Building a Regional Wine Identity

In new wine growing regions, particularly those whose growing season does not support traditional vinifera varietals, isolating a grape that grows well and produces excellent wine is frequently a matter of trial and error.

Over time a convergence occurs between winegrowers and winemakers and the realization that a certain grape produces high quality wines.  In traditional and historical wine growing regions around the world, places like France and Italy, hundreds of years (and in some cases thousands of years) have elapsed and with it vast experience and knowledge have emerged.

Through practice and persistence wine makers in central France, because of landownership circumstance, geographic and climatic position, learned Pinot Noir made extraordinary wine.  Time not science; chance not marketing; and ultimately governmental regulation guided Burgundy to its preeminence.

Millennia of experience boosted the American wine industry as it began its ascent in the later days of the 19th century in California.  Borrowing the knowledge and experience of their European winemaking brethren the American wine industry from a historic perspective sprung up overnight.

In the last hundred years scientific advances from dedicated enological and viticultural research academies have brought about a renaissance in wine growing and making.  These benefits were not available to the French early on but are readily available to new wine growing areas today.  Wine regions no longer need to wait a thousand years or even a hundred years to craft great wines – the knowledge is available today! 

What is needed today is the intention to build regional wine identities.

The Brand Game. Think of wines from California and what comes to mind?  Even non-wine drinkers could probably name Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Moreover, there is a certain mental picture that develops, an image, a feeling associated with California wines. Now think of wines from Iowa, Texas, Michigan, Virginia and Ohio – what wines come to mind?

According to Marty Neumier, who writes in “TheBrand Gap: How to bridge the distance between business strategy and design, a “brand isn’t what you say it is.  It is what they say it is.” He suggests we ask ourselves (and in this case think about your states’ wine brand) three questions: 1) Who are you? 2) What do you do? 3) Why does it matter?  Neumier posits unless you have convincing answers to each of these questions you don’t have a brand.

Strong Leadership. In my past professional life as a wine industry professional, I was fortunate to interact with many state associations whose mission is geared to support their members.  It quickly became apparent which organizations understand the big picture, of marketing, building brand loyalty and establishing a cohesive wine industry framework for their affiliates.

The Keys

Leadership – A single person who acts on behalf of the state wine industry association.  The vocal advocate of the association and face of the state wine industry.

a.       Respected – the effective leader needs to be a respected member.

b.      Vision - leader needs vision and persistence

c.       Marketing – excellent marketing skills are necessary

 

Communication – email marketing to wine industry membership via monthly newsletters; email marketing newsletter to industry supporters.  They all have:

a.       Website – frequently updated, easy to use, lists of wineries/vineyards with current contact information; events page.

b.      Facebook page – to communicate with supporters and promote events

c.       Twitter page – to maintain communication with supporters

Outreach – working with affiliated organizations to establish regional identities, joint marketing appeals, and combined grant applications.

Establishing a Signature Grape as Part of a Regional Wine Identity

“It’s too soon to identify a signature grape for our state” is a comment I frequently hear.  However, the same thing could be said about Indiana or Missouri and yet they have a very successful signature grape program. Check out these websites:

MissouriWines

Tryon Traminette

To me it is going to take someone in a leadership role to begin this conversation and if I know human psychology it will be another few decades before anyone is comfortable talking about, let alone naming a signature grape for your state.  The honest truth is we’re uncomfortable with change and establishing a signature grape for our state represents change. 

The argument that we don’t know enough about the grapes yet is partially true. However, beginning a conversation about the possibility of identifying a signature grape will be, in my mind, a turning point for each state. Once we can begin to narrow down on the best of the best we’ll (all of us) begin to do a better job with the particular cultivar.

Getting over our Grape ADD.  Ultimately it is as much about marketing as it is identifying a couple good grapes we begin to focus on. And I think it should be presented as a marketing strategy to begin to build brand identity outside of our particular state. That identification does not limit anyone’s ability to grow whatever grapes they want it is just the beginning of a long-term marketing strategy and with it a commitment to making great wines from a couple good grapes.

Taking this notion of a signature grape to building a regional identity would allow adjacent states to work together to seek grant monies for a regional campaign. Imagine regional marketing campaign along a shared Interstate (e.g., I-80, I-70, I-40, etc.). Perhaps a billboard campaign touting the greatness of obscure grapes like La Crescent or Frontenac or Traminette or Chambourcin!

Final Thoughts:  As wine industry professionals we’ve got a lot going on just with our own operations.  Taking time to consider long-term implications, strategies to build a regional wine identity and strengthening our infrastructure will take dedicated effort.  Modeling our state organizations after successful wine industry associations is a great starting point!