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1 0 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J u l y - A u g 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m place where women can shop for shoes and accessories, along with silent and live auctions and a fash- ion show. WINERY PARTICIPATION A core group of 10 to 15 win- ery partners participates in 25-40 events each year, while other win- eries sign up for just one or two events. "The wineries are looking for marketing exposure," Honig explained. "They're looking for an opportunity to get in front of an affluent audience. These are women who are entertaining and buying gifts – kind of the sweet spot for their target market." To make sure vintners get maxi- mum exposure, the number of participating wineries is limited to eight for each event. "I used to hate (pouring at) these wine festivals where you'd walk in the room and there'd be like 60 wineries there," The event was such a hit that Honig brought the idea to other charity groups she was working with, and a national organization was born. Now in its 10th year, Wine, Women & Shoes organizes more than 50 fundraisers each year across the country, and has raised $20 million for women's and family- related causes. In the beginning, the events had more of an educational focus. "There was no place for women to go and talk about wine, so I want- ed to create women's wine events where they felt like it was OK not to know everything," Honig said. "We used to do an educational seminar the night before the main event, but it was hard to sell tick- ets. The charities didn't really make enough money on the seminars to justify them." N o w t h e s i g n a t u r e Wo m e n , Wine & Shoes event is a walk- around wine tasting with a market- Honig said. "We want you to actu- ally be able to have a meaningful conversation with these people, and the wines to have an impact on the people tasting them." Wineries are asked to donate two cases for each event, usually a mix of red and white, along with a special bottling and a hospitality experience at the winery to use as auction lots. "The hospitality expe- rience could be anything from a walk in the vineyard to a wine and cheese pairing," Honig said. "What we're looking to do is drive traffic to the winery." While regulations don't allow wine sales at the events, Honig said, Wine, Women & Shoes will sometimes bring in a retail partner to take orders. "Basically, we're try- ing to help the wineries sell wine," she said. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. Miele Professional Fresh Water Dishwashers... perfectly clear results every time. Miele Professional manufactures the only fresh water dishwasher for commercial use. The fresh water system doesn't reuse the same water and detergent over and RYHUDJDLQ,WÛOOVIURPWKHZDWHUVXSSO\ZLWKHDFKZDVK — giving you the best results. s/RZHVWQRLVHDQGVWHDPHPLVVLRQVGHVLJQHGWREH built into cabinetry s2QERDUGZDWHUVRIWHQHUUHGXFHVHWFKLQJDQGVSRWWLQJ — no hand toweling required s'XDOUDFNFOHDQLQJ )RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQFRQWDFW0LHOH3URIHVVLRQDODW✆800.991.9380 proinfo@mieleusa.com xprofessionaldishwashing.com