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October 20
It’s been a while since my last entry. I have to say the busy season in Napa Valley has made it hard for me to keep up with my blog entries. These are the challenges of a new business. I will be adding post more regularly as things slow down after the crush.
I am curious on what you would par with this dish. Please send me your ideas by clicking on the contact page and I will post results in the next couple weeks.
June 23
Wine Club Member Retention
Daily reminders of the struggling economy surround us. Housing foreclosures are on the rise, restaurants and retailers are suffering, and businesses are cutting back. Despite Napa Valley’s notoriety as a world-class wine-producing region, it is not immune to the effects of the economy. Overall sales including direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales are down. Wine clubs, which account for a winery’s best profit margins and serve as a great way to build a loyal customer base, are taking a hit.
The average wine club member belongs to multiple wine clubs, and several are opting out completely or simply limiting the number of clubs they belong to in an effort to save money. These members are savvy consumers and the quality of benefits offered definitely shapes their decision making process. This is, therefore, a critical time for wineries to proactively assess strategies for wine club member retention.
In general wineries offer the same amenities to their wine club members: discounts, VIP access, free tastings, “club only wines”, reduced shipping rates, winemaker notes, recipes, and private events. To remain competitive, it is imperative for wineries to critically evaluate their wine club as a “product” and compare their amenities and programs with their neighbors. Wineries should focus on a number of tools to retain members, but for the sake of this article I will focus on recipes and events.
food as the natural marketing partner for wine
On premise sales are down for a large percentage of Napa Valley’s top wineries, and more people are dining at home. If your wine club offers recipes, now is the time to focus on comfort foods that pair well with the winery’s more affordable bottles. Choose recipes with broad appeal, using ingredients that won’t break the bank.
If your winery doesn’t offer recipes, now is an auspicious time to reap the long-term benefits of developing an exclusive recipe program to excite the existing wine club base. Involve wine club members in the process and ask them about their personal cooking interests and then develop quality recipes to reflect the personality of the winery. Value added collateral marketing material such as recipe pairings doesn’t just benefit wine club retention; it can also attract new membership to the wine club.
‘value events’ for 2009 and beyond
The economy is weak but that doesn’t necessarily mean wineries should limit their number or quality of wine club events. Consumers are still looking for activities and social events, and by offering free or low-cost events, the relationship between the winery and the consumer is nurtured and equally important, the winery creates an additional opportunity for sales. By utilizing your facility and existing talent, it is possible to successfully create budget conscious events such as a meet-and-greet with the winemaker, a crush party, or a themed supper featuring low cost dishes.
wine club member participation
Some members are more active than others, and I’m sure you’ve noticed a few regulars who attend every event. They are obviously personally invested in your winery, so why not encourage them to participate in the planning of events? Not only will this give them as sense of ownership, it gives you a free source of labor.
don’t forget your other team members
Caterers, musicians, linen and tent rental companies, and a variety of other vendors with whom you have worked with have likely been adversely affected by the economy as well. You have shared in each other’s success and will likely continue to do so as the economy improves. And, as a result, they will probably be open to work within your feasible budgets for ‘value events’.
stay connected with your past wine club members
When a consumer does not renew their membership, save their contact information in a separate mailing list and keep in touch via e-blasts or a blog. Beyond keeping them apprised of new wine releases, let them know you appreciate their past loyalty by sending them a recipe and wine pairing or offering a discount on value wines each quarter. The economy is going to improve and when it does, they will appreciate your loyalty and generosity in these difficult times.
Winery Chefs offers custom support tools for wine club retention, drawing on years of experience in the culinary arts and a deep passion for food and wine. Services include recipe development, program development and implementation, and collateral marketing material. For more information, please visit www.winerychefs.com or contact Chef Richard Haake at 707-637-7403.
April 20
This article was written by my good friend Tony Poer who works for Meyers Family Cellars. I have been home wine making for many years. I believe this experience is intricate to my wine knowledge and helps me to be a better educator of wine and food. Many of my friends enjoy my creations from my home winery, Dirt Floor Cellars, and as I continue to blog I will share recipes that I create for the latest vintages from DFC.
“My wife and I moved to the Napa Valley last fall. Shortly thereafter, I was enlist to take part in an “artisanal grape-demolishing operation” by my friend Richard Haake….”
April 17
Realizing I am spending too much time working on my new business and not enough time adding to my blog I am going to attempt to add some content that I have developed in the past. I worked as the resident chef for five years at Cakebread Cellars. I cant say enough kind words about the Cakebread family. They are committed to excellence and have a world class culinary program lead by culinary director, Brian Streeter. I learned much of my recipe writing techniques at the winery. It takes a lot of hard work. Here is one my recipes that is on the Cakebread Cellars website, a great source for wine and food recipes.
http://www.cakebread.com/recipes/index.cfm?recipe=SB_ahi_cuc_mango_salad.ht
March 05
Wine And Food Pairing
Part 1
general guidelines a winery chef follows
Understanding wine and food pairing can be a very daunting task. There are varying schools of thought on the subject. Following, I have outlined a philosophy of creating a wine and food experience that first and foremost highlights wine and hopefully begins to demystify the process.
which came first, the chicken or the egg?
We may never come to a consensus to this age old question. Similarly, there are divergent philosophies on how to choose a wine and food pairing. What comes first, the food or the wine? For consumers, the food usually comes first. For example, in a restaurant setting, the consumer will order food and then choose a wine. Dining as a large group can often complicate the wine ordering process. This is when the sommelier works their magic, suggesting a wine to compliment the variety of food choices the consumer has made.
Winery chefs and wineries operate differently. For them, the wine always comes first in the pairing process. Once a winemaker chooses to bottle a wine, it cannot be altered. However, food and the components that make up a dish can be. This is when the winery chef works their magic, adjusting the balance of a dish to compliment the chosen wine.
the progression of a meal
Meals always have a progression, whether it’s a family style picnic, three-course lunch, a dinner with multiple hors d’oeuvres and courses, or even a buffet. The order of these meals goes from lightest to heaviest. The order in which wine is consumed usually follows that same progression: light body to medium body to full body, whites to reds, dry to sweet, old before young. There are exceptions to the rule, but that’s another post altogether. Once the wine selection is made, the menu planning begins. In the Napa Valley most meals start with Sauvignon Blanc and end with Cabernet Sauvignon. This is, of course, a generalization because each winery is different in the varietals and styles they produce. But, this helps you get the big picture. Choose the wine first, and develop a progression with the choices of wine and courses to follow. Please visit the menu section for examples.
seasonality
There are other aspects to creating a perfect wine and food pairing. Seasonality plays a central role. If you are eating outside on a hot August day, the last thing you want is a hearty beef stew and glass of Syrah. Cabernet Sauvignon doesn’t sound too refreshing either, right? In the same way, Pinot Gris isn’t warming on chilly evenings. To this end, the style of meals prepared at a winery change with the seasons. Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc will always be favorites during warm weather. Warmer months also offer the opportunity to showcase a seasonal light red wine or rose. During cold weather, we opt for wines like Merlot and Syrah, which compliment hearty meals centered around heavy root vegetables, stews and deep rich wine sauces. Varietals like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have a lot more flexibility within the seasons and can be paired year round. A Chardonnay can pair with a salad in summer or a soup in winter. Similarly, Pinot Noir can work with salmon in summer or coq au vin in winter. Always keep the weather in mind when creating a perfect pairing.
learning from the old world
The old world (Europe) is rich in culinary history and tradition. By simply looking to the old world and its cultures, a winery chef can learn much about successful wine and food pairing. Centuries of cooking have produced classic dishes that pair perfectly with old world wines, and as a result, wine and food pairing is intrinsic to the cultures of the old world.
Many new world wine varietals are actually old world varietals. It’s no coincidence Italian and French foods dominate the landscape of Napa Valley. It is very easy to create successful wine and food pairings with these styles of food. For example, if you have a Pinot Noir, think beef bourguignon. If you have a Pinot Gris, think fritto misto. The roadmap to successful wine and food pairing runs through the cultures of the old world.
bridging the gap
Just because you have a balanced dish and a balanced wine does not mean they will automatically pair well with one another. More often than not, an element must be added or changed to ‘bridge the gap’ in balance between the wine and food. A skilled winery chef can successfully bridge this gap by altering the balance of a dish, a potentially complicated process.
The elements most often changed to bridge the gap are the dressing, broth or sauce. How a chef chooses to alter these elements can help create compliment or contrast to a wine, giving emphasis to its qualities. For example, a rich creamy sauce can compliment and accentuate the full body and buttery mouth feel of a Chardonnay, while the saltiness of an Asian dipping sauce can bring contrast to an off-dry (semi-sweet) wine. Whether bringing contrast or compliment to a wine, the goal of a successful bridge is to bring harmony to a wine and food pairing while ultimately highlighting the best qualities in that wine.
have fun!
My bottom line to the discussion of wine and food pairing is simple…have fun, don’t over think it. It doesn’t really matter what meal you pair with your wine, as long as it’s done in good company and you take the time to savor what you’re having. That being said, as a winery chef, there is a science to what we do. We make sure the wine is the focal point of the meal, because at the end of the day, my job is to sell wine.
Cheers,
Richard Haake
