Comments on: Forget web 2.0 — some wineries need web 0.9 (plus some wine picks)

By: Mark's Wine Clubs

Mark's Wine Clubs — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 04:55:58 +0000

I don’t think it’s a networking problem, there are plenty of ways for vintners to get together already, Paso Robles has their wine alliance as an example.

Taking the time to create that type of content for a website on any topic isn’t easy and wine is perhaps more guilty of not providing information than almost any other industry.

I do think there are enough younger winemakers and Proprietors that understand the need for information that those types of challenges will continue to lessen over time.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 04:10:34 +0000

Maybe it is time for a social networking site for wine producers and lovers all over the world…

What do you say?

By: Lesley

Lesley — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 03:28:59 +0000

Great post, and I agree – far too often I google a wine hoping for more information and am disappointed. I’ve found it particularly hard to find information on certain German wines, and have even taken to using Google Translate when the English button doesn’t work (or doesn’t exist).

By: Don

Don — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:12:03 +0000

It was taught and re-taught endlessly in school: it is easy to start a database, it is very hard to maintain one. Too bad that too many people in our wine industry did not learn this. But certainly not unique to wine, it is a problem in any industry.

By: Ian Griffith

Ian Griffith — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:18:25 +0000

We face a similar frustration visiting winery websites while searching for labels and tasting notes that are displayed on retailer websites. While common practice, it turns out the larger wineries and importers are ambivalent about this activity. Did it occur to you the winery may have an objection to your showing a picture or label image on your slideshow? The more “corporate” importers and brand owners have Terms and Conditions documents that may require written approval for trade use of their material.

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Sat, 13 Nov 2010 07:15:28 +0000

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By: Larry Chandler

Larry Chandler — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:54:12 +0000

Many, if not most, wineries simply do not care about their websites. Information is outdated, links are broken, promotions don’t work.

Since my job involves checking new winery websites before launch, I’ve started to notice so many things on existing sites. And frequently I notify the winery of their sometimes significant errors and not only rarely hear back, but they rarely fix the errors.

In just the last week in both blast email promotions and on the websites of both small and big wineries, I found the following:

1. Email: “Order today and save 30%. Enter XYZ as promo code.” Doesn’t work. Turns out the date of start was the next day.

2. Email: “Save 25% on all orders.” Savings comes to 15%.

3. Website: “Click here to see our featured wines.” I click and then “We cannot ship this wine to your state.” However, no specific wine was selected, and the state selected was California. Not likely for a California winery.

4. Website: “Click here to go to our store.” I click, broken link. No store.

And there are many others. It’s not hard to verify that links, offers, images, are all in place.

I may start up a new blog “Mistakes Winery Websites Make”. I have a wealth of material. I could do a new post every single day.

By: Jarrod H.

Jarrod H. — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:10:18 +0000

I love to geek out on wine websites, but I have always though that they were kind of a bonus. Interesting post Dr. V!

By: Alan Baker

Alan Baker — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:48:36 +0000

I’m with you 100% Tyler.
Back when I was writing about wine rather than making wine, the Web was not nearly as deep with good information. Finding details about a wine could be done with time but it was ans still is difficult at midnight with a 7AM deadline.

I think there really is no excuse to not have a tech sheet available that gives you vineyard, winemaking, and vintage information, as well as MSRP etc. Bottle shots and other materials are a plus but not as critical as the basics about the wine’s origins.

Post the information before you release a wine and never take it off the site. You never know when somebody might be holding an older vintage and want to know the details of its creation.

We’ve just started a project to post up to date video tasting notes linked to each wine so you can always scan the barcode and see how the wine is evolving in bottle.

Alan
Winemaker – Cartograph

By: Anatoli Levine

Anatoli Levine — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:28:07 +0000

Interesting read. I experienced the same issues many times, preparing for the wine classes and wine tasting, digging internet for hours for bits and pieces of information. Situation definitely improved over the past 3-4 years, but it is still very challenging to find the right information quickly (as I’m trying to reach next level in Wine Century Club, finding out grape composition in particular wine is even bigger challenge than just general information).
At the same time, I really wonder, if an average wine consumer really cares to know all the details of harvest and fermentation, to see all the pictures and to learn all the facts? All such information is of a high value to wine professionals and aficionados, but does the average consumer cares about it, or would be quite happy with good glass of wine and little information?
This would be a good subject for wine consumers survey…

By: Ignacio Correa

Ignacio Correa — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:34:50 +0000

hi Dr Vino

What kind of data do you think is “compulsory to include” about any wine in the winery website?
In Chile we have the same problem!

best regards

By: Sharon Kapnick

Sharon Kapnick — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 03:36:13 +0000

I find that too many sites concentrate on eye-catching graphics rather than on clearly presenting information. Navigating them is a big time waster and very frustrating.

By: Dr. Vino

Dr. Vino — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:17:30 +0000

@Taylor – glad you liked the post! Good luck with your classes.

@Bill – yes, all too often it feels that way.

@Boettcher – thanks for the support!

@Theo – thanks for sharing–I wish that technology from the Rosenthal sales staff would manifest itself on their site!

@That Guy – Thanks for your comment. Yes, some of that material is relevant to all vintages even if the wine on the site is the 2005 (I bought and poured the 06 yesterday). The site layout is in need of a freshening up and the photos you mention on the tech sheet are tiny. Does the wine come from a steep, awesome looking vineyard? If so, then show it! Is the Croix du Roy–excellent wine that it is–a selection or from a single vineyard/parcel? It would be helpful to clarify. It’s not the worst site out there, but certainly could be improved. What’s your relationship with the estate? Why the anonymous comment?

By: That guy

That guy — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:44:44 +0000

I checked out the links you provided and have one observation. The Lucien Crochet website actually has everything you would look for from a site, including information that the wine was hand-harvested, received a full second sorting and destemming, pigeage/remontage frequency, 28 days in cuve, light pneumatic pressing, 50/50 elevage in new and neutral oak and bottling date plus elevage length. Then there are comments on the color, nose and palate, plus serving suggestion. PLUS there is a tech sheet with pictures, soil composition, vineyard exposition, soil maintenance, vine density, training style, vinification summary and suggested aging time. Am I missing something here? This is actually more information that I’ve seen on a site in quite some time.

By: Theo

Theo — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:53:57 +0000

I guess the “traditional methods” of European wineries and importers extend to marketing too?

My company actually deals with Rosenthal (the importer for the Foreau and Crochet mentioned above) and their rep is incredibly tech savvy. He carries an iPad and I’ve seen him quickly pull up vineyard maps on it to explain the differences between certain Burgundies (an incredibly impressive sales tool), so you’d think a website wouldn’t be that hard to do, but who knows.