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.
By now, you’ve probably joined a wine club … or two … or three … or more! Most of my wine-loving friends are members of multiple clubs, as am I. When we get together over wine, the subject often comes up. “Which wineries are you members of? Why?” While Capiche has been studying trends and surveying current and past wine club members for specific wineries, the good, the bad and the ugly have emerged. We’re going to focus on the good.
In anticipation of the Nov. 6 Southern Oregon Wine Industry Roundtable, Capiche conducted a Q&A with Bree Boskov to get a preview of her presentation “Figuring out Distribution: What’s Best for You?”
We all know wine people are the best people, and they also are exceptionally philanthropic. In Oregon alone, I can think of more than a dozen wineries with specific charity programs.
If you run a tasting room, you need to know about some positive changes related to music. Wine America, a public policy and legislative advocacy organization, has negotiated with ASCAP for new and less expensive winery music licenses.
This month, Capiche’s Chris Cook interviews Anne Breck, former VP for Harry & David’s retail operations and creator of the recently launched Postmark’d Studio.
As winery tasting rooms shift into high gear this summer, it’s vital for winery owners to consider how to grow their business while keeping employee safety a priority and staying legally compliant with state and federal regulations.
Think about all the places you go and hear music. The grocery store, elevators, waiting rooms, restaurants, the gym, sports stadiums, funeral homes, bowling alleys, coffee houses, winery tasting rooms. The list goes on. In the US, billions of copyrighted songs are played at most businesses every year.
“For a successful restaurant to flourish, there are many parts that must work together to create a positive experience and end result for the consumer.” The same goes for tasting rooms.
It was intense. Four full days and nights this June in Sonoma County with a close cadre of 17 wine writers, educators, promoters, and students.
