Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/111102
Christopher Watkins, hospitality and retail sales manager for Ridge Vineyards, hosts monthly virtual tastings. a "First Friday" virtual tasting for members of the Ridge club, and invites a dozen bloggers, reviewers and enthusiasts to the winery on a quarterly basis for a Wine Bloggers Tasting. For wholesale accounts, he conducts virtual tastings twice a year that coincide with the winery's release cycles, and also hosts a version of that tasting for consumers. Ridge also participates in three or four varietal-day virtual tastings, including #CabernetDay, each year and, when time permits, Watkins includes spontaneous topics, such as a virtual tasting focusing on educational components around harvest. "We see a very tangible return from these activities," said Watkins, who uses metrics and analytics to track sales and build a global picture for the return on his considerable social-media efforts. However, he said he views technology as a means to an end: "You've really got to understand what counts as 2 BARREL STEAMING MACHINE AUTOMATED STEAMING! a return for your organization. For Ridge, it's a multipronged endeavor. We're making friends and creating loyalty while we're increasing wine club signups and re-energizing a brand." BEST PRACTICES The first step toward creating a virtual tasting begins with establishing a theme; both Mattson and Watkins used wine release dates as topics. In 2012, Mattson focused on a single virtual tasting that combined a mix of audiences for a release. (The winery produces only two wines: a cabernet sauvignon and a chardonnay.) She also offers exclusive online tastings to wine club members and followers. "One of the great things about the world of wine is that it's an artisanal enterprise that is a parallel endeavor to art, literature and music," Watkins said. "You don't have to look far for inspiration. COMPLETE CRUSHPAD SYSTEMS LT™ & LT™ 2+2 (MOG Separators) Fruit Receiving Systems Bin Dumpers Sorting Tables Belt Conveyors Screw Conveyors Vibratory Conveyors W! NE Presses Destemmers & Peristaltic Pumps Destemmers, Mohno Pumps & Crush Rollers 2 & 4 Barrel Washing • 2 & 4 Barrel Steaming Barrel Processing Lines • 1/2 Ton Bin Washing Systems 35 lb. Picking Lug Washers • Custom Cellar Equipment 1650 Almar Parkway, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 P. 707-573-3150 F. 707-573-3140 www.tombeard.com E. jmendoza@tombeard.com 66 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Mar - Apr 2013 USED BY THE FINEST WINERIES TO ACHIEVE THE BEST RESULTS Call Now to Schedule Design Appointments! 1650 Almar Parkway Santa Rosa, California 95403 P 707 573 3141 • F 707 573 3140 www.pnlspecialties.com CA Contractor's #803431, OR Contractor's #180330 WA Contractor's #PLSPELS923BZ S O L U T I O N S • E X P E R T I S E • Q U A L I T Y • S AT I S F A C T I O N w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m