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.
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.
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.
