AmericanWinery.com

Champagne has always been a horse of a different color in the wine world. Besides the fact that champagne is only made in the aptly named Champagne region of France (if produced elsewhere it’s simply sparkling wine, with a few exceptions), I’ve always found the cork fascinating as well. As naive as it might sound, I just recently learned that the mushroom-shaped cork for champagne bottles actually starts out as a normal cork; it isn’t until the bottling process that the normal corked is mushroomified. Crazy!

Like the many different varietals of wine in existence, champagne also has a unique glass optimized for its consumption, commonly referred to as a flute. It’s thinner and taller bowl and stem help preserve the carbonation of the champagne by decreasing the exposed surface area. Of course, by gripping the flute by it’s stem you’re also not effecting the temperature of the wine. However I recently came across a great solution to help preserve the temperature of the champagne without the dainty and garish hand gesture that comes with holding a champagne flute: meet the champagne glass! It’s double walled to keep the champagne nice and cool (just like the parties you throw) while also holding the same volume of champagne as a normal flute.

It goes without saying that opening a bottle of champagne is a lot more exciting than just a normal bottle of wine. The “Pop!” sound as the cork shoots off (unless you’re in a posh setting where the quieter the cork, the better), the cheering company and laughs all signal a time of celebration. I happened to notice an upcoming device that takes the excitement of opening a bottle of champagne to new heights: it’s called the Rock-et Roll.

It’s a soft little toy rocket that attaches to your champagne cork. The rocket has streamers attached to it, so once that cork goes flying you can expect a burst of color flying to follow. Set to be released soon, you can even have a personalized message among the streamers. The Rock-et Roll is also an eco-friendly gadget, designed using bio-resin and recycled foam rubber to be 100% recycled and recyclable. Just plug a streamer, fix it on your champagne top and be ready for the countdown. Streamers are taught, enabling them to be textured with logos and messages and propel your thoughts through the air. This device was devised by FiftyTwoWays, who have made great little gifts and fun items that have been sold in Urban Outfitters, so expect to see the Rock-et Roll soon!

However, like a delicious dinner, this blog would be a little remiss without providing you with a parting glance at some indulgent dessert – in this case, themed around champagne. Enter the 24 karat gold lollipop. This little bad boy is champagne flavored with real flakes of gold in the center. Thanks to the comedic stylings of David Cross I’ve actually heard of REAL gold being used in desserts before. What I didn’t know before, though, was that apparently gold has some anti-bacterial properties. At just 3.75 British Pounds for each lollipop (just a little over $6 American dollars) I actually wouldn’t mind trying it given the opportunity.

So, a toast to the drink that often gets overlooked since it’s often in the glass being raised: champagne!

Wineries: today I want to talk to you about a little thing called email marketing.

If you are already utilizing email as a tool to communicate winery news, sales and specials with your regulars and wine club members, YOU ROCK!

If you are not using this valuable tool, then it is time to crawl out from under that rock and get started. Email marketing is an inexpensive, powerful way to keep people interested in your winery goings on and drive sales. And it is NOT hard to get started.

Step one: If you are not already capturing email addresses on your website and in your tasting room, this is the place to start. Offer a 5% discount to customers in your tasting room if they give you an email address. Include an email capture on your winery’s website.

Step two: Get set up with an email marketing program. There are tons to choose from, but here are a few I’d recommend.

• Mail Chimp – This is a completely free email marketing service, based on the size of your email list and the frequency of your mailings. (http://www.mailchimp.com)

• Constant Contact – Constant Contact offers email marketing and online survey services. You can sign up for a 60 day free trial to see what you think. They also provide free personal coaching to help you maximize your email marketing skillzz. (http://www.constantcontact.com)

• Emma – Stylish email marketing with a personality. Even if you don’t decide to use their service, check out their website for a laugh or two – I love a company with a sense of humor. And for those of us who like to be green, Emma will plant 5 trees for every new customer who uses their paperless email marketing service. TREES! (http://www.myemma.com)

You’ve got some research to do. Check out the services above, or do a simple Google or Bing search for “Email marketing” and see a plethora of glorious options emerge. We’ll talk later about specific tactics and creative ideas.

It has been quite a while since our last post. We have been very busy here at the AW headquarters, and as a result, the frequency of our posting has decreased. I promise, however that in the upcoming months we will make an effort to get back into the blogging groove. Thanks to all of you who have followed us, and continue to do so. Until the creative sticks arrive, and the blogging fire is rekindled, I want to post a few visual stimulants for a brief bit of entertainment. A few months ago I published a post presenting some fun and creative wine labels. Seeing as people continue to innovate and come up with new designs, I feel like a Redux is in order.

I don’t know about the quality of the wine, but I would probably be a sucker for this design were I perusing the wine isle at a grocery store. Let’s face it, we have all bought a bottle because of the label before, and this one grabs you…

Talk about encouraging a personal connection with the winery. Portraits of three generations of the people behind this organic and sustainable winery and viticulture project from the Toro D.O. Matsu.

Intricate work on these bottles – looks like a mixture of totem pole art and ancient cave paintings. Even the bar code was integrated into the design.

Not the same level of art and sophistication as the last few designs, but definitely a clever bit of branding that helps you remember the wine (in case you forget that the label was a boarding pass…)

What do you see?

And now for two designs that might rub some the wrong way….

OK, what is your first thought? Paint thinner, oil…but definitely not wine. In addition, I am not sure how the flavor will hold up in a metallic container…

I’m all for wine samplers, I think its a great idea, but the word “chic” – It seems to me that to be fashionable is more than wearing a shirt that says, “Look at me! I’m very fashionable!” Nothin’ wrong with the idea or design, but the name “Very Chic Wine” kind of rubs me the wrong way…

Thanks to The Coolist blog for compiling a list of designs that I picked from.