It's hard to believe Fall is fading and that "Winter is coming". Winter of course in this analogy is the end of the halcyon or Goldilocks days that we're enjoying in the wine business. Will it happen? All good things end and have life-cycles. When? It's hard to say, but many factors exist that could lead to the end of "Premiumization."

I have been writing about DTC Marketing since 2011 and published over 50 articles. You'll find a library of evergreen articles on my News/Blog page. Simply click any topic of interest in the tag cloud and you can read what I still think is important about winery direct marketing. Having said that, this will be the last quarterly newsletter to include both DTC Marketing and PR articles. 

I may occasionally feel the need to write about marketing topics, and will continue to consult with my clients about the relationship between media coverage and content marketing. However, effective 2018 I will be focused on  pitching my client's stories and wines - to wine, travel and food focused media outlets and reviewers; and writing and consulting about the importance of PR, Media relations/communications - in hopes of obtaining brand coverage for my clients. 

Important Note: I will be taking on one or possibly two more small production clients in 2018. If you're interested in discussing PR/Media services to determine if what I do is a good fit for your business, please see article block below.

This issue's Marketing article was prompted by an unannounced visit to a winery tasting room and a less than desirable outcome. It inspired this challenging customer service topic "It's the Second Visit that Matters!".

This issue's PR article was prompted by Rusty Gaffney of Pinotfile and an ongoing discussion we've had - "How to conduct wine tasting for professional reviewers ".