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Writer's pictureNathan Westfall

The Global Angle: How to Unlock New Consumer Value in the Tasting Room



When I first started writing this blog, I pictured my target audience as a group of Northern California wine industry professionals and business leaders. Now, after over a year and a half of creating and distributing content, I’ve come to realize that my original scope was WAY too narrow. What started as a means to better connect with my local network, quickly amplified into a global platform for sharing ideas and knowledge. You can only imagine my surprise, sitting at my desk in Sonoma County, at hearing these articles were driving real conversations in places like Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa, Italy, and France.


As soon as I was able to wrap my head around how global our industry truly is, I couldn’t help but ask myself:


Why aren’t tasting rooms utilizing this globality in order to provide a more fulfilling experience to the customer?

Terroir as a concept has, more often than not, driven the conversation around quality in wine; as well as provided each winery with a very firm sense of place they can share with their customers. While this focus on the local environment is still vitally important in terms of messaging and brand identity; is there a reason we can’t also leverage the similarities we share with other wine producing regions as a way of making the experience of tasting wine that much richer?


We Have More In Common Than We Think


When we take the time to isolate the real building blocks of wine as an industry, it’s an agricultural endeavor at heart. All throughout the world, vines are planted and propagated in regions that share one fundamental similarity: their climate. It’s the sited reason why grapes like Pinot Noir thrive in places like the Sonoma Coast, Willamette Valley, and Santa Lucia Highlands. The similarity in climate to Pinot’s ancestral home of Burgundy, provide the cooler temperatures necessary for the grapes to ripen slowly and develop interesting and nuanced flavor.


In today's economy, with global consumer buying power not what it once was, wineries face the challenge of attracting visitors who are more selective about where they spend their time and money. Incorporating a sense of globality and connection to other wine regions can enrich the tasting room experience and help drive new traffic. The desire for travel and unique experiences is at an all-time high, yet not everyone has the means to jet off to distant lands. By infusing our tastings with stories and comparisons from around the world, we offer guests an imaginative escape that satisfies their wanderlust without leaving the vineyard.


Imagine guiding your visitors through a tasting that not only highlights the nuances of your wine, but also draws parallels with wines from similar climates across the globe. Discuss how the minerality in your Chardonnay echoes that of Chablis, or how the boldness of your Cabernet Sauvignon shares traits with those from Australia's Coonawarra region. This global perspective doesn't detract from your winery's unique story; instead, it enriches it by placing it within a broader tapestry of international wine culture.


By painting vivid pictures of far-off vineyards and climates, we transform a simple tasting into a journey of the senses. Guests leave not only with a deeper appreciation for your wines but also with a feeling of having explored the world. This form of imaginative escapism can set your tasting room apart, making it a destination for those seeking both education and adventure.


Now It's Your Turn


Incorporating global elements into your tastings doesn't require a significant investment. It can be as simple as training staff to share global anecdotes, creating thematic tasting flights, or hosting virtual collaborations with wineries abroad. The key is to tap into the universal language of wine; a language that transcends borders and connects people through shared passion.


As we continue to navigate a world where physical travel may be limited, bringing global experiences to our guests becomes not just an added bonus but a necessity. Let's embrace the inherent globality of wine to enrich our tasting rooms and offer experiences that resonate deeply with a diverse audience. After all, every bottle has a story, and sometimes that story spans continents.


Looking for more strategic guidance for your wine business? Contact Vine Valley today to discover how we can help you capture new opportunities for growth and success.




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