Spring is usually boom time for Texas wineries, but not this year. Amid the coronavirus crisis, social distancing has shut down tasting rooms, the cash cow of most Texas wineries.
To stay engaged with customers, wineries are finding creative ways to interact online. Virtual wine tastings, happy hours and classes are the new tools connecting wineries with the public. Many producers hope to boost sales by offering online discounts, free shipping, and even prized older vintages.
“The [tasting room] shutdown has a huge effect on Texas wineries. From a business point of view, it cuts off a big component of revenues,” says David Kuhlken, president of the Texas Hill Country Wineries association and co-founder, president and winemaker at Pedernales Cellars in Stonewall, Texas. Most Texas wineries ― especially those with little or no retail distribution ― derive most of their revenues from tasting room sales, with the balance coming from wine club sales, he says.
Losing the spring traffic is especially painful for wineries on the Hill Country wine trail. “As a percent of total sales, March, April and May account for a disproportionate amount of our tasting room revenue, with April being the peak [month],” Kuhlken says. Collectively, he estimates that tasting rooms will lose 90% of their usual spring revenue (curbside sales may account for 10%). "That’s a big hit to the economy out here,” Kuhlken says.
To stay connected to wine drinkers, many wineries are taking to Facebook Live, Instagram Live, IGTV, Zoom and Twitter for live wine events, including tastings. Letting participants and viewers pose questions and comments during sessions helps connect the wine community during the shelter-in-place era. Virtual happy hours give participants a chance to share favorite Texas wines and enjoy some camaraderie. Kuhlman Cellars, also in Stonewall, touts its virtual tastings as “putting the social in social distancing.”
Many wineries’ websites and Facebook pages promote new releases and trios of wines well in advance of themed tastings, which allows time for ordering and receiving wines. At Pedernales Cellars, older vintages held back for special occasions (library wines) are being released for the first time for inclusion in virtual vertical tastings. The winery will also feature cooking demos led by its chef on Facebook Live.
Slate Mill Wine Collective, a winery, custom crush facility and incubator in Fredericksburg, uses Facebook Live for interactive educational sessions. The relatively new winery had already been planning online wine education programs, but the rollout moved up when the coronavirus crisis hit, says Kate Shelley, director of sales for Slate Mill.
“Right now, we just want to keep everybody happy and distracted,” she says. The winery’s first virtual session, a Q&A with the winemaker, reached almost 1,500 people. The second session, “Ask the Sommelier,” drew more than twice as many viewers.
Groups of wineries and wine professionals are joining forces for interactive events on social media, too. The Texas Hill Country Wineries Facebook page holds weekly virtual happy hours, featuring rotating guests and winemakers who respond to questions. Recently, a group of Texas winemakers, wine writers and influencers joined wine drinkers to chat about Texas viognier, roussanne and tempranillo via Twitter and Instagram. Called “#TXwine Twitter Tuesday,” the online session drew 60 participants, who opened their favorite bottles and shared thoughts as they tasted. The virtual event generated more than 1.5 million #TXwine Twitter impressions.
Although shuttered tasting rooms are a setback to Texas wineries, Kuhlken sees a silver lining, “This crisis breeds innovation,” he says. “Many of these online avenues that are opening up will continue when people can come back out and things return to normal ― whatever normal looks like. Our goal is to stay as engaged as possible."
Read on for a list of virtual events launched by Texas wineries and wine groups.
Tina Danze is a Dallas freelance writer.
Texas wineries online
Becker Vineyards is hosting a virtual wine tasting at 5:30 p.m. April 10 with Perini Ranch. They will be pairing Mesquite Smoked Peppered Beef Tenderloin with the Becker Vineyards 2017 Dolcetto Reserve. Check the Becker Facebook page at facebook.com/BeckerVineyardsWinery/.
Bending Branch Winery is hosting interactive virtual happy hours on Zoom every Friday in April from 4 to 5 p.m. Although each session has a Bending Branch wine theme, you are welcome to join the discussion no matter what you are drinking. Schedule: April 10, Frizzante Friday; April 17, Malbec World Day; April 24, Tannat & Tempranillo. For Zoom access details and to order wines featured in the happy hour, visit bendingbranchwinery.com.
Brennan Vineyards hosts virtual happy hours every Friday at 4 p.m. on Facebook Live, featuring three wines (which may be purchased in advance at brennanvineyards.com; click “Acquire,” then scroll to “Virtual Tasting Wines”). Everyone is welcome, regardless of what they are drinking. Events are promoted on the winery’s Facebook page.
Kuhlman Cellars has themed virtual tasting webinars on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays via Zoom. Buy a bundle of the seminars’ featured wines in advance, and the winery will send you a private URL to join the Zoom tasting (order by Wednesday to receive in time). Each session is themed and customized in real time according to what attendees are most interested in. Events are promoted on the winery’s Facebook page, with a link to the website’s order page at kuhlmancellars.com for buying the featured wines. Participants are capped at 15 to 18 to keep the group intimate.
* “Wine Time” on Facebook Live, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. Sessions include vineyard updates, virtual visits to the estate, and virtual wine tastings with the sommelier, who also offers food and wine pairing suggestions. Guests can type questions and ask for pairing recommendations in real time. No limit to participants, and no purchase requirements.
* Podcasts: Search Kuhlman Vineyards on YouTube for podcasts on the estate vineyards and winemaking; a conversation with Kuhlman’s French winemaker; and recipes with pairings.
Pedernales Cellars hosts Facebook Live virtual tastings announced regularly on the winery’s Facebook page. April 15: a vertical tasting of the GSM Melange, coinciding with the release of the 2015 vintage, part of its Library Release series . For more events, check the winery’s Facebook page. Cooking demos led by the winery’s chef, Leo Aguirre, will also be featured on Facebook Live. pedernalescellars.com.
Slate Mill Wine Collective hosts an “Ask Our Experts” Facebook Live series every Friday from 2 to 3 p.m. April 10 is a Q&A with the vineyard manager and vineyard operations team. They will discuss what’s spring growth in the vineyard, new plantings, and thoughts on the upcoming harvest. Follow the winery’s Facebook page for details of upcoming sessions. slatemillwinecollective.com.
Texas Hill Country Wineries hosts “Hill Country Happy Hour" every Thursday at 6 p.m. on Facebook Live. Upcoming topics include Women in Texas Wine, Hill Country Growers, High Plains Growers, and Wine Varietals and Styles. facebook.com/TexasHillCountryWineries/.
* #TXwine Twitter Tuesdays. Join these Twitter wine tastings by following the #TXwine hashtag and sharing one of your favorite Texas wines, photos of the wine or a special #TXwine moment are encouraged. Topics for upcoming sessions are: April 14, Mourvedre, Vermentino, Albarino or Picpoul; April 21, Your Favorite Texas Wines, anything goes; and April 28, Texas’ Italian Reds and Whites. Suggestions for upcoming tastings are welcomed.
William Chris Vineyards is offering virtual happy hours on Facebook Live Mondays through Fridays at 5 p.m. with its in-house sommelier and director of wine education. There are also virtual tastings with the winery founders and winemaking team every Saturday at 4 p.m. To participate in the tastings, order the week’s wine package (four packs starting at $99) by Tuesday at 5 p.m. at williamchriswines.com.