Great tasting venues.
Posted by Pascal Davis on June 9th, 2008Before joining Inertia, I was roaming wine country roads; I would hit tasting rooms and meet wonderful people, hug the vines and taste wines on all ends of the spectrum. Being on the road brings you closer to the actual consumer experience and reminds you of what selling direct is all about. As I’ve been diving deeper into the virtual world of wine2.0 and the challenges of creating a wine experience online, I’d almost forgotten the joys of being in wine country and tasting and connecting.
Sure, you can taste and connect at trade tastings and such events also really make the process efficient – 300 brands in one afternoon! OK, we can all admit that with the exception of the most prolific wine writers – or avid swillers – it’s not easy to see, hear and taste all at trade tastings. They are great, much like Costco, but you might miss a little something. So is there a middle ground? Can you find a single place where you can get the wine country feel, while at the same time go through the serious work of tasting dozen of wines?
The answer of course is, Yes - it’s in the multi-brand tasting rooms. As I was on a little tour of the Napa Valley with my crew to taste some of our client’s wines, we decided to go for efficiency. We hit the following tasting spots:
Folio Winemaker’s Studio: is home to many great brands, several being Folio brands of course. The studio artfully blends different experiences and is a great wine country concept from Michael Mondavi.
Silenus Vintners: also a custom crush facility for artisan winemakers, this beautiful tasting room is home to 13 boutique wineries that you may not have heard of before, but that you will surely remember.
Cult Wine Central: as the name says, this is where you go for the big guns. As all the wines go for a certain status – the odd effect in having them altogether is one of democratization – no single wine has a pedestal here so the wines are much more approachable.
In all 3, the staff was extremely knowledgeable on all the brands presented and very friendly – everything was perfect for an afternoon of serious tasting. Thanks again!
While technically we were in multiple tasting rooms of 18 inches in width, these felt a bit like a cozy farmer’s market. They were all extremely comfortable, while each had its own distinct personality, which, consciously or unconsciously, infused the wines. As a wine guy, I believe such wine venues are great for the industry and the consumer. They allow small brands to coalesce and reach economies of scale in order to create a space for a precious and crucial moment to happen: the direct connection between a wine lover, your brand, your message and your wine.
For wineries without a tasting room or for those dreaming of getting their own – finding a spot on that multi-brand bar is a great go-between. The most effective way to create a direct relationship with customers is to meet them while they are meeting your wine in a glass. From that initial contact, a relationship must be nurtured so it may flourish into lasting sales. As we focus a lot on managing your existing customers here at Inertia – it’s great to go out and be reminded how such relationships are created in the first place.
