True confession time. I haven’t actually poured in the tasting room for the last month or so. Instead, I’ve been working on a few marketing related issues for the winery. As summer heats up and in preparation for the Harvest, we’ve been busy redesigning the winery’s Web site and editing the copy for the bi-annual newsletter, among other things.
During this process (and particularly as the IntoWine.com deadline was looming), I started thinking about the influencers that lead us to our wine buying decisions. And, then I had my “Family Feud” moment:
One hundred people surveyed, top-five answers on the board. Here’s the question: Name the top five things people consider when buying wine. (Fortunately, we’re not actually playing “Family Feud,” so I won’t be slobbering over any female contestants – a job requirement for the show’s host.)
Back to the question. I think we all know the number one answer: Taste. (Which, as we also all know is a personal preference.) Other answers might include:
- Price
- Personal Recommendation
- Critical Praise
- Label & Web Site/Brand Appeal
- Advertising
Answers like price, recommendation, critical praise, etc., are easily understood. In fact, nothing beats great word of mouth from a friend and/or a fantastic review from a respected critic (and even that can be a slippery slope if your palate doesn’t necessarily match up with the given critic’s). Most wineries strive to make great wines and turn every customer into a sales rep, “We had the BEST Pinot last night. You must try this wine.”
Simultaneously, the more traditional advertising a winery might do – the less likely most wine enthusiasts are to buy it. (For example, I would NEVER buy wine from the winery that uses local sports radio to promote its products.) If a winery must aggressively advertise its wine to drive sales, it makes me think that the wines can’t be all that good (which, of course, is a departure from advertising’s true purpose).
But what about the label and the Web site? Does that really affect our decision to purchase any wine? If you’re anything like me it has (and I’m not simply saying that based on the last few months of my life). How many times have you stood in front of a wall of wine at your local wine shop or grocery store looking for something new to bring home? Assuming you don’t know one from the other (and assuming there is no one around to offer a recommendation), the chances are the label will play a factor in your decision. (Cool label. Maybe it’s a “cool wine.”)
Because wine is so personal (like any art form), it’s an incredibly complicated task to deliver the experience without the actual experience of tasting it. And, while I’d love to figure out a way to allow people to actually sample the wine from the Web site – I’m not sure that technology exists yet. (Though, by the time my two-year old is of legal drinking age, such technology very well may be readily available.)
While the proof may very well be in the palate, all of these other elements like the label, Web site and even advertising (or lack thereof!) may play a factor into our experiences with our favorite wines. And, especially if I’m going for something new – if I like one label or Web site better than another, that may have significant impact on my decision.
Taste will always be king, but I know on more than one occasion we’ve all said, “Check out this label.”
One hundred people surveyed, top-five answers on the board. Here’s the question: Name the top five things people consider when buying wine.
