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w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m J u l y - A u g 2 015 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 1 7 In Nebraska, wineries are licensed to sell only what they produce, though tast- ing rooms are permitted to sell an array of wines. Slattery Vintage Estates is a tasting room and vineyard that sells a single wine of its own, along with some 50 different Nebraska wines, as well as a smaller selec- tion of wines from other states. While the tasting menu changes daily, five sweet wines and five dry wines are available for sampling at all times. Tastings cost $6 for a 2-ounce pour of five wines. "We consider ourselves ambassadors of Nebraska wines," Slattery said of the fam- ily business she started with her husband, Mike Slattery. "We personally know all of the wineries with whom we work." W h e n t h e S l a t t e r y s o p e n e d t h e i r tasting room in 2008, they were soon inundated with queries regarding area accommodations from guests who didn't want to make the drive back to Omaha or Lincoln. The problem was finding some- thing to recommend. "Mike is the idea guy," Barbara said. "He's a hunter and showed me some tents he'd seen very tasting room faces challenges, whether it's building a loyal clientele, increasing sales or managing staff. But tasting room owners whose facilities are more middle-of-nowhere than Main Street need a special combination of grit and inventiveness to succeed. Their ingenuity and determination can be a source of inspi- ration to other tasting rooms near and far. NAVIGATING NEBRASKA "We're off the beaten path, for sure. We are 5 miles on a gravel road from the north and 2 miles on gravel from the south," said Barbara Slattery, co-owner of Slattery Vin- tage Estates, a vineyard and tasting room in Nehawka, Neb., a small town halfway between Lincoln and Omaha. To put Slattery's path in perspective, consider the numbers. Nebraska wineries received 175,000 visitors last year, accord- ing to an Economic Impact Study commis- sioned by the Nebraska Winery & Grape Growers Association. In contrast, Califor- nia's Napa Valley received more than 2.9 million visitors in 2012. Off the Beaten Path Far-flung tasting rooms drive traffic for the long haul + Turn challenges, such as lack of accommodations, into an asset with creative solu- tions like on-site camping. + Offer food so that wine tast- ers will stay longer without feeling hungry and stranded in a remote location. + Consider partnering with other remote wineries in your area to offer a more complete tasting experience. + Build customers for life with those who live close by. AT A GLANCE WINE WISE MARKETING JENNIFER STRAILEY Mike Slattery of Slattery Vintage Estates in Nebraska built cozy tent accommoda- tions on-site to entice guests to visit the winery, and spend the night.