Off to the Wine Festival: What's In It For the Wineries?

Paso Robles Wine Club

Every year The Paso Robles Wine Festival grows in popularity and it’s no wonder. Paso Robles was named Wine Region of the Year in 2013 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, a distinction that continues to draw more and more visitors interested in going wine tasting at over 200 local wineries.

Since not every winery has the budget to widely market their wines,’ a wine festival can be a great place to have a little fun and hopefully, ‘get discovered’ by more wine enthusiasts. But, long before you see your favorite winery at a wine festival, they have to sit down and crunch the numbers to make sure that their efforts have a measurable payoff.

The top 3 considerations wineries make before setting up a booth or table at an event are:

What’s the payoff: Making wine is no different from any other business--every dollar counts. Taking part in a wine festival means accounting for the time and money necessary to participate, from the fees and taxes to the amount of wine that will be poured.

Wineries know that it’s unreasonable to think they’ll cover all of the costs in wine sales at the event, so they look at the value of how their participation can increase customer—and community—goodwill, along with getting more visitors to the winery later on. Other ways participation can payoff: increased website traffic, customer interaction on social media, and press write-ups.

Who’s the audience? The biggest value in hosting a booth or a table at a wine festival comes in knowing the demographics of the attendees and deciding whether or not the wines are a good fit. High-end luxury wines have additional value because of their exclusivity; they wouldn’t be a good match for an event that attracts consumers less likely to spend more money on wines.

How can we stand out in the crowd? The average wine festival attendee spends less than 15 seconds at a wine booth or table. Attention is fleeting, especially when alcohol is in the mix, so catching someone’s eye and keeping them interested is a major goal for participating wineries. The most popular tables are the result of hard work and thoughtful planning and almost always include interactive events. Additionally, wineries need to go the extra mile to ensure that their brand identity is reflected in their presentation.

A wine festival can have tremendous value for a winery and put them in touch with more people more quickly, giving them the opportunity to increase brand-awareness with both wine newbies and oenophiles.

Every year, The Paso Robles Wine Festival brings locals and visitors together to share in the discovery of Paso Robles wines. If you’re attending the event this year, you’ll likely discover many new wines and realize the endless possibilities for your palate.

To enjoy tasting more wines from the region, there’s no better or easier way than joining The Paso Robles Wine Club. Membership is free and you’ll enjoy regular shipments of unique and boutique wines from the Paso Robles Wine Region.