The Winery Web Site Report

New Winery Blog: Sampson Valley Vineyard

The folks at Sampson Valley Vineyard in Sampson, Wisconsin (north of Green Bay!) have a new winery vineyard blog (the planned Odilon Desreumaux Estate Winery has not yet been built).

Surprisingly, they've been posting for over 2 years, averaging a post every other week or so during that time.  Written by vineyard owner Jerrold Robaidek, it's an interesting tale of cold-weather viticulture.

This description of the Sampson Valley Vineyard terrain makes it sound quite different from the vineyards I'm used to here in Sonoma County.  And the cold-weather varietals that Sampson plants (Foch,  Landot Noir,  LaCrosse, Saint Pepin, LaCrescent, Prairie Star and Frontenac) are not your standard California vineyard fare, either.

It's a fun read, with lots of details about managing the vineyard.  I suspect it helps Jerrold sell his grapes (yes, Virginia, there are cold-weather wineries).

As always, we've added Sampson Valley Vineyard to our list of winery blogs (even though it's not *yet* a winery).

Lazy Sunday: Best Wine in [the] World

I admire the chutzpah!

This is also a *very* new winery blog from Salado Winery in Salado, TX - about midway between Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio.

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Anyone who takes on the risk of planting a vineyard is to be admired.  Farming is not a business that is fraught with certainty.  And Texas is certainly less-forgiving to grape growers than California.

I hope that June Ritterbusch at Salado Winery will use her winery blog to talk about what she's doing (a la Josh Hermsmeyer over at Capozzi/pinotblogger).  There's nothing worse than an inactive winery blog.  And nothing better than a good story.

(PS - June, don't forget to link from your winery Web site back to your new blog - I couldn't seem to find a link.)

The Second-Best Winery Web Site

I'm always looking for the very best winery Web sites (ultimately, that's based on how well they work for visitors, even though you may think it's how well they work for your winery).

I'm not so foolish as to ask your opinion of the best winery web site, though.

That's because the best winery Web site is, of course, the one belonging to your winery.

But which winery Web site is second-best?  You know, the one you'd have if you didn't have yours.  Take a minute with your morning cup of coffee and leave a comment.

Building Meaningful Winery Web Sites

Here are 7 tips on building for meaning from Seth Godin, with some notes from me.

1. Use numbers and bullets. (is your site "built to scan"?)
2. Give people a place to go. (I really endorse this one - remember, users have a Back button)
3. Use pictures. (of your wine bottles, not your vineyards)
4. Have an opinion. (I'd prefer to say, "Have a personality")
5. Don't be afraid to compare. (and it's not necessarily to your "competition")
6. It's a brick wall, not a balloon. (unfortunately, most wineries lay a few bricks and stop)
7. It's okay to be long, if you're chunky. (this can be a big "if")

Seth's post has more detail, and I encourage you to read it for yourself.  A great winery Web site will stand out, because most winery Web sites are pretty much the same.  But you've got to think like a visitor, not like a marketer.