What Matters Most
Navigating the wine industry, one person at a time
Every person wants to be recognized. It is part of our makeup, as humans, to crave acknowledgement - for doing a good job, for contributing to a successful idea - ultimately, for just existing. Personal connection is the key to opening the door for acknowledgement. The wine industry is at an intersection, trying to figure out how to engage consumers and keep them interested. We are missing the mark by targeting the groups, and not the individuals. As we see the trends of decades past return (I’m an 80s baby, so the fashion comebacks happening are surreal), the wine industry should take note and make what are considered ‘old school’ ways of doing business new again; person to person connection.
Working on the supplier side of the business for the last decade has broadened my network of relationships. I have connected to multiple distributors and their sales teams, finding ways to build rapport that could sustain months of breaks in between the next meetup. Throw in a pandemic, and forging those relationships became an even greater challenge. The supplier-distributor connection can make or break a brand or portfolio’s presence in a market, so getting it right matters. I haven’t always succeeded - not everyone loves a cackling Midwesterner who would rather talk college football than sales numbers. There are also A LOT of suppliers, so some distributors don’t have the bandwidth to engage in more than a chat about numbers, so they can move onto the next meeting. Navigating that brushoff is the challenge. I AM that cackling Midwesterner, and I DO want to connect beyond the sales numbers. I want you, Distributor Partner, to actually like me as a person, even if you could care less about the wines we are working together to sell in your market. Why? Human nature. You matter. I matter. We are more than the job we are doing in the industry we work in, and if we can share beyond the sales and the wines, then we will succeed collectively. Human connection drives us to want to do more and be better for those that we feel connected to. It is not an easy achievement in the supplier-distributor universe, but it certainly makes for a more enjoyable discussion when the sales are down because both parties are committed to overcoming the slump. No more Zoom calls and emails - I’ll be ringing you on your phone like its 2019, and showing up at the office to take you to lunch.
Intracompany companionship is a dynamic that can be both rewarding and crushing, all at the same time. Being part of a team is a skill we develop (or don’t) in our youth. Whether its participating in an activity in elementary school classrooms, joining a soccer team for recreational and physical growth, or finding the right group of peers that you can call your crew - all of these are attempts to be part of a team. This might be where I lost my way - as I only wanted to be part of the team if I was the leader, and I needed to practice before I could join, to ensure that I was the best and therefore everyone else agreed I should be in charge. A tough individual to add to a team, however, showing up driving my steamroller (and cackle - can’t be quiet about it!), ready to take over. I eventually found my people though, cut from the same cloth - and we have had an incredible run. It has been the most impactful part of my career, as likeminded and strong-willed individuals grouped together can bring out the best and worst in each other. As the wine industry has gone from the boom of COVID days to the bust of competition across the alcohol beverage industry, lifestyle changes and economic uncertainty, a team of winners has been challenged with failure over success. As individuals, we have different coping mechanisms to overcome failure, and the slow breakdown of the team of my dreams happened in realtime, daily. I found myself grasping for lifelines from my teammates - discussion beyond the business that would reconnect us and drive us to find success in the little victories. My dream team may look a little different in the future, but the thread that ties us together is full of knots that won’t unravel.
Wine dinners are a thing of the past. Trade tastings are a waste of time and money. Gen Z isn’t drinking the same as generations before. There are A MILLION opinions about why different groups are engaging less with wine. That’s the problem - the opinions are lumping the slump. What about the individual? Not every wine dinner caters to the same crowd, and there isn’t a singular formula for how a wine dinner can be executed. Wine with dinner doesn’t have to be a formal occasion. Glasses can be paired with a meal, and you don’t have to listen to an explanation for every course. Wine can BE dinner, with food as the afterthought and something to guide the progression of wine styles enjoyed. Trade tastings don’t have to be in banquet halls with fifty tables featuring eight wines each and a spiel for every wine being pitched by the person standing behind the table. Trade tastings can be a winemaker inviting a buyer to lunch and talking about football over a glass or two of wine. Trade tastings can be speed-dating sessions with one-on-one buyer and supplier or winemaker chats that focus on a single wine before the timer goes off. Gen Z doesn’t need to drink the same as the generations before. The wine industry can’t expect that every Gen Z is the same though. Neither can we point a finger at the Baby Boomers aging out of heavy consumption, or Millennials trading our glasses of wine for THC-infused sparkling water to cut calories in our 40s. For every individual that is drinking less, there is another individual in the same generation that is consuming wine more or the same. We have to focus on the person and not the people.
Wine has historically brought people together, and not necessarily to talk about itself. A bottle placed on a table can draw out an evening, filling the gaps in conversation with an opportunity to share a bit of itself with those seated around. Wine can spark a memory, connecting to a place in the world or a time in the past that left an impression. A glass poured can offer the opportunity to share fond recollections and create new ones. The tie that binds with every sip is the attention to the individual. The person, the wine, the moment.