As posted over at Pinot Law, this L.A. Times article “Getting Juiced at Wine Tastings” reports on the growing trend of wine tasting rooms in California and New York to set specific ground rules with local limousine and tour bus companies. Some Napa wineries have gone so far as to not allow limos to visit their tasting rooms at all.
There is a not insignificant amount of irony here, at least considered from a 30,000 foot view. By letting someone else do the driving, as in the case of professional limo or tour bus drivers, wine tourists can tour wineries and swallow what they try safely, enjoying a complete experience. Limos full of enthusiastic wine tasters would seem to be a demographic that wineries would want to deliberately lure, not proactively repel. They obviously have an interest in wine, tend to come in large enthusiastic groups, and clearly have at least some discretionary income. Yet most who have ever been in the party-hard atmosphere of many a stretch limo may more readily understand the winery's concern. What starts off as a “complete experience” at the beginning of the day can quickly turn into the wine equivalent of a raucous kegger on wheels by mid-afternoon.
This is all, ultimately, about image protectionism. The image of wine tourism is carefully nurtured and protected as the very antithesis of most other forms of domestic tourism. It is quiet, adult, scenic and cultured. It is about contemplating a sophisticated product in beautiful surroundings. It is not supposed to be about being jostled in long lines, screaming children, and sweaty teenagers walking around in giant fluffy animated character costumes. In other words, it is not supposed to bear any resemblance at all to Six Flags or Las Vegas.
The bread and butter of winery point of presence sales are the fairly well-heeled 40- and 50-somethings who can spend hundreds of dollars on large quantities of wine, perhaps even placing themselves on a winery's mailing list, creating future sales potential. Many are finally enjoying vacations that are not dominated by efforts to keep their children, perhaps now blessedly off at college or having to deal with their very own children, entertained. When confronted with the very things they expect to be absent at a winery, such as packs of inebriated 20-somethings yelling “Woohoo!!!” and micturating on the shrubbery, their patience stretches thin and the top of their purse zips shut. That's lost revenue for the winery, or even the region.
There is a not insignificant amount of irony here, at least considered from a 30,000 foot view. By letting someone else do the driving, as in the case of professional limo or tour bus drivers, wine tourists can tour wineries and swallow what they try safely, enjoying a complete experience. Limos full of enthusiastic wine tasters would seem to be a demographic that wineries would want to deliberately lure, not proactively repel. They obviously have an interest in wine, tend to come in large enthusiastic groups, and clearly have at least some discretionary income. Yet most who have ever been in the party-hard atmosphere of many a stretch limo may more readily understand the winery's concern. What starts off as a “complete experience” at the beginning of the day can quickly turn into the wine equivalent of a raucous kegger on wheels by mid-afternoon.
This is all, ultimately, about image protectionism. The image of wine tourism is carefully nurtured and protected as the very antithesis of most other forms of domestic tourism. It is quiet, adult, scenic and cultured. It is about contemplating a sophisticated product in beautiful surroundings. It is not supposed to be about being jostled in long lines, screaming children, and sweaty teenagers walking around in giant fluffy animated character costumes. In other words, it is not supposed to bear any resemblance at all to Six Flags or Las Vegas.
The bread and butter of winery point of presence sales are the fairly well-heeled 40- and 50-somethings who can spend hundreds of dollars on large quantities of wine, perhaps even placing themselves on a winery's mailing list, creating future sales potential. Many are finally enjoying vacations that are not dominated by efforts to keep their children, perhaps now blessedly off at college or having to deal with their very own children, entertained. When confronted with the very things they expect to be absent at a winery, such as packs of inebriated 20-somethings yelling “Woohoo!!!” and micturating on the shrubbery, their patience stretches thin and the top of their purse zips shut. That's lost revenue for the winery, or even the region.
2 comments:
maybe what they should do is only book in for 3 hour visits. That way they can get the whole experience (visit to the vineyards, winery and tasting at the end). The real enthusiasts would love it, the party buses will bemoan the time wasted where they could be going to another place to get blitzed.
Well, you know how I feel. It's a catch-22. We want business but not necessarily that kind of business. As you point out, these groups can irritate the customers with the most potential.
All this is not to say I don't want younger tasters enjoying the experience of wine. I just wish they could keep the level of enthusiasm a little lower!
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