Va Winemaker Interview Series – Virginia’s Grape – Part II

This post is Part II in the Virginia Winemaker Interview Series – What Grape Works Best In Virginia.

As I noted in Part I, this series is a follow up of sorts to the ‘Thomas Jefferson was right: The grapes that work best for Virginia’ session at the Drink Local Wine Conference last month.  Since the session resulted in such robust discussion, this series is intended to provide a forum for more Virginia winemakers to share their opinions on what grape they feel works best in our climate (or works best in their micro-climate).

In Part I of the Virginia Winemaker Interview Series, we heard from:

• Stephen Barnard, Winemaker, Keswick Vineyards
• Emily Pelton, Winemaker, Veritas Vineyard & Winery
• Jordan Harris, Winemaker, Tarara Winery

Today we hear from:

• Derek Pross, Gadino Cellars
• Sébastien Marquet, Winemaker/Vineyard Manager, Doukenie Winery
• Jason Burrus, Winemaker, Rappahannock Cellars

(Editorial Note:  In no way do I feel there is ‘one’ grape ideally suited for our climate.  This is not an attempt to identify ‘the’ Virginia grape, but instead, provide a forum for winemakers to share their opinions on what is working in their vineyards. Although I do appreciate the experimental spirit of our winemakers and the diversity of wine available here, I do wonder if Virginia wine could make a larger impact in the global wine marketplace if we focused on our stand out grapes – Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.)

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Derek Pross, Gadino Cellars

What grape do you feel is ideally suited for the Virginia climate?  Why?

Virginia is still very much in experimental mode regarding grape varietals and the microclimates of a very geographically diverse Virginia terroir.  To place this in context, Europe has had centuries of experience and have carved up their countryside to support the growth of specific varietals.  Even California can barely claim 100 years of wine growing, and really can only claim about 40-50 years of focused wine growing to produce premium wines.

In our experience, the varietals Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are proven varietals throughout most of the state – Petit Verdot being the latest arrival into this cadre. The easy answer as to why these varietals are ideally suited is that they grow and ripen well and are made into premium wines that, and this is the key word, consistently, show well on the world stage in international competition. Further, one can find different expressions of these varietals in the bottle that are directly related to the diverse terroir of Virginia.  To elaborate, these varietals can winter well in many areas of Virginia, grow in diverse soil profiles, withstand high humidity environments, high summer heat, ripen to reasonable harvest times and can endure some of the hurricane driven rains in the fall if necessary.

Up and coming varietals include Petit Manseng and some clones of Cabernet Sauvignon. Both of these varietals generally require a longer season to reach full maturity. In the case of Petit Manseng, trying to nurture this grape to a late harvest raisin requires risk, but the reward is a bright pineapple and citrus wine suited for blending, semi-sweet and dessert wines.  The Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller berries tends reach maturity sooner adding more depth, color and tannic structure to the finished wine.

In the right microclimates, varietals such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Nebbiolo can produce really nice wine. However, I’m not convinced there is enough terroir available to promote large-scale production.  I think there are many varietals that fit this classification right now.  Time will tell if any of these will rise to the forefront of production and quality. These varietals are the crux of varietal experimentation right now.

What grape would you say is not well suited for our climate?  Why?

Again, while Virginia is in this experimental phase, it’s hard to definitively say what varietal does not grow well.  We have struggled with Reisling and have heard tales of woe over Pinot Noir. Reisling tended to struggle in the heat and under produce. In the case of Pinot Noir, the thin skins and tight clusters are susceptible to rot in our high humidity environment. However, if one can find a relatively low humidity environment, which some winegrowers have, then a Pinot Noir can, and is, made.  The question then remains, “can this grape produce a consistently high quality wine?”  If not, it’s probably not economically feasible to continue to grow.  (Editorial Note:  Your humble correspondent’s opinion – Pinot Noir in Virginia is a colossal waste of time and land.) Ultimately, Virginia as a whole will settle on its selection of fine wines based what can be grown at larger scales and can consistently be made into world-class wines.

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Sébastien Marquet, Winemaker & Vineyard Manager, Doukenie Winery

What grape do you feel is ideally suited for Virginia’s climate?  Why?  Conversely, what grape would you say is not well suited for our climate?  Why?

The climate in Virginia is very extreme from average lows of 26 degrees F in cold months to an average of 86 degrees F in warm months.  In the summer season, it is very warm and humid with an average of 35-45 days of thunderstorm activity.  Local mountain ranges – the Appalachians and the Blue Ridge – can create the microclimates necessary to grow vineyards despite the pressures of weather extremes. After managing a vineyard in the Caribbean for eight years, where I dealt constantly with tropical weather conditions, I believe strongly that the only option for growing grapes in any unpredictable climatic condition is to select the most adapted varietals.  These varietals must also interest the customers and wine connoisseurs who patronize our business.

Some of the goals of grape growing are to correctly develop the flavors and sugar, as well as produce a quantity that is economically sensible. There are some varietals in this geographic region that are especially challenging.  Riesling is one of them because of its sensitivity to Botrytis and tendency to not ripen correctly.  Almost every year the chaptalization process is necessary to increase the alcohol content for Riesling, however raising the brix by four or five degrees is not the best practice for producing quality wine. Viognier can present issues with consistency.  I have seen a difference in quantity of Viognier about every other year, and sometimes I have no crop at all. There are ripening issues with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon because they ripen very late in the season.  If the weather turns cool too early in the fall, these varietals may not ripen completely. The selection of the varietals is a critical component to successful grape production in this region.

Another key to success is vineyard management. For example, the technique of pruning needs to be adapted to the weather conditions.  Creating space between spurs will allow more room around clusters or leaves and minimize mildew and Botrytis cinerea.  Such space will also permit the spray to penetrate inside the vegetation and clusters.  Spray programs should always take weather conditions into consideration.  Additional techniques include leafing on the morning light side to dry the clusters and allow the wind circulate between plants, then leafing on the afternoon light side to increase the direct sun light to the grapes.  Doing this will change the characteristics of the flavors and decrease the risk of Botrytis cinerea.

In my three years of managing the vineyard and all aspects of wine production at Doukenie Winery in Loudoun County, I will say that Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc are the white varietals that are the most consistent, both qualitatively and quantitatively. I believe that Cabernet Franc and Merlot are the most consistent of the red varietals.  Customers are very receptive to this quality, and Doukenie Winery received Gold and Silver Medals from the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition for these wines.

The importance of proper training for growers cannot be overstated.  Bad decisions take a long time to correct and can be detrimental to the industry as a whole.   As growers, we must be constantly vigilant.  It is an integral part of the work that we do.

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Jason Burrus, Winemaker, Rappahannock Cellars

What grape do you feel is ideally suited for Virginia’s climate?  Why?

Asking which varieties are suited to Virginia is the million-dollar question. The short answer is that nobody knows for sure.

In this day and age, it seems that a new wine region gets attention not by being unique, but by successfully imitating a famous wine region/variety. I don’t use “imitate” as a negative, just as a matter of fact. (Editorial Note:  Very true, excellent point!) Napa Valley, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile all successfully imitate France. You could even make the argument that New Zealand has usurped Sancerre as the benchmark for Sauvignon Blanc. If you were to agree with this perspective, you could imagine why Virginia has pursued Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot instead of Chambourcin, Norton, or Seyval. Of course, this argument has nothing to do with quality, only the pursuit of recognition.

Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot happen to be Virginia’s three most-planted varieties. In my opinion, this was a good decision. We successfully imitate France with these three varieties, though our Cabernet Franc is more in line with Loire Cab Franc than from Bordeaux. These varieties seem to ripen early enough to fit in to our short growing season. This doesn’t answer the question directly though. Our climate and soil don’t match Bordeaux or Burgundy, so it might be wise to assume that Virginia will never make wines that match the best of France. This is where the question of uniqueness comes in. Is it good enough to make a “Virginia” Chardonnay? Or does it have to be as good as the best of Burgundy to have successfully “made it” as a fine wine region? I’d love to assume the former, though it seems that history teaches the latter.

Viognier is another matter. I like it and think it makes a great wine. But it’s not famous even in France, so what chance do we have? The Virginia growing season seems to shut down before Cabernet Sauvignon wants to ripen. There are countless other varieties in Virginia that we grow and make decent wine out of (Norton, Traminette) that don’t have widespread name recognition to shine a positive light on Virginia. Even Petit Verdot makes a nice wine, even as a stand-alone wine, but it’s falling out of favor in Bordeaux and is an afterthought everywhere else in the world. Argentina pulled off making Malbec famous, but then it had a much more established wine industry before that happened. And it has the economies of scale to introduce a reasonably priced Malbec to the rest of the world. Imagine being persuaded to buy a $25.00 Argentinean Malbec you’ve never heard of. That’s what we’re facing in Virginia with just about everything we make. Tannat is gaining popularity with many winemakers in Virginia, as it is vinifera and darkly-colored for blending. But it’s not a stand-alone wine; and because of this, will never shine a positive light on Virginia.

For me, it’s Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Chardonnay as my picks for Virginia. They ripen well, make quality wine, and are reasonably good imitations of popular French examples. For better or worse, these seem to be the criteria to garner the attention of the wine-buying world.

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Thank you to Derek, Sébastien, and Jason for taking time to participate in this Virginia Winemaker Interview Series.

Virginia winemakers/wineries: I am working on two new topics for future ‘Virginia Winemaker Interview Series’ – if you would like to participate in upcoming series, please contact me:  frank.j.morgan (‘at’) gmail. Com

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VA Winemaker Interview Series – Virginia’s Grape

Virginia Winemaker Interview Series – What Grape Works Best For Virginia’s Climate

There are many polarizing topics in the wine industry – the three-tier distribution system, real cork vs. crappy synthetic cork vs. screw top closures, indigenous vs. designer yeasts, new vs. old world, the Hello Kitty wine brand, etc.  In our little corner of the wine world, opinions abound here in Virginia – especially about what grape(s) is ideally suited for Virginia’s climate.

For those unfamiliar with Virginia’s growing season – the summers are hot (especially in July and August) with oppressive humidity in most regions throughout the state.  The humidity, coupled with other weather conditions, provides a ripe environment for nearly every annoying mildew, pest, and rodent.

Despite these climate-related challenges (as if all grape growers don’t face climate challenges of some sort), our farmers and winemakers are a persistent and experimental bunch – dedicating land to many different grapes, including Albariño, Norton, Chardonnay, Riesling, Petit Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminette, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and for goodness sakes even Pinot Noir.

Clearly, there is no way to definitively conclude which grape is ideally suited for Virginia’s climate, however, the subject of ‘Virginia’s Grape’ does make for interesting discussion and brings out a diverse range of opinions.

Since the ‘Thomas Jefferson was right: The grapes that work best for Virginia’ session at the Drink Local Wine Conference resulted in a lot of great discussion, I wanted to continue the dialogue and provide a forum for more Virginia winemakers to share their opinions on what grape they feel works best in our climate (or works best in their micro-climate).

(Editorial Note:  In no way do I feel there is ‘one’ grape ideally suited for our climate.  This is not an attempt to identify ‘the’ Virginia grape, but instead, provide a forum for winemakers to share their opinions on what is working in their vineyards. Although I do appreciate the experimental spirit of our winemakers and the diversity of wine available here, I do wonder if Virginia wine could make a larger impact on the global wine market if we focused on our stand out grapes – Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.)

In Part I of this Virginia Winemaker Series, we hear from:

• Stephen Barnard, Winemaker, Keswick Vineyards
• Emily Pelton, Winemaker, Veritas Vineyard & Winery
• Jordan Harris, Winemaker, Tarara Winery

In Part II, to be posted on Thursday evening, we will hear from:

• Gadino Cellars
• Doukenie Winery
• Rappahannock Cellars

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Stephen Barnard, Keswick Vineyards

What grape do you feel is ideally suited for the Virginia climate?  Why?

In my opinion Viognier has the brightest future for white wine in Virginia, for a number of reasons. Firstly it is not a widely planted grape type and thus Virginia can develop a market niche with this type of wine. It is a tricky grape to grow; it flowers earlier than other whites and thus is prone to spring frosts as well as being susceptible to powdery mildew. It is also important to pick the fruit at the right time, pick too early and the resulting wines do not have those tropical aromas associated with the grape, pick too late and the alcohol levels can be extremely high and the wines taste hot.

It is a very versatile grape to work with, and as a winemaker it is very manipulative (lees ageing, skin contact, ml fermentation options) and thus is very intriguing. We can get it off the vine before the late season rains, and if done right, creates incredibly intoxicating wines that can be enjoyed young (another plus for the consumer) and is very food friendly.

Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot are the two red grape varietals that seem to show the most promise although I think I favor the Cabernet Franc a touch more. Cabernet Franc ripens and buds a good week or so earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. It is fairly vigorous and thus a touch easier to grow in the vineyards. The only negative I have of the varietal is that winemakers tend to pick it a touch early, thus manifesting the herbaceous character of the wine (for me I think that is a negative).  I think this could be a varietal that compares very well to the Long Island wines if we manage it a bit better in the vineyards and not get pigeon holed into the bell pepper character.

Petite Verdot shows promise, it is a very thick-skinned variety (not as prone to the rots) but it ripens a lot later than the other varietals and in some years might not reach full maturity. Certainly in well-drained and less fertile soils, if the fruit is picked at optimum ripeness levels the wines are rich, deeply pigmented and very aromatic but I question if we can do this year in and year out in Virginia. Personally I would like to focus on the varietals that give us the best chance to produce quality fruit and wines in the poor years for which Virginia is well know, and hence I favor the Cabernet franc a touch more.  In our best years I think Cabernet Sauvignon would be the way to go but it shows in the wine when the growing season has been poor.

What grape would you say is not well suited for our climate?  Why?

Virginia can be very hot and humid, as well as see a lot of rains so many grapes susceptible to botrytis would not be the way to go. Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling come to mind although there are a few exceptional wines made from these varieties in Virginia (most notably Linden and Veritas Sauvignon Blanc).  Pinot noir is a red wine grape that I would never ever consider planting here, not knowing too much about the grape, but I believe it needs cooler climates to thrive in, which we do not have. The resulting wines would reflect that and it is known to be the most difficult grape to grow, hence the name of the heartbreak grape.

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Emily Pelton, Winemaker, Veritas Vineyard & Winery

What grape do you feel is ideally suited for Virginia’s climate?  Why?

Sauvignon Blanc is working well for me in my micro-climate, and I am pretty sure that this is a site specific effect.  I would not recommend Sauvignon Blanc as a widespread Virginia white varietal.  That said, I am enjoying growing it, and feel that our top meadow is a wonderful site for Sauvignon Blanc.  I have two different clones on the top meadow, and I am really able to tell a significant difference in the wines produced from these two different grapes.

I would be much more comfortable recommending Viognier and Petit Verdot as grape varietals that are suitable for most Virginia vineyards.  While they are not without their difficulties on the viticulture side (splitting for Petit Verdot, and irregular harvest yields on the Viognier) I feel they are a little better suited to most sites.

My top three choices would be Viognier, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc (in order).  Viognier is well suited for the Virginia climate.  It is thick skinned, and does not tend to hang a very heavy crop, so despite the richness of the soil (which most Virginia vineyards suffer from the soil being too rich and the plants being overvigorous), the plant seems to moderate cropload a little better.  Small berries and very open clusters also allow us to avoid a lot of disease pressure that you see in other grape varietals.  I do have to note here that I am pulling out a lot of Cabernet Franc and replanting with Petit Verdot.  I never seem to have enough Petit Verdot in the Cellar or in the tasting room, so the demand speaks for itself.

What grape would you say is not well suited for our climate?  Why?

I am less informed about grape varieties that do not work in Virginia.  I have been fortunate enough, not to feel like I need to get rid of any varietals that we originally planted.  From talking to other people I have heard that Gwertztraminer and Pinot Noir are particularly difficult to ripen and manage disease pressure.  Currently I have Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminette, Viognier, Petit Manseng, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Tannat in the vineyard.

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Jordan Harris, Winemaker and General Manager, Tarara Winery

What grape do you feel is ideally suited for the Virginia climate?  Why?

I think this is an impossible question (Editorial Note:  Not an impossible question, just impossible to definitively answer – because there is no truly right or wrong answer).  There are many regions in Virginia with different micro-climates and varying terroirs.  I have tasted some great examples of Viognier from many areas around the state, but they are wildly different.  I like the ripe tropical fruit and floral notes of many of the low-lying NoVA Viogniers, the bright acids and citrusy and honeysuckle components of many of the higher elevation Piedmont and Albemarle examples.  I have not had many from the south of the State to comment strongly.

I know there is a lot of discussion about Cabernet Franc.  I personally don’t agree.  I think there is wide variance vintage-to-vintage (which is generally a good thing) but with Cabernet Franc it often results in green herbaceous character I look at as un-ripe and not terroir.

There have been some great examples of Tannat, Petit Verdot, Albarino and Petit Manseng that have shown consistency.  The problem is that Tannat and Petit Verdot have an aggressive nature that is not friendly to all consumers and all the varieties are hard to market.

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are good in some areas, but it has to be the more stoney and higher altitude vineyards.  They need the cooler climate and minerality to really distinguish them.  I like a few examples in the Piedmont and in the Albemarle regions.  You can make good Chardonnay pretty much anywhere, but you need specific terroir to make it profound.

In our vineyard, which is the one I can speak best on is Syrah, Viognier and Merlot.

Our Syrah enjoys great heat from the sun (in one of our most open areas), but our vineyard cools pretty well at night from the Potomac and our lake that is 65 feet deep maintaining a more consistent temperature.  It tends to be half way between a new world and old world style.  It has that cooler climate bacon and green peppercorn notes and even some olive character, but also holds this great floral and plumy note of riper fruit.

Our Viognier is all about complexity.  It is the coolest sight of our vineyard.  The is lots of morning shade so it has less direct sun through the day, but the sun it does get is intense.  This allows brighter acidity and maintains citrus fruit, while the afternoon heat brings in some tropical characters off certain rows in the block adding an element of complexity.  The soil where our Viognier is also has some limestone deposits that cut through and deeper soil, which helps maintain consistency and brighter acids.

The Merlot is a mystery somewhat to me.  I want to give a better answer, but I just happen to love it.  It has far better structure then many Merlots I have made elsewhere.  It does sit in two vineyards as our best Merlot.  One spot is very cool (right beside the Viognier) and the other is a south-facing slope with our deepest soils and more limestone.  It gets a long hang time, which helps, but I can’t give you a good straight answer.  I just like it.

What grape would you say is not well suited for our climate?  Why?

Riesling and Pinot Noir are horrible here.  It is too hot and the acids fall out.  Both of these grape varieties are all about time on the vine for phenolic and flavor ripeness and we cannot offer it here.  The grapes get high sugars and low acids very early with poor flavor and unripe phenolics.  The best Rieslings I have tried tend to be the last harvested fruit (with Cabernet Sauvignon usually) with very low sugars and ripping acid.  We cannot do that here.

There are a lot of varieties I have tried that I don’t love here, but many of them don’t have the history or winemaking background to have a better analysis.  I would love to grow the Southern Rhone varieties like Rousanne, Grenache and Mourvedre but I am not certain if they will ripen.  They are extremely late, like a couple weeks after Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Thank you to Stephen, Emily and Jordan for taking time to participate in this Virginia Winemaker Interview Series.

Please check back on Thursday for Part II of the ‘What Works Best In Virginia’ series.

Virginia Wine and Social Media – Part IV – Bluemont

The Social Media Interviews – Virginia Wineries – Part IV:  Bluemont Vineyard

This is the final post in the Virginia Wineries and Social Media series.  To recap,

• The original post – ‘Social Media: Do Virginia Wineries Get It?’
• The Social Media Interviews – Part I: Breaux Vineyards
• The Social Media Interviews – Part II: Doukenie Winery
• The Social Media Interviews – Part III: Corcoran Winery

The intent of the interviews is to showcase Virginia wineries that are actively engaged in Social Media, and to provide a forum for dialogue  and information for other wineries considering the move to the 21^st century.

For today’s interview, we hear from Kevin Rupy of Bluemont Vineyard.

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About Bluemont Vineyard: In early 2007, Mark Zurschmeide and Bob Rupy started Bluemont Vineyard, partnering with their brothers Bruce and Kevin, respectively.  The 25-acre vineyard officially opened its doors in the Fall of 2007, where it specializes in popular Virginia varietals such as the Norton and Viognier, as well as other popular varietals such as Merlot, Vidal Blanc and an assortment of fruit wines.

The winery’s tasting room is in a renovated home on the mountain sitting at 951 feet above sea level with spectacular views of the valley from the patio and deck.  The goal at Bluemont Vineyard is to offer a unique experience on the Virginia wine trail. Northern Virginia, and Loudoun County in particular, are home to so many fine wineries and Bluemont Vineyard aspires to continue in that heritage. The Vineyard is excited to be a part of the Virginia winemaking tradition, and it looks forward to becoming a destination spot for wine trail enthusiasts throughout the region.

When did Bluemont begin using Social Media?

We first started with Facebook about two years ago, and we quickly followed that platform with accounts on both Twitter and Flickr.  Most of our efforts are focused on Facebook and Flickr, although we are beginning to expand our efforts on Twitter as well.

What social media tools do you currently use (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogging, Ning, etc.)?

Facebook, Twitter and Flickr are the primary tools we utilize for our winery.  While it may not technically be considered a ‘social networking platform’ we also put forth a fairly robust effort towards our bi-weekly newsletter.  There are numerous other social networking tools that are available, and we are examining those as well.

For example, we would like to expand our presence into sites like YouTube, since much of that content can be shared with our fans on other portals (e.g., Facebook).  In addition, with digital technology it is so easy to create video content and get it up on the web and our fans love that type of content.  In fact, for patrons who request it, during weddings out at the winery we will soon be providing live video/tweeting offerings that will enable the bride and groom to share their big day with those who cannot be there in person.  All of this will happen in real time and will utilize existing social media platforms

But at the same time, I think it is important that we (and any other winery for that matter) not bite off more than we can chew.  I think a better approach is to harness a limited set of tools to the greatest degree possible, as opposed to taking on too much and accomplishing too little.

Does Bluemont have a defined approach in terms of how you spend your social media time (formal Twitter strategy, specific customer acquisition plan, limited to Facebook, etc.)? If so, please describe how you developed this strategy.

I check Facebook periodically throughout the day.  It is my first stop in the morning and my last stop at night.  In general, we spend anywhere from 15 minutes to one hour each day on our social networking sites.  Some days can be busier than others, but quite frankly, we view it as time well spent and it is actually a lot of fun.

For example, we do a weekly trivia challenge (every Thursday at 2:00 PM), that has generated a great deal of participation.  Winners receive a wine tasting coupon for two.  The fans really love it, and it is a great way for all of us to interact.  It takes some time to carry all of that out (e.g., finding a good question, doing the trivia challenge and coordinating the coupon), but it is well worth the effort and we love doing it.

We try our best on Facebook to post on a timely and periodic basis with posts of interest to our fans.  But at the same time, we don’t want to overwhelm our fans with annoying and pestering entries.  We feel like we have struck the right balance, and it is something that we are very sensitive to.

On our Flickr page we try to refresh our pictorial content on a periodic basis.  In addition, we spend some time looking at (and reaching out to) folks who are posting photos taken at the Vineyard to their own pages. Many of the pictures are fantastic, and we have gotten to know some of these folks in person as a result of their sharing their pictures on sites like Flickr.

Has Bluemont realized quantifiable results from utilizing social media (increased tasting room traffic, sales, buzz, media attention, etc.)?  Describe.

Absolutely.  We put tremendous effort into building our Facebook fan base and in recent months it has definitely paid off for us.  This time last year, we had less than 250 fans on our Facebook page.  After an aggressive push to build that fan base (e.g., through promotion on our website and periodic discussion in our bi-weekly newsletter), we are now over 1,200 fans.  In recent months, our Google Analytics data shows that Facebook is consistently one of the top referring sites to our websites.

While it is difficult to attribute direct numbers to an increase in traffic or sales, the fact of the matter is that people are sharing their experiences out at Bluemont Vineyard through their own websites and blogs, our Facebook Fan page and through sites like Flickr.  And unlike traditional media (e.g., newspapers or radio), these portals allow wineries to directly interact with their customers and fans.

We believe these relationships on social networking sites strengthen our real-world relationships at the winery.  It is always great to encounter fans from our Facebook and Flickr pages out at the winery, and we are also looking at ways to reach out to our Facebook and Twitter followers with exclusive events conducted on their behalf.  For example, I have seen some wineries do Facebook meet-ups and even tastings for their Facebook fans.  In addition to being a great idea, it is also a lot of fun and well worth the effort.

Since many Virginia wineries are small, family-run operations with limited staff, finding time to devote to social media can be a real challenge.  What advice can you share with your fellow wineries on how to work thru the time constraints of the social media learning curve and how to best use their social media time?

Here’s an interesting factoid for wineries to consider: if Facebook were a country, it would be the third most populous on the planet.  With 400 million users, that puts it ahead of the United States but behind China and India.  And because Facebook is organized by geographic regions, that means your information can be tailored to reach out to just those users in your immediate area.

Considering the substantial benefits that can result from utilizing social media such as Facebook, I think it is so important for Virginia wineries to make the time to establish a presence in this realm.  As much as tending the vines, making the wine and running a winery are an integral part of the day, so too is expanding (and getting to know) your customer base.  Perhaps the greatest thing about embarking on social media efforts for wineries is the fact that with today’s technology tools it is easier then ever.

In terms of finding the time, I think it is safe to say that wineries can accomplish a great deal by committing anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes a day to their efforts.  It is incredibly easy to get up and running on all of these sites, and I would encourage wineries to find one they are comfortable with and just jump right in.

Given your experience thus far with social media, what are your lessons learned, and how will your approach change (if at all)?

In no particular order, here are some nuggets of wisdom I would share with our fellow Virginia wineries:

• Use social media to be, well, social! Many of our posts on Twitter and Facebook often talk about the Virginia wine industry, general topical posts and even the weather.  In other words, we are not in constant marketing mode.  Of course we discuss happenings out at the winery, but we really do look at these as social forums where we can get to know our patrons better while also promoting our winery.
• Dedicate the Time. When you do establish your social presence, be sure to make the time commitment to post content and interact.  If there is nothing for people to see on your social network, they won’t stop by.
• Publish content. Whether it is photos from your most recent bottling or a video of the wine press in operation, people love digital content.  We have found that when we post such content to our Facebook page, our fans really enjoy it.  It’s easy to do and we highly recommend it.
• Keep learning. Technology changes so incredibly fast that it can often times be overwhelming just to keep up with it.  Try to stay abreast of what is happening out there in the social media environment.  Often times new tools or platforms arise that can make social networking that much more productive and fun (e.g., Tweetdeck).
• Don’t underestimate the power of these tools. Social networking sites are incredibly powerful platforms.  And for an engaging and entertaining overview of these tools, I would highly recommend watching this YouTube video.  It was a presentation by an Indiana University anthropology professor at the Library of Congress in June 2008.  I know!  It sounds dry, but even if you watch the first 10 minutes, you will see how powerful these tools are (and you’ll probably end up watching the whole thing!).

Thank you Kevin for taking the time to share your social media insights and experiences (which I hope will help your Virginia wine colleagues)!

Editorial Disclaimer: Your humble correspondent is by no means a social media or wine expert – not even close!  Rather, I write thru the lens of a passionate wine enthusiast, advocate of the Virginia wine industry, observer of trends from a common sense perspective, and user of social media.

Thank you to each of the wineries that participated!

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Virginia Wine and Social Media_Part III_–_Corcoran Vineyards

The Social Media Interviews – Virginia Wineries – Part III:  Corcoran Vineyards

This post is the third in a four part series featuring Virginia wineries that are leveraging social media tools to connect, communicate with customers/potential customers, and build their brand.  To recap,

• The original post – ‘Social Media: Do Virginia Wineries Get It?’
• The Social Media Interviews – Part I: Breaux Vineyards
• The Social Media Interviews – Part II: Doukenie Winery

The intent of the interviews is to showcase Virginia wineries that are actively engaged in Social Media, and to provide a forum for dialogue for other wineries considering the move to the 21^st century.

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About Corcoran Vineyards: Corcoran Vineyards – located in Loudoun County, VA – is owned and operated by Jim and Lori Corcoran (Lori is the winemaker).  In 2002, the Corcoran’s planted their first block of Chardonnay grapes on their farm – which is known as Corkys Farm.  Today, Corcoran produces ~ 2,000 cases of wine annually.

Corcoran wines are created using traditional methods that enable the full flavors of the grapes to be tasted in every bottle.  Limited production, meticulous cellar work, and careful selection of fruit ensure the highest quality possible.   They have a tasting room located just outside the village of Waterford, in a restored log cabin dating back to 1750 restored log cabin.

When did Corcoran begin using Social Media? What social media tools do you currently use (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogging, Ning, etc.)?

We have 2 twitter accounts (I started to tweet in 2008, which I was one of the first Virginia wineries to do so), 2 Facebook accounts (Corcoran Vineyards & Corcoran Wines), both my husband and I are on LinkedIn and I blog (Off the Vine with Lori).   Editorial Note:  Be sure to follow @CorkysFarm and @CorcoranWine on Twitter.

Does Corcoran have a defined approach in terms of how you spend your social media time (formal Twitter strategy, specific customer acquisition plan, limited to Facebook, etc.)? If so, please describe how you developed this strategy.

We consider it another avenue to keep guests informed of what is happening at the winery.  It is part of our overall communications program.  Facebook and Twitter are our main communication methods, but I also try to blog 4 times a month.  We use them to try and keep it a little more personal with our friends & guests of the winery.

Has Corcoran realized quantifiable results from utilizing social media (increased tasting room traffic, sales, buzz, media attention, etc.)?  Describe.

Yes, we use Google analytics to measure the results.  Facebook now tells us every week how many visitors and new fans we have.

Since many Virginia wineries are small, family-run operations with limited staff, finding time to devote to social media can be a real challenge.  What advice can you share with your fellow wineries on how to work thru the time constraints of the social media learning curve and how to best use their social media time?

You have to dedicate 10-30 minutes a day to social media…my time seems to go up because I do our website as well so I try and keep them all linked together with the same information.

Given your experience thus far with social media, what are your lessons learned, and how will your approach change (if at all)?

As far as lessons learned, we have found that the younger generation uses social media much more and we need to keep up…the dynamics of how businesses are run has changed exponentially so we need to change as well.

Jim and Lori Corcoran

Editorial Disclaimer: Your humble correspondent is by no means a social media or wine expert – not even close!  Rather, I write thru the lens of a passionate wine enthusiast, advocate of the Virginia wine industry, observer of trends from a common sense perspective, and user of social media.

Next up in the series – Bluemont Vineyard

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