The
Importance of Wine Education
Recently we’ve
met several wine educators who had moved here from outside the area, Amanda at
Von Strasser and Sean from Tudal. Both are wonderfully knowledgeable and
remarkably connected through social media to the wine world. I think that it’s
interesting that in the days after the closing of Copia, a center that was
designed as a wine education center, the level of interest in the valley in
wine education seems to be ramping up. Napa already has more wine educators per
capita than anyplace else on Earth.
Tudal and Von
Strasser are both small, by appointment wineries with great stories and
excellent locations, and both have decided to invest in wine
educators/marketers who know how to reach out via the web to the buying public.
One of the remarkable qualities of social media is that it allows a company to
have many personal, yet shared conversations with potential customers.
Lahni and I
have led 100’s, maybe 1000’s of seminars and one of the things that we’ve said
to our groups is that if you have a question, then ask it, because chances are
that someone else wants to and just hasn’t gotten around to it. When you are
conducting an open conversation as you do on forums like Facebook and Twitter
you are answering questions and telling stories that appeal to a wide variety
of people. But there is an added aspect, people can interject their ideas.
The other day I
worked on a blog about party buses and their growing popularity for a variety
of financial and demographic reasons. Later in the day I was reading blogs
listed on winebusiness.com and ran across an article from the Press Democrat
about the resistance that neighbors have in northern Sonoma to allowing later
operating hours at the tasting rooms. Their concern is that it dumps large
numbers of inebriated visitors on the road. After all, they've been drinking
longer. Considering that these are narrow, winding roads that’s a valid concern.
I've had to dodge cars on Westside Road late in the day.
The connections
between the two articles inspired me to send a link to my blog to the writer of
the article. Whether or not I hear back I enjoyed the chance to add my voice.
On the same Wine Business web page I ran across an announcement for the opening
of the San Francisco Wine Center. Quite a step forward! To make an educational
center work requires sufficient population density. That was the challenge that
had Copia pushing rocks up hill for so long, their potential customers were up
in the Valley. SF has the population density of exactly the correct
demographic.
They claim that
the center is focused on professional wine education, but its fortunes will be
made by the participation of talented amateurs. Like I’ve said before, wine is
the best social media, and education is refreshing to the soul. When you
combine them you weave the world together.
Ralph &
Lahni de Amicis are authors of the Amicis Winery Guides, and owners of Amicis
Tours. They are authors of over twenty books on health, design, business and
travel. Their iPhone Apps, The Napa Valley Wine Tour, and The Sonoma Winery
Tour are a tour guides approach to these beautiful area, complete with 1000’s
of photos and insights. Their articles and products can be found on the sites http://www.amicistours.com and http://www.spaceandtime.com
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