Archive for the ‘Wine Marketing Rules’ Category

Aug 21, 2014

The Rise of “Natural” in Wine Marketing

Back in 2008, a study by Minitel found that “All Natural” was the second most frequently used claim on new American food products. A more recent study found that the term “100 Percent Natural” was consumers most popular claim to read on a food label. Marketers have figured out that “Natural” sells. They’ve also figured it out in the wine industry The above chart was created using ShipCompliant’s LabelVision tool that allows a comprehensive search of federally approved wine labels…

Aug 5, 2014

The Romance of Terroir is Most Important…Not the Truth

A recent article in Spirits Business concerning the trend among Vodka producers to sell their drink based on provenance (where it came from) should remind the wine trade of something important to their own marketing efforts: The importance of the concept of “terroir” is not in the connection between the taste of wine and its terroir, but in the imagery, romance and meaning of place to the consumer. In the Spirits Business article, Claire Smith, head of spirit creation at…

Jun 17, 2014

No Wine, But Lots of Swill in This Study

A new study out of Boston University and Johns Hopkins University identifies the brands of alcohol 13-20 year olds reach for when they binge drink. Courtesy of the Washington Post report is this graphic: Who noticed what I noticed.…? Exactly. Underage drinkers have no use for wine, only beer and spirits. In the early days of the direct shipping battles, opponents of direct shipping often claimed that minors would use the Internet to obtain wine for their weekend parties. It’s…

Feb 26, 2014

This is Real Innovation In the Wine Biz

You know that digital and internet technology has thoroughly taken over sales and marketing in the wine industry when you can point to the simple act of pouring a glass of wine for someone, asking them if they like it, then selling them a bottle of that wine, and call this an innovation. Yet, consider the innovation of the San Francisco Vintners Market. Now follow me here. This might get tricky. Get a whole of bunch of small, artisan wineries…

Jan 31, 2014

10 Ways to Use A Good Wine Review

It’s not the easiest thing, nor the least expensive thing, to have our wine reviewed positively by an authoritative wine critic or wine-related publication. So when it happens, it’s important for the producer and vendors of the wine to take full advantage of occasion; to extend the life and utility of the positive review. But first, ignore anyone who tells you that the reviews published by wine critics are a useless, waning in marketing value, ignored by any particular generation…