Wine is certainly having a moment of popularity! It symbolizes relaxing with friends and unwinding. In fact, a really fun trend in the past few years is wine painting parties where friends gather to sip wine, chat, laugh, let their imaginations roam and paint those visions. Napa Valley is no longer the only “wine country” found in the U.S.; vineyards abound in many states. Who would have thought that New Jersey would be a state that produces many delicious wines, quite a few of which are medalists in international and national wine competitions?
Sip on some stats: According to several wine-industry sources, in 2016, U.S.-produced wines racked up nearly $40 billion in sales, while the remainder of the total nearly $60 billion in wine came from abroad. There are producers all over central and South America, Italy, Spain, France and Germany. And last year marked the 24th consecutive growth year for U.S. wines, even through the recession! Further, as of 2017, there are 8,702 wineries throughout the U.S. Approximately 120 million of us (36 percent) imbibe the fermented grape, and the largest wine consumers are women (57 percent, vs. men, 43 percent).
“Wine is hot!” exclaims Ron Rosencrans of Pro Rose. “People enjoy hanging out with friends and a good bottle of wine. Try to ride that wave by creating themes and products that can be used to enhance those activities. Wine-related products, games to go along with drinking wine, novel gifts and packaging that can be used with wine as gifts will add to the fun.”
John Carranza of High Caliber Line asserted that the fact that the wine industry is a multi-billion-dollar business “should perk up the ears of any distributor who is not already selling wine-related promo products.” This market, he observes, spans practically all adult demographics – men and women of all ages, economic background, races, etc. Also, wine-related promotional products are fairly extensive and cover many price points, such as High Caliber Line’s S914 Standing Wine Bottle Stopper (for around $1), to its S619 Ibiza Crystal Carafe ($20+).
“The wine industry as it relates to promotional products presents tremendous opportunity to connect branded items to people in positive and feel-good atmospheres,” Carranza underscores. It’s not too difficult, he says, to convey to clients how wine consumption conjures up images of relaxation, good times with friends, romantic picnics in a beautiful outdoor setting, etc. in the minds of end users. “So, what better time to have your brand in front of these people?”
And, says Naomi Berkowitz of Picnic Plus by Spectrum, not only does wine symbolize gatherings with friends and unwinding, it’s also perfect for celebrations of all kinds and suggests an air of refinement too. “History also tells us that when our country is in a period of uncertainty and caused by domestic or world unsettling events, people tend to turn to wine, beer and alcohol.” She adds that promotional products distributors can target wine-related products for a variety of businesses such as: wineries, restaurants, sommeliers, country clubs, event planners, dealerships, home builders and realtors, over 55+ retirement communities, university alumni associations, attorneys and financial planners.
There are some novel ideas to present to appropriate clients. One example Carranza offers is a picnic-themed bundle set. A simplified, lower-cost set can include a wine bottle stopper and High Caliber Line’s B608 non-woven single wine tote with portable wireless speakers and a lunchbox container. A higher-end version could include a more elegant wine accessory boxed set – like the company’s “elegant but compact” A1721 Marseille Wine Set, a wine aerator and/or High Caliber Line’s new B903 Insulated Wine Tote.
“Another idea to present can be a stress-reliever themed set that bundles some wine accessories with our squeezable foam stress relievers – all that is missing is the customers’ favorite bottle of wine!” he quips.
Festivals of all types and vineyard agritourism where wineries host themed weekends are increasing every year as couples, groups and families want a mini vacation. Consider that on-site sales are a big part of the revenue stream for wineries, so any products you can add to their offering can generate sales for them will certainly be welcome, says Rosenrans. He advises to ensure that the promotional item is wine related (corkscrews, cutting boards, wine glasses, recipes, etc).
According to Berkowitz, every state has wineries and most have wine clubs. Suggest to them to start off the year with products designed for their wine club members as well as items for their Wine Trails. Summer at wineries brings music festivals, weddings and other outdoor events. “Our Mega Mats (available in 2 sizes – M5101 or M5108) with the winery logo is perfect for festivals as it is 100% waterproof, foam padded with a soft acrylic top. Bridal party have used logoed products: Picnic Plus Carlotta Clutches (PSM-112) for the bridesmaids and Picnic Plus Single and Double Bottle Totes (PSM-127 and PSM-128) in microsuede for the groomsmen. We have even supplied our beautiful Wicker Picnic Baskets as party and guest favors! For wine clubs and holidays, many wineries promote their award-winning wines and pair them with our foil stamped and debossed bottle boxes (PSL-701) available in cork, black vegan leather and brown vegan leather, all with suede linings,” she describes.
Wine stores and sommeliers will also appreciate logoed items, says Carranza. He points to High Caliber Line’s wine totes as a suitable example. “First, there is a good selection of sizes, styles and price points. Also, large imprint areas allow a good canvas for creative expression – and there are many examples of funny and witty wine expressions that would look great on wine totes,” he offers.
Real Examples
There are many case studies that will illustrate opportunities that you likely have in abundance.
According to Rosencrans, an upstate winery was looking to bring crowds in during the summer months for tours and tastings. They featured events on their party porch where they held tastings and offered music and activities to make the patrons comfortable and create a purchasing mood of their range of wines. “Concerned about breakage in this type of environment they chose our plastic wine glasses and carafes to serve in,” he describes. “Elegantly styled and with their logo on them, they encouraged their patrons to take the glasses home with them. Fostering a fun and entertaining atmosphere, good music, fine wine, and free wine glasses, sales of their wine proved pretty easy. And for ProRose and the distributor who sold the program, several re-orders during the season.”
Josette Bosse of Bay State has several cases of creative and memorable uses of wine accessories. A manufacturer company celebrating its 50th year in business gave out Bay State’s Celebration Corkscrews (K382) to each of their employees. They used the corkscrews as a keepsake for the milestone. The printed the company name, tag line “Celebrating 50 years and counting" along with the date of the event.
A restaurant/pub was promoting a new type of wine. Customers that ordered the bottle of wine would receive a complimentary "host and toast” wine opener (Bay State’s K379) as a gift. The server would demonstrate the opener by using it to open their bottle of wine, and gave the opener as a keepsake for the guests. The wine opener had the wine name, restaurant logo and website advertised.
A transportation company that provides Party Buses and Limo Service, used Bay State’s Companion Cork Screws (K381) to promote their business at bridal shows. They handed out these cork screws to brides attending the shows. The cork screw had their company name, contact info and website printed on it. The transport company client also had the cork screws in the party buses and limos for the guests to use and take home as a keepsake item from their fun night out!
A Chamber of Commerce held a holiday networking event for all members, who were able to bring a guest to the luncheon. Every guest was given the Extra-Hand Snack & Beverage Tray (K319) to use for the finger foods and desserts. The tray holds an average wine glass, a coffee cup, drinking glass, and soda cans. “This was a perfect item for an event like this because guests could still shake hands, exchange business cards and chat while eating. The large imprint area allowed room for the chamber logo, along with three other business logos that helped sponsor the holiday luncheon, to be printed on the tray,” Bosse describes.
Bay State’s Party-Ease Snack & Wine Tray (K317) was used for a winery’s grand opening. A few local businesses also took part in the grand opening. The trays were used for appetizers provided at the party. A majority of the prepared food was provided from local restaurants and specialty stores that were attending and sponsoring the grand opening. The large imprint area gave enough room for all the sponsors to put their logos on the trays. “Also, our wine glasses (K312) fit perfectly into these trays and were paired up with the plates,” Bosse says. The Winery printed their name and logo on the glasses that customers got to take home as keepsakes.”
Each year a popular coastal town holds a summer festival where the main streets along the beach are closed and local restaurants and businesses set up booths to share their products, food and drinks (the event is for 21 and over). A local, high-end restaurant printed its logo on Bay State’s K312 wine glasses and gave them out to people that stopped by their booth to try the top four wines being promoted, along with samples of its top-selling foods. The restaurant logo was printed on one side, and the name of the festival was printed on the other side. The customers could keep the wine glasses as a keepsake.
“Wineries have used our Picnic Plus Scrimmage Tailgate Tables (PSM-104) and Tub Coolers (PSG-221) together, offering tastings spread out at numerous spots on their grounds for summer and fall outdoor events, such as music festivals, weddings, tasting events and private parties,” says Berkowitz. In tandem, the company’s adjustable height tables were used as tall bistro tables and have large imprint areas on the table top; these are designed to be swiftly packed up when the event is over. The tables were color paired with the portable Picnic Plus Tub Coolers, she adds.
Country Clubs, popular theme parks, wedding planners and higher end restaurant chains have used Picnic Plus’ USA-made Village Combo 3 Wine Sets (PSU-636) for exclusive, members-only wine events, Berkowitz says. These serving sets are handcrafted with American hardwood platforms mounted on hand-forged iron bases. “Others have given away our USA-made hand forged Wine Spiral (PSU-608). Each piece can be laser engraved for the event,” she comments.
Picnic Plus’ Single Bottle Tote Bags in Natural Cork (PSM-821) have been used this year on winery trails all over the country. Customers receive a “passport” and visit the wineries specified on the trail which are stamped once the customer arrives. Once the passport is completed wine trail-goers received the supplier’s Wine Bag with the wine trail name on it as a souvenir. Some wine trail sponsors have also used the company’s Wine Trail Cheeseboard (PSM-180) laser-engraved with the name of the wine trail.