VMW 170 Selling and Marketing Wine

Lecture Hours: 3
Credits: 3

Explores the marketing and selling of wine in Oregon. Introduces concepts and topics useful to winery and vineyard owners/managers, with a focus on direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing personnel, such as tasting room and wine club managers.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Describe the history and current state of the wine industry in Oregon.
Identify Oregon’s key wine varietals and their production worldwide.
Describe multiple aspects of the legal and regulatory environment for marketing and selling wine.
Outline key aspects of brand development.
Explain channels of Oregon wine distribution.
Define the essential elements of a direct-to-consumer (DTC) digital marketing strategy.
Understand personal selling skills necessary for successful tasting rooms.
Identify key components of a cloud-based winery point of sale (POS) system for DTC and eCommerce sales.

Content Outline

Survey of the Wine Industry in Oregon and Worldwide
- Growth, consumption, production
- History of the wine industry in Oregon
  - Oregon wine regions and appellations
State of the Wine Industry in Oregon
- Market trends
- Regions
- Varietals
- Market niches, categories, price points
- Where wine is purchased and consumed
Getting Wine to Market: The Wine Distribution System
- In-state, out-of-state and export
- The three-tier system
Maximizing profits in The Wine Market Place
- Winery direct to consumer (DTC) sales
  - Tasting room management
  - Wine club management
  - Cloud-based Point-of-Sale (POS) platforms
- eCommerce and self-distribution
  - Website merchandising
  - Shipping issues
- Digital media marketing
  - Social media promotion
  - Search Engine Optimization
  - Website copy management
- Personal selling skills
  - Wine sales strategies
  - Wine service etiquette
  - Completing the sale
- Wine events management
  - Design and conception
  - Promotion and operations
  - Partnering with other vendors
Laws and Regulations
- Labeling requirements
- Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau
- OLCC
- Health and Safety
- Variations in state regulatory barriers
- UPC codes
Brand Development
- Identify your niche
  - Understand market research tools
- Packaging
  - Trends, including closures
  - Label development
  - UPC codes
- Brand planning: creating a roadmap
  - Strategic
  - Tactical
- Pricing strategy
- Public relations
- Media relations
Market & Financial Feasibility
- Pricing environment
  - Trade channel margins
  - Discounts and programming
- Costs of production
  - Economics of growing vs. buying grapes
  - On- and off-site sales strategies
Jobs in Wine MarketingImportance of building relationships
- Interpersonal skills
- Making effective presentations
  - Storytelling
  - Knowledge base
  - Knowing your audience
- Cooperative promotions
Key Elements of a Wine Marketing Plan