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Among steps she took was using Facebook Live, featuring recipes and wines, plus foodpairingswith local restau- rants and videos of bottling and prepara- tions for harvest. The winery also posted onInstagram, sent targetedemailsanddid Zoomwebinarswithitswineclubandwith wine bloggers. Because of wildfires, Stancliff said Trombetta made no wines in 2020, but shesought to“keepapositivespin” intalks with reporters and posts on social media, “because we’re moving forward and get- ting through this together.” StevenDeCosta,winemakerwithO’Neill VintnersandDistillers inParlier, oneof the
largest wineries in California with 14 na- tionalbrandsand21exclusivebrands, talk- edofhowthewineryhaspivotedtoengage customers through virtual events and to “pushdeeper in e-commerce.” DeCosta said direct-to-consumer ship- ments grew 24% in the first nine months of 2020 and value increased by 17%. Off- premises sales increased21%invalueand 16% in volume. Along with conducting video tastings, the winery posted videos showing the winemaking process, where the fruit is coming fromandwinery tours. It alsopro- vided updates on the growing season and the impact of wildfires.
DeCosta said he expects to continue to use virtual postings. SandraHess, awine consumer engage- ment anddirect sales specialist, also talked of direct-to-consumer engagement. She emphasized“high-touchhospitality,”not- ing that relationshipbuildingwas import- ant before the pandemic andwill be after. Hess saidhercompanyhashelpedmore than 500 wine brands across the United States with virtual offerings since March, and said high-tech connections can con- tinue “in the intimacy of living rooms, kitchens and offices. Wine brands can leverage partnership and lifestylemarket- ing to stay better connected year-round.” Communication methods to reach direct wine customers have drastically changed because of COVID-19, she said, pointing to increased use of chat tools, in- stantmessaging and virtual events. Hesssaidthisisagoodtimetolookathow awinerywill balance virtual and in-person experiences in the future, todetermine the greatest opportunities that couldcome as a winery reopensandhowthedirect-to-con- sumerteamwilldevelopnew,privatetasting experiences for reopening. Because the tasting experience could change, she said, it is important that past customers and others be tuned in towhat to expect. “Be as transparent as youcan,” she said. Hess said it is also good to thank wine club members and create member-ap- preciation moments, whether virtually or in person. (Denni s Pol lock i s a repor t er in F r e s no . He ma y b e c on t a c t e d a t agcompollock@yahoo.com.) USDA inaugurates new contact center via website, phone Describing it as a way to make its ser- vicesmoreaccessible tothepublic, theU.S. Department of Agriculture has created an AskUSDAContact Center for phone, chat andweb inquiries. Thedepartment saidpeoplecancontact AskUSDA by phone at 833-ONE-USDA, with representatives available 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m. PT weekdays. A website at ask.usda. gov is available24/7and includes live chat agents available weekdays, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. PT. Inquiriesmay also be sent via email at any time to askusda@usda.gov. “Prior to the creation and implemen- tation of AskUSDA,” the department said, “members of the public had to navigate dozens of phonenumbers andhadnochat functionor onlineplatformfor self-service, creating frustrations and inefficiencies.” Thedepartment said theAskUSDAcon- tact center canhandlecommonquestions about a variety of topics that may arise among farmers, researchers, travelers, parents and other constituents, and that people who have complicated questions about loan programs can be connected to agency experts.
largest will likely see revenues grow. “Though revenues are growing, profits are down even for the largest wineries,” Nesin said. Er ica Stancl i f f , winemaker wi th Trombetta Family Wines and presi- dent of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance, talked of her mother-daughter owned-and-operated winery’s custom crush facility, which has no tasting room but has hosted small events. “What we had to pivot to and focus on thisyearwas, howdoweget infrontofpeo- ple?” Stancliff said.
16 Ag Alert December 2, 2020
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