How to Attract Visitors to a Winery

5 Ways to Attract New Visitors to Your Winery

In an age where new labels emerge quicker than grapevines, knowing how to attract new visitors to your winery has never been more important. Whether you specialize in bone-dry whites or aromatic reds, your goal should be new wine tourism guests in your tasting room each week.

Below, we’ll cover five ways to attract new visitors to your winery, including contactless payment. Before long, you’ll have new guests excited to try your earthy Cab Franc—and reaching for more bottles to take home.

#1 Bring Your Brand Online

Your tasting room could feature a beautiful mahogany countertop flanked by oak barrels, but it would be all for show if potential visitors don’t know your winery exists. 

Building your brand’s online presence is important—the internet is almost always the first place people will interact with your brand. Your winery should have an easily navigable website and social media presence. Consider when building your online presence:

• How photogenic are your vineyards and wine tasting room? Post pictures.
• Does your label have an inspiring story associated with it? Post it.
• Is your exceptionally charismatic winemaker skilled at talking about skin-contact rosés? Upload a video.

Finally, make it as easy as possible for guests to book wine tastings, vineyard tours, and any other services your winery provides. Becoming a sommelier is hard. Reserving a time to talk to one doesn’t have to be.

#2 Focus on Hospitality by Going Contactless

Although contactless ordering and payment had been on the rise before the pandemic, Covid-19 has made the contactless experience that much more important. Potential visitors are sometimes wondering “are contactless payments safe,” and want to be sure their information is safe when they visit your winery. Contactless platforms such as GoTab ensure visitor safety while providing a convenient, hospitable atmosphere.

When utilizing a cashless system for events, guests can access your wine list and small plates directly from their phones. And by paying through the platform, guests can take charge of their entire experience. 

But the benefits aren’t solely in the hands of your guests. 

• By eliminating the time your staff would spend taking orders and running credit cards, you can emphasize hospitality.
• Sommeliers and staff can then spend more time circulating the winery, educating guests on what makes your wines unique.

#3 Promote a Unique Tasting Experience

Once you have an online presence and a passionate consumer base, it’s time to promote your winery’s unique tasting experience. 

Questions to consider include:

• How does the tasting experience at your winery differ from other wineries in the region?
• How are your menu pairings? Do you offer small plates, such as oysters and arugula salads, to pair with your oaked Chardonnay? 
• Are guests given a chance to meet the head winemaker after touring the vineyard?
• Do you offer any other amenities such as cottage-style accommodations at your vineyard?

Defining the experience will also help you identify your target audience. For example, is your winery geared towards level two sommeliers or the occasional-glass-of-Pinot-at-dinner consumer? Knowing your target audience will help you personalize your winery in a way such that novice wine drinkers won’t feel overwhelmed and Gamay lovers won’t feel let down.

But it’s not enough to simply offer a unique experience. You must also promote it. 

Post across your social media accounts with pictures of your winery at all times of the year and be sure to snap a photo of that deep-purple Merlot in the perfect light.

#4 Find a Distributor

In an ideal world, a wine tourist would simply know to visit your winery. But given the increasing number of labels and wineries, people are often overwhelmed by the choices. 

Distributing your wines to restaurants and retailers is one way to get people hooked. And once they find your wine, they’ll find your winery.

The surest way for your brand to reach a wide audience and become popular in the wine industry is to sell your wine to a distributor. The distributor will then sell your wine to restaurants and retailers who have both a love of wine and the skills to sell it.

And though you won’t make as much money per bottle as you would if people bought directly from your winery, selling to a distributor helps get your wines out into the world and new wine lovers into your tasting room.How does the saying go? If you sell it, they will come.

#5 Accommodate Many Types of Events

Wineries are stunning locations. Leverage your winery’s rustic architecture and rows of lush vines to host many different types of events. Some events your winery could host (outside of traditional tastings) include:

• Weddings and graduation parties
• Gardening workshops focused on growing organic, sustainable produce
• Events designed specifically for families with young children

Use your existing contactless winery technology to create a streamlined experience for every occasion. Hosting these different events will entice visitors whose first priority may not be wine (although there will be plenty of opportunities to serve your wine). Once visitors are on the property for the wedding, they’ll most certainly want to explore all your winery has to offer.

At the very least, you’ll be able to collect contact information from your guests to keep them informed about what the winery is doing. They may arrive for the softball game, but they’ll depart with grapes on their mind.

Harvest the Rewards of GoTab’s Contactless Payments

Your winery may have the region’s most beautiful landscape and an easily navigable winery website, but convincing visitors to come can still be a challenge. Ensure that you position your winery for success with the above tips.

When it comes to convenience, streamlining your winery’s operation with GoTab can help ensure a top-notch visitor experience. 

Winemaking is an art form. Don’t let a lack of visitors wither the grapes on your vines.

Sources:

• Sommelier Choice Awards. How to Pick the Right Distributor for Your Wine. https://sommelierschoiceawards.com/en/blog/insights-1/how-to-pick-the-right-distributor-for-your-wine-221.htm