By MINDY POEHL | Central Texas Edition

Californian, Peter Rubens, who has 20 years experience in the wine industry, and an assistant, demonstrate how to crush the grapes and collect all of the juice in a barrel, at the Wine Marketing Conference held at Delaney Vineyards in Grapevine, Texas. — Photo by Mindy Poehl

June 22, 2006 - The Texas wine industry is a strong contributor to the economy of the state, with more than 86 wineries supported by more than 200 commercial vineyards. These vineyards provide an economic benefit of around $200 million to the state each year.

The Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association hosted a wine marketing conference at Delaney Vineyards in Grapevine on Wednesday, June 14. The training was provided by the University of California, Davis Extension and focused on brand identity, marketing synergy and tasting room profitability.

Delaney Vineyards has remained in the wine business for over 20 years, with the Grapevine winery completed in 1996. The vineyard contains 10 lush acres of Cynthiana grapes. The Cynthiana grape remains the best southern-bred hybrid vine to grow in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex because it thrives in the hard clay soil found in the area. It also responds well to high humidity and hot summers.

Kimberly Johnson, with UC Davis Extension’s department of science, agriculture and natural resources said, “There is a link in the wine making process - the heart and mind, which allows us to create, communicates your story to the person doing the buying.” 

Wine making and marketing, from beginning to end, is a long process. People go through the process of sweating in the heat while picking grapes, their arms are buried up to the elbows in fermentation, they sleep on the red-eye to meet a new distributor, match colors on a press check, cut and paste the label for tomorrow's meeting, and get a real pleasure out of helping someone find that right bottle for their dinner party, Johnson explained.

“Wine marketing is the communication of your branding, and managing your brand identity throughout your sales channels to effectively reach your customers,” Johnson said. “A cohesive, relevant brand identity is the foundation of marketing. Without it, you are just spending dollars.”

Dr. James Lapsley, the chair of UC Davis Extension’ department of science, agriculture and natural resources, who operated wineries and is a teacher of viticulture and enology, spoke about brand identity.

“Brand identity development includes analysis, creating, re-tuning, refining, strategic positioning, corporate philosophies and goals,” said Lapsley.

Business and marketing plans must be made for new and existing companies. 

“Brand identity is the creative part that includes branding logos, brand names, brand-marks, word-marks and brochures,” explained Lapsley. “

Product packaging should entice all of the senses. 

“It is your brand's primary business card, creating first impressions, conveying your brand's identity, and making the sale all within a span of less than three seconds,” Lapsley said. “There is no more important part of your brand identity than container, shape, logo, graphics, copy, closure, and shipper carton. A complementary whole says more than a thousand words.”

Peter Rubens, a 20-year veteran in the wine industry with companies such as C. Mondavi and Sons, Franciscan Estates, Chalk Hill and the Seagram Wine Company, spoke about marketing and sales via the internet.

“Marketing your website to promote your brand is as vital today as merchandizing your products correctly,” said Rubens. “The internet is a vital way to communicate with your customers and colleagues.”

The internet provides one on one marketing opportunities and “these opportunities can be inexpensive yet highly effective,” said Rubens. “Knowing how, where and when are the questions faced when devising a marketing strategy for the internet. An online presence is a powerful, low-cost way to acquire and retain customers.”

Rubens described certain aspects of internet marketing. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing the web site content and invisible tags with keyword phrases that customers search to find the product, such as "California pinot noir." 

“Search engine advertising campaigns are a guaranteed way to show your message in front of targeted customers,” Rubens said. “These campaigns are experts at obtaining maximum return on investment for the lowest advertising price.”

 E-mail marketing is a great tool to maintain customer loyalty and retention. 

“Are you sending regular e-mails to your customers,” asked Rubens? “Sending e-mails helps keep their attention on your products.”

Tasting rooms have evolved into big moneymaking machines, selling a range of products. Craig Root, who has 25-years experience working with the public in the wine visitor center industry, spoke about the importance of tasting rooms.

“Tasting room staff need to be engaging, entertaining and knowledgeable. They need to be conversant with the basics of winemaking and each of the wines offered at the winery, as well as all of the other products offered,” explained Root. “The servers are pouring machines, but that other 60 to 70 percent of the time when you have the opportunity to talk to people, it’s critical to create tasting counters to eliminate second rows.”

When it is possible, Root suggested using island counters with 360-degree access to the customers, or overflow counters that you open when you see the second row start to form. 

“We are not selling wine, we’re selling memories. But, I like to see tasting rooms as profit centers,” Root said. “The more you can maximize face-to-face contact with people, memories will be created.”

When it comes to charging for tasting wine, Root said, “whether you like it or not, I see it as a coming thing. What I'd like to see people do is  charge a nominal fee, like $3 and return it with the purchase of a bottle of wine. Charging is an income source, and it has to do with perceived value. If you get something for free, you don't necessarily value it as much as something you have to pay for.”