Marketing to the consumer aims to boost local demand and draw in
new business
Local wine connoisseurs don’t need to travel far for a good
glass of wine, and local vintners are betting that by offering
consumers a series of winery tours and tastings, they in turn will
drive a market for the wines.
The Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association and the San
Benito County Wine Grower’s offer marketing programs dubbed
”
passports
”
to a host of local vineyards.
Marketing to the consumer aims to boost local demand and draw in new business
Local wine connoisseurs don’t need to travel far for a good glass of wine, and local vintners are betting that by offering consumers a series of winery tours and tastings, they in turn will drive a market for the wines.
The Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association and the San Benito County Wine Grower’s offer marketing programs dubbed “passports” to a host of local vineyards.
The Passport program offered by the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association has been around for 20 years. Local wineries participating in the program include Fernwood Cellars and Martin Ranch in Gilroy, and Clos La Chance Winery in San Martin. For $25, wine enthusiasts can purchase a passport that allows them to visit those three wineries, plus nearly 30 more within the Santa Cruz Mountain appellation.
“Customers get a chance to have an intimate experience,” said Karen Hibble, the executive director of the SCMWA. “They get to see the wine as it grows throughout the year. They can see grapes and bud break in the fall, see red leaves and vines when they are dormant.”
SCMWA provides a Passport experience four times a year, or once every season. Passport travelers can visit as many or as few wineries as they’d like during the Passport day, which generally runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The flexibility of the Passport means that Passport holders can visit all the wineries in one year or they can take several years, the Passport remains valid until they have received a stamp from each winery.
“It’s an extremely economical way to visit a variety of wineries in the Santa Cruz [Mountains],” said Matt Oetinger, the owner of Fernwood Cellars. “They get around to places that aren’t open or aren’t normally available. It’s a great tool to expose people to your brand and your wine.”
Fernwood Cellars will be hosting passport holders at their vineyard for the first time during the April 15 Passport Day. In the past, Oetinger and his staff have poured their wine at a restaurant in Soquel.
“A couple of wineries opened in this area so it’s more realistic,” Oetinger said, of pouring on site.
Oetinger’s winery lacks a tasting room and its bottlings are usually small. The passport events are one of the few times the winery is open to the public each year. Consumers have a chance to taste wines that are usually only available to wine club members and that are not sold at restaurants or stores. Fernwood Cellars will be launching their 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and their 2004 Chardonnay at the April event.
The Passport provides a unique opportunity to southern wineries in the Santa Cruz appellation, agreed Rick Toyota, the director of Hospitality and Wine Education at Clos La Chance Wines.
“We see new customers because these Passport events regionally are ways to attract people outside of the area,” Toyota said. “It’s an opportunity to visit a lot of wineries on one weekend.”
Passport holders are taken on tours of the winery and vineyard at Clos La Chance that aren’t available during normal tasting weekends. The winery waives tasting fees and gives a 10 percent discount on wine purchases. Visitors also have a chance to talk with winemakers and see the different equipment that is used at different vineyards.
“We try to show them more of the winery than we normally do,” Toyota said.
The southern wineries tend to see most of their Passport traffic in the mornings or at the end of the day, as they are out of the way compared to other Santa Cruz Mountain Wineries.
“We are so far down south, we thought we wouldn’t get any traffic,” Oetinger said. “But now the southern portion could actually be a destination for people wanting to come try wines they haven’t had a chance to try before.”
The San Benito County Wine Grower’s Association has a passport weekend once a year for its wineries. The event this year will be May 20 and 21. The Passport is $25 per day. It includes tastings at any of the locations, live entertainment and food. Ten San Benito Wineries will be participating.
“We have only five wineries that pour on a regular basis,” said Theresa Martin, head of marketing for the passport weekend. “We have five additional wineries that will open their doors for Passport Weekend.”
Participating wineries for 2006 including Leal Vineyards, DeRose Vineyard and Summerayne Vineyard, among others. Last year, the even hosted 750 per day.
“The wineries all work together in a non-competitive event,” Martin said. “They put out their welcome mat.”
For Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association, call 831-685-8463 or visit www.scmwa.com, to purchase Passports. Passport days are the third Saturday in January, April, July and November. The next Passport day is Saturday, April 15.
For San Benito County Wine Grower’s Association Passports, stop by the Vault Restaurant, the Running Rooster, Inn at Tres Pinos or Night out Limousine. The Passport Weekend is Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21. For more information, visit www.sbcwinegrowers.org.
