Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/467731
associations in Northern Califor- nia, Oregon and Washington state, permits passengers departing from any of eight airports to check a case of wine for free. The program has expanded rap- idly in recent years, but there are no accurate metrics of its efficacy. It's very much a goodwill ges- ture by everyone involved, which begs the question of its popular- ity among participating businesses and the eagerness of many more to join them. CLEAR FOR TAKEOFF "Wine Flies Free" started at the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma Coun- ty Airport in Santa Rosa in March 2007. According to airport manag- er Jon Stout, getting the program off the ground required extensive negotiations. BY GARY WERNER GARY WERNER 'Wine Flies Free' programs promote regional wine sales wine sales e' programs promote regional w 'Wine Flies Free' Checking the Right Boxes - , m e - e . - h - s o e - h - m e AT A GLANCE + Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air started "Wine Flies Free" in partnership with Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in 2007. + The initiative has been expanded to eight Wine Country airports across northern California, Oregon and Washington state. + Outbound passengers can check a case of wine as baggage for free. + Participating wineries have reported a boost in their tasting room sales. icture a friendly 40-some- thing couple visiting your tasting room. They delight over the wines they sip, and the two seem keen to buy a few bot- tles. Enthusiasm then dips at the thought of logistics. They flew here from out of state, and they don't want to pay $25 for the airline to check a box as baggage. They are just as reluctant to pay (even more) for UPS or FedEx to ship the wines home. Consequently, what happens in wine country stays in wine country, and the wines the couple enjoyed so much during their visit never make it out of your tasting room. It's a sobering scenario, but also one that is readily remedied across much of the West Coast by Alaska Airlines. Its "Wine Flies Free" pro- motion, developed in partnership with regional tourism and winery 9 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a r - A p r 2 015 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m