Beyond the bottle: Why wineries must sell more than just great wine
Successful wineries are known for creating superior wine but today, that alone isn't enough. Wineries must also be effective marketers, creating and capturing demand in a competitive and changing marketplace.
In an era where consumers are drinking less wine than they used to, simply selling great wine isn’t sufficient. So, what’s the answer?
The future of wine lies crafting compelling and relevant moments that go beyond the bottle to forge emotional connections with consumers everyday. These experiences must transcend individual touchpoints like tasting rooms, mobile apps, emails, and websites to provide a cohesive and immersive total wine experience.
This change in DTC strategy requires a mindset shift - but it’s one that open-minded wineries are capable of making. Wineries have always produced wine consumers desire; now they must also deliver the experiences consumers expect - when, where, and how they want them during the moments when they research, select, buy, collect, drink, share, and talk about wine with friends, family, and colleagues.
You might be asking how vital the experience thing is. It's huge. A study by Harris Group found 72% of millennials (the future purchasing power for wineries) prefer to spend money on experiences rather than just on material possessions. Fortunately, wine is the ultimate bridge between product and experience that connects people in different ways, and on different personal levels.
Now, it's important to note that I’m not referring to one-off experience like a quarterly wine event. Instead, I am talking about personalized, emotionally connected experiences that are pervasive, integrated, and enabled seamlessly across all consumer touchpoints. This is only possible if it’s at the heart of a winery's customer focused business model. They should meet consumers where they live and work, changing the perception of wine from a product reserved for special occasions to an integral part of everyday lifestyle.
This transformation - from producing award-winning wine to crafting unforgettable wine experiences - requires a fundamental reset in how wineries think and operate. Everyone at the winery must be involved and committed, from the winemaker and tasting room staff to the operations manager, marketer, sales team, and even the pickers.
I recently watched a car commercial that stood out to me not because of its technical details, but because it focused on the experiences the driver and his family could have throughout the week. Instead of emphasizing specifications, the ad highlighted how the car fits into everyday life.
Similarly, wineries, especially those offering a range of price points, should showcase the different experiences that various family members can enjoy at different times during the week or month.
Wineries can take inspiration from companies in other industries that have successfully embraced and integrated experience-based, purpose-driven marketing into their businesses:
Fitness: Peloton is more than a fitness equipment provider. It’s a fitness experience brand that cultivates a loyal community across all ages and lifestyles. A Peloton users don't talk about the bikes they rode - they share how the ride made them feel.
Toys: LEGO may sell plastic toys, but its brand fuels imagination, learning, and creativity through storytelling, architectural design, and immersive experiences. There is a purpose behind every purchase, and it’s the experience the toys create for children and adults.
Technology: Airbnb offers more than rental accommodations. It positions itself as a platform for connection, cultural exchange, and meaningful travel experiences that go far beyond simply having a place to stay. They create moments for travellers.
Wineries that evolve from selling great wine to offering a wine experience that builds an emotional bond with them and other wine consumers will see sustained growth. The key to success lies in embracing change, having a clear vision, developing a plan, and getting on with it (though easier said than done).
A final point worth highlighting: Over the past 12 to 18 months, the wine industry has seen a surge in meaningful discussions about how wineries can not only survive but truly thrive. Two noteworthy initiatives that deserve special attention.
The first is Come Over October, a global campaign launched by renowned wine journalist Karen MacNeil in collaboration with industry experts Gino Colangelo and Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET. The initiative encourages people to gather and share wine (and, I dare say, wine experiences) with loved ones throughout the month of October. Personally, I hope it evolves into a year-round movement - Come Over All Year.
Another standout effort is being led by Priscella Hennkman, who founded Rethinking the Wine Industry, a dynamic grassroots global community. This community brings together individuals from across the wine world, challenging one another to collaborate and drive positive change for all stakeholders within the industry. It's a great forum, too, for ideas to inspire you.