Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/333548
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m J u l y - A u g 2 014 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 1 0 5 winery's director of sales and mar- keting. "It just hit me at the end of the evening that the wine industry is usually focused on the older man with the big cellar. But in reality it's women who are buying wine." With a winery owned and run by little bit boring – and probably it's way over the heads of most people in the crowd." SPIRITED GATHERINGS C h a d d s f o r d W i n e r y 's L a d i e s Night Out (LNO) events began last year as a monthly series held at the winery in Chadds Ford, as well as its Peddler's Village wine shop/tast- ing room location in Lahaska. "The female demographic is big for us," explained Matthew Beauchesne, Chaddsford's market- ing and communications director. "We've been trending, over the last three or four years, a lot younger than I think the industry has as a whole – and definitely female." But even a well-thought-out idea can lose traction if it's not execut- ed properly. The LNO events were popular, Beauchesne said, with anywhere from 20 to 120 women in attendance, but scheduling was two women – Ponzi and her wine- maker sister, Luisa – an ongoing series of women's wine dinners seemed like a perfect fit. "I thought, 'We really have an opportunity to push the point of wine being a big part of women's lives, not just reserved for the wealthy man.'" Ponzi has found "Girls' Night Out" attendees to be a highly engaged audience. "I feel that women are sometimes more com- fortable in an all-female situation where they're free to ask what they may perceive as a silly question or a basic question," Maria said. They're also curious about more than the wine. "They ask questions like, 'What was it like to grow up in a family business?' It goes beyond the product itself and I find that interesting. I think women appreci- ate the fact that we don't sit there talking about pH and acid levels and Brix, like people often do at wine- maker dinners. I think that gets a + Female-focused wine events are a big draw for wineries and charities. + Women like to enjoy and learn about wine in the com- pany of other women. + Women-and-wine events often feature lifestyle themes. + It's helpful to have a consis- tent schedule when plan- ning an ongoing series of events. AT A GLANCE Maria Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards says women are more comfortable asking questions about wine in an all-female setting. We carry a complete line of wine bottles, corks and capsules in many colors, shapes and sizes – and our centrally located Pennsylvania warehouse services the eastern United States. All American has it all. For more information, please contact: CHOOSE ALL AMERICAN www.aacwine.com Wine Warehouse in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania s Sales Offices & Warehouses in Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, Puerto Rico, NJ and CA Lissa McLaughlin (727) 321-8879 lmclaughlin@ allamericancontainers.com Roberta Parmelee (315) 585-6045 rparmelee @allamericancontainers.com