The time has come, once more, to revive PurpleMouthed.com. Her spirit has been burning bright since long before the start, however, her day-to-day activity is like that of her founder, Kendal Montgomery: random as fuck.
I have a tattoo now, so I can say things like f-word.
The thing is, I really like wine. I love to taste and think about wine. Sure, it all gets documented in my mess of Moleskines, maybe an Insta story too, but…the pages fill, the stories disappear after 24 hours. I must be better because I have things to say!
At the same time, I’m not into sacrificing moments to shit out content. Curated content is king.
Hence we arrive to the point of the post: The State of Wine in 2021. Something I’ve been contemplating in life’s most current phrase: these uncertain times.
I am as much a wine consumer as anything else. Master of Wine student, wine content specialist and journalist hats aside, I’m out there spending money on wine, just like the people you’re trying to reach.
So if you’re a producer, this one’s for you. If you’re not, stay tuned, because again, random as fuck…
Spend money on creating a good label!
Packaging is so important. That has not and will not change. And while it may not be the ultimate deciding factor, wine packaging majorly impacts purchasing decisions, especially when the buyer isn’t looking for anything specific.
The other day I was back home in West Virginia where wine options are dire. Faced with bulk wine, I headed to the four Oregon wines and chose the prettiest label paired with a decent price. It was ok. And when taking in all the pretties at a specialty shop in New York, well, I’m a kid at Christmas. As an added bonus, it’s much more likely that the drinker will share your wine on social if it looks good too. Free marketing.
Most importantly, I believe that packaging is a 360° concept and the brand’s essence is key. You have a brand whether you know it or not. I can help you discover this.
Premium pricing doesn’t pair well with pandemics.
Make wine that people can afford. And make sure your importer, distributor and retailers are adhering to decent pricing. I see stores take major advantage of exclusive juice and frankly, it sucks.
Trickle-down.
While the zoom thingies and Insta live videos may seem winecestuous—and they are—I do believe the content is trickling down to fill consumers’ glasses. A chick at my local wine shop recommended a wine the other day that she knew all about due to tuning in to a live chat with the producer. I don’t watch them personally, because I prefer to float, but there are others who love to check you out and interact. It’s never bad to attempt to get some face time with wine shops/experts/lovers.
On the same note, sales clerks who know something interesting about a wine will tell you, which can be very influential. Producers and distributors, make sure the wine shops you’re pedaling to get a good taste and story in the sip. Need help with that? I got you.
But you can’t reach out to every single sales clerk, so,
a strong back label can go a long way.
People read them! I love to write them…just sayin’.
Embrace weird. It’s much more appealing than the status quo. That’s just in general.
Best of luck out there. It’s been a wild ride and it’s far from over.
If you’re in the wine industry and ready to try something different, we should talk: kendal@purplemouthed.com.
