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December 07
This press release features the recent menu for the Duckhorn and Paraduxx Vineyards wine and food programs. Both these programs offer a unique experience with exquisite wines and seasonal food.
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/11/20/wine/doc4b062ac66e8f1651750957.txt
December 02
I knew Karen Cakebread had created something special when I tasted her inaugural Sauvignon Blanc this past summer. It just scored a 90 in the Wine Enthusiast. I have a palate for these things and when you get to taste a wine during recipe testing you learn a lot about different nuances of a wine. She’s done a great job with her 2008 Pinot Noir. Karen has posted is the perfect seasonal recipe for this time of the year that pairs with this new release. Get a bottle and try it out.
http://www.ziatawines.com/
July 27
My good friend Karen Cakebread is making two great food friendly wines under her new label Ziata. My wife, Virginia, thinks the Ziata Sauvignon Blanc is one of the best wines she has tasted this year. I created a fun summer time recipe the pairs perfectly with this beautifully structure Sauvignon Blanc. To learn more about Ziata Wines and Karen Cakebread visit her website at http://www.ziatawines.com
Grilled Zahtar Rubbed Shrimp and Fattoush Salad
Serves 4 to 6
Zahtar Spice:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 tablespoons sumac
1 teaspoons fresh picked, chopped lemon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
*Reserve some of the spice mixture to use another time with fish or poultry
1 pound medium 25/30 shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail intact
¼ cup olive oil
Dressing:
½ cup lemon juice
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sumac
Salad:
2 pita rounds, torn into pieces and toasted or ready made from the store
2 romaine hearts, rough chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 English cucumbers, peeled, seeded and medium diced
¼ cup mint, roughly chopped
½ cup parsley, roughly chopped
1 avocado, quartered, pitted, peeled and cut into pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grind the sesame and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle or spice mill. Combine the remaining spice ingredients and mix well.
Light the grill. Toss the shrimp in the spice mix, covering the shrimp evenly. Thread the shrimp on soaked bamboo or metal skewers. Brush the shrimp with olive oil and grill for approximately 2 to 3 minutes a side until the shrimp are cooked. Remove from the grill and set aside.
Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl, mix well and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine all the salad ingredients. Add the dressing, season with salt and pepper and toss together.
To serve, portion the salad onto plates. Remove the shrimp from the skewers. Top the salad with the shrimp and serve.
July 24
I’ve known Tim Olson, winemaker and partner of Olson-Ogden wines, for many years. When he learned about my new business venture, he was intrigued and generously offered to help with a beta test for the Winery Chefs recipe development program. Throughout my career, I’ve cultivated a keen sense of what winemakers, marketing executives, and consumers look for in a wine and food pairing. However, even with eight years experience, I continue to take the process seriously and realize there’s always more to learn. As a result, I’ve designed the following program in an effort to dig deeper and focus on the winery’s personality and character of its wines.
I’ve outlined the steps of our beta test below:
discuss the client’s basic wine and food philosophy and determine the purpose of the final recipes
Tim and his business partner John Ogden are in the midst of updating their website as well as developing plans to increase media exposure. And, because they are renowned for producing food-friendly wines, recipes would perfectly complement their marketing content.
administer a Winery Chefs recipe development questionnaire
This is a crucial step in the process as it taps into the winery’s personality as well as the client’s personal feelings on wine and food pairing. The goal of the questionnaire is to find what works for the client and to clarify the message the winemaker wants to convey to the consumer.
As expected, Tim brought the same level of passion he has for winemaking to the questionnaire. The answer to the following question says it all:
Q: How do you see your customer using these recipes?
A: As a basis to experiment from. In my view, food and wine pairings, while an interesting distraction from the demands of daily life, tend to be quite far down on the list of priorities, even for the discerning gourmand. I think more and more people are discovering the joys of staying home and cooking a good meal with a good bottle of wine. But the message is clear: keep it simple and make it fun.
submit potential ideas and recipes to the client
This was a back and forth process, but ultimately a mushroom risotto recipe resonated with Tim. And because the recipe paired well with both his Pinot Noir and Syrah, it also supported Tim’s feeling about the versatility of his wines. The risotto was the perfect choice. It’s simple, fun, seasonal, and as it turned out, pairs perfectly with both wines.
develop the recipe
professionally photograph the finished product
This step is optional, though I highly recommend it as a beautiful photograph will inspire the consumer to try the recipe for themselves as well as add visual interest to a recipe card, website, or cookbook. Winery Chefs works exclusively with Kristen Loken, an accomplished local photographer.
Finally, the finished product is delivered to the client in disc format. Each step in this process is essential to create quality recipes and collateral marketing materials that directly correlate with the winery’s brand and unique character of its wines.
The recipe for Olson-Ogden Mushroom Risotto can be found at: www.olsonogdenwines.com.
To view Kristen Loken’s portfolio, please visit www.kristenloken.com.
I will be meeting with Tim next week to taste through the 2007 vintage and will start working on new recipes for their website. Stay tuned!
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.
