Recently we took a trip to the Willamette Valley—specifically the city of Carlton. Why? Because we had gotten to know a winemaker from that area at the Oregon Wine Experience this summer—and his wines piqued our interest. He is Terry McIntyre, owner and winemaker at Stone Griffon Vineyard and he was all in at the OWE.
Anyone who has worked in retail will quickly recognize OND as October/November/December—that three-month period where your sales will either make or break your year’s profits. Consider both your in-person sales and your DtC shipping orders.
Fires. Smoke. Accidents. Scandals. Deaths. Lawsuits. Layoffs. All these events—and others you’ve never imagined—can impact your winery. Do you have a crisis communication plan? Michael Turney, professor of communication at Northern Kentucky University, likens having a crisis communication plan to auto insurance.
Branding is all the buzz and has been for some time, but branding can be confusing. I hope to clear things up with this post. What’s the difference between the Napa Valley brand and the Willamette Valley brand? Both are internationally renowned, but what sets one apart from the other? What about wine regions like Southern Oregon with an emerging brand? Or others (which I won’t mention) with a weak or even negative brand?
Seriously. That’s how it felt. Maybe it’s because it was our first stop on what we hoped would be a fairly quick series of tasting room visits. We had five wineries on our list and limited time. This would have to be well-orchestrated. Best-laid plans …
One of our biggest marketing surprises over the last few years has been how strongly millennials—the generation of digital natives—respond to direct mail. According to USPS Mail Moments 2016, millennials are more likely to read, organize, and sort their mail than all other generations. They are also less likely to discard their mail without reading it.
Most wineries are finding that direct-to-consumer sales are harder than ever to achieve—both in tasting rooms and through wine clubs. With unlikely competitors like The Wall Street Journal, Macy’s and NPR promoting their own wine clubs (really?!), wine purchasing options are never-ending.
Are your wines available in restaurants? If so, chances are you specially selected the restaurants because they fit with your wine’s brand—of comparable quality, aesthetics and expense. Some wines are “white tablecloth” wines while others are bistro, pop-up or even food truck wines.
Last month we were in Portland for the Third Annual Oregon Tempranillo Celebration. We drove up a day early and managed to visit six tasting rooms along the way. Oh, the things we were told (by the tasting room staff)! Oh, the things we observed!
This winter I received many solicitations to join wine clubs—from unusual places. The Wall Street Journal, Macy’s, NPR and Martha Stewart all launched wine clubs. I also received solicitations for wine clubs that offer “great” pricing by selling wine that belongs on the bottom shelf of a discount grocer (a.k.a. cheap bulk wine). All of these clubs are competing directly with the more than 90% of US wineries that have wine clubs.
Southern Oregon is a little slice of heaven for wine aficionados, regularly earning accolades from esteemed writers at The New York Times, Wine Enthusiast, Sunset and Forbes. And while residents and visitors alike have grown accustomed to the seemingly endless stream of new wineries and tasting rooms opening throughout the Rogue, Applegate and Umpqua valleys, one winery’s tasting room with something new to the region opened in Jacksonville late last year.
