Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/764739
1 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J a n - F e b 2 017 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m a frequent subject of family conver- sation. Purchase a bottle of Uncle Val's Botanical Gin and you'll get a sense of his story on every aspect of the package. A series of wraparound strip labels captures quotes from Uncle Val, such as "Fine words don't feed cats" — meaning don't try to talk your way out of a problem — and "Eggs have no business dancing with stones" — meaning take it easy around stuff that can break. Further, Uncle Val's medical background and gardening pas- sions are recognized by illustrations and watermarks on the package, as well as the gin's flavor profile. According to Sebastiani, the use of the word "restorative" in text is important because it suggests the old-style flavor and bouquet profile of a gin that Uncle Val might have enjoyed in his day. When illuminating the points of difference in his new craft spirit, Sebastiani called upon something that was real and true: his heritage. Uncle Val's life, personality and expressions were a mirror of the product's character — fun, lively and tinged with an intimate connec- tion to family. A WINE BRAND A n o t h e r e x a m p l e o f d r i l l i n g down to the core of a brand's true meaning can be seen in the youth- ful management team at the El Dorado, Sierra Foothill winery, Boeger. Also a multi-generation b r a n d , B o e g e r i s o v e r s e e n b y fourth-generation family members Lexi Boeger, director of market- ing, and Justin Boeger, winemaker. Boeger has had a recent packaging change, the result in part of fam- ily conversations about the brand and its reality. As Lexi explains, "The newest iteration of our pack- age was the result of really delving into our authenticity, what it means and how to communicate the true grit of our brand to the consumer." She adds, "We [the family] spent a lot of time being very honest about what our actual vibe, personality and experience from the consum- er's perspective is." Lexi describes grappling with pronunciation of the family name (pronounced BO-ger). By using the German meaning of the name, "bowman" or "archer," they were able to weave their true story around the bottle in the form of an arrowhead, a symbol that also d e f t l y g i v e s a s e n s e o f p l a c e . Drilling down further, Lexi, a fine artist by training, explains that the arrow on the label is a repre- sentation of mokume gane, an ancient blacksmithing technique of blending multiple alloys to cre- ate a stronger metal. Blacksmith- ing in the Boeger family goes far beyond four generations of wine- making. Further, Lexi says, "We found the parallel of blending met- als to create a superior product a poetic metaphor for our winemak- ing philosophy." The new label is an artistic representation of the winery's story, yet it distills the a u t h e n t i c B o e g e r f a m i l y s t o r y from a painstaking process. Hold- ing this package in your hand is an invitation to ask more about this fascinating story. SET YOUR BRAND APART The process of drilling down applies to all aspects of your busi- ness. Take the sometimes arduous hours to get to the very root of why your land is unique, what makes your tasting room a special place, what your winery founders wanted to express through their wines and what kind of culture surrounds your brand. You'll walk away from the experience with tools to set your brand apart from the competition. In the process, you'll learn a lot about yourselves! Lee Hodo, principal of Four Tier Connect consulting services, is a 30-year veteran in marketing and promotion of a distinguished list of wine and destination brands. You can reach her at lee_hodo@att.net or www.fourtierconnect.com. Comments? Please e-mail us at feed- back@vwmmedia.com. Lexi Boeger and her family created packaging that best represented the family's legacy. Advertise Now 707.577.7700 x110 In Print Online WINE WISE MARKETING LEE HODO