences and trade shows…there is always something to learn and sometimes it’s in the place you least expect it. See you there!
Does Social Networking Sell Wine? Yes!
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It seems that the question most asked these days about social networking is whether or not wineries are actually getting visitors into their tasting rooms or into restaurants and retail stores to buy wine that they have learned about through Facebook, Twitter or Foursquare among others.
It seems that wine consumers are visiting wineries they may not have heard of because of the wineries’ presence in social networking forums. One example we have is from Michel Schlumberger, a winery in Healdsburg, CA, who found this blog from a consumer visiting Healdsburg:
“I checked in on Foursquare that I was in Healdsburg. Foursquare also automatically updated my Twitter account. A couple hours later I get a Twitter reply from the Michel-Schlumberger winery inviting me to come visit; that they are only 8 minutes away. We already had a list of wineries we wanted to visit and they were not on the list. But….Because of the invite I went to their website. We were both impressed with the winery and decided to add them to the list of visits on Saturday. WIN!
Fast- forward to Saturday. We arrive at the winery and I again check in on Foursquare. I am immediately given a coupon for one free tasting because of the check-in. WIN! We sit down for our tasting and immediately fall in love with their wines. So much that we decided to have a picnic lunch on their grounds and buy a bottle of wine right then to have with lunch and another bottle to take with us. WIN! Now guess what. They have two new customers. How much did they have to spend to acquire us? Some time on Twitter and Foursquare and one free tasting.”
The erstwhile visitor – now a connected customer added a great review of the winery to Foursquare and told some relatives who often come up to the area about Michel-Schlumberger.
Michel-Schlumberger uses Foursquare and other social media channels to invite people who may or may not know about their winery to visit and once there gives them reasons to become connected with the winery. For the cost of one free tasting, they began a relationship that they can build on for years to come.
Quite impressive.
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Tell Me A Story…
Posted by: | CommentsElizabeth Slater- Founder & Vice President of WIN
My friend John says often, “We are known to the world by the stories that we tell… I love telling stories and I love hearing stories. In my work I talk to lots of winery folks and hear lots of winery stories. Here is one of my favorites:
“We are a family owned winery, only using the finest grapes to make handcrafted, award winning wines.”
The reason I love this story so much; because it’s used by most of the wineries in North America to describe their winery. Many times the word small is inserted as the fourth word in the sentence. Do I think it’s a story that will differentiate a winery from most other wineries in North America? Not for a second!
While these are good things to tell visitors, customers, the press, distributors, wine shops, your dentist and the lady at the dry cleaners, it is not a sentence that will make you stand out from the crowd and bring people rushing to your door.
Is your story about terroir, quality, soil, micro-climate, grape clones or French oak? All good things, but will these things differentiate you from hundreds or thousands of other wineries? Once again, a resounding NO!
Keep this information as part of your story, the part you tell after you tell your real story, which could just as well be about the history of the land – A meteorite fell just two yards from your winery in 6000BCE (or BC) and is still stuck in the ground – or the fact that your dog can howl the tune to Red Red Wine by Neil Diamond (if the dog thing is true, make sure your post a video of the dog doing that on your website).
Okay, so one of those two is a little silly (you decide which one). My point is that your story can be about anything that will interest people and keep them delving further into your website and subsequently visiting your winery.
What is your story? Tell me your story through this blog or through WIN’s Facebook page and I will, in a future blog, post my favorites from the ones we receive, point out why these are good stories and how you can structure your stories to help promote your winery and wines to potential customers.
Can’t wait to curl up with a glass of wine and start reading!
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Great Wines From Coast to Coast
Posted by: | CommentsOver the past four months I have had the opportunity to see the wine industry from one side of the country to the other. I have traveled from North Carolina and the Finger Lakes of New York, to Illinois and the wineries of Nebraska and British Columbia, Canada. Everywhere I have been I have tasted excellent wines, have met wonderful people, made new friends and have had a chance to renew ties with old friends. Even the airline travel (bouncing into Denver) and the 95º with 89% humidity weather in the Finger Lakes did not dampen my enthusiasm for the areas and their wines.
I am most happy to report that everywhere I have recently visited consumers were out wine tasting and buying wine. Winery open houses and special events attracted larger numbers of people than expected – Mac’s Creek Winery in Nebraska expected about 250 people for a release party and 750 people showed up! At Heron Hill Winery in the Finger Lakes, a young woman from California was buying wine to be shipped back home. I stopped at Tinhorn Creek in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia and tasted a delicious Cabernet Franc. I also dropped in to a couple of BC VQA stores and was impressed by the selection of wines and expertise of the staff. In the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina I had a red blend from Hanover Park that was yummy. In Illinois I enjoyed the consistently delicious wines of Lynfred Winery and thanks to General Manager/Winemaker Andrés Basso discovered my affinity for Brazilian style steakhouses.
In between the wine tasting I did manage to get some work done, promoting the Wine Industry Network and speaking at wineries and conferences about marketing, sales and increasing wine club sign-ups. All in all this spring and summer have been ones to remember.
It has definitely been heartening to go into wineries all over the country and see people in the tasting rooms (or wine shops as they are known in BC), tasting wine, buying wine, picking up their wine club shipments and more importantly enjoying themselves!
Elizabeth Slater- Founder & Vice President of WIN
Keep up the good work!
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