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wine marketing Food, wine, and ambiance are not the only tools to attract repeat customers Perks: "Many of South Coast Winery's club members live within 50-100 miles of the winery," says community relations director Crystal Magon. It is close enough that frequent visits are easy to schedule, as long as what the winery provides appeals to them. Club privileges include access to all the amenities at the resort, a wine club members-only area in its lush garden, discounts in the restaurant and access to the Carter Reserve Room, which can host a private party of up to 32 people. South Coast also hosts winemaker dinners quarterly. "We have a loyal following that will come out regularly," adds Magon. "We really try to reach out to the community." Music: At Thornton's Café Champagne, a six-month-long Champagne Jazz Series draws not only music lovers but food lovers craving the gourmet supper the restaurant provides. The concert series launched when the restaurant was brand new, but has evolved into a huge draw. Thornton estimates that more than 600 people attend the shows—featuring big-name smooth jazz artists (Kenny G was featured in a 2012 concert). Attendees have the option of purchasing tickets for general seating or a gourmet supper package, which includes a threecourse Café Champagne meal served during the show. (A Pinnacle changes its MediterraneanAmerican menu every April and October to offer a new selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees. Popular dishes offered by the Pinnacle are the lobster mac and cheese, laced with prosciutto and paired with Sauvignon Blanc, and the ahi crunch salad paired with Falkner's Super Tuscan-style Amante wine (blend of 50% Sangiovese plus Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot). Sometimes dishes that have been bumped off the new menu will be resurrected as specials, which run for one month at a time, though the dish is prepared in a different way each week of that month. "It really drives repeat business," Falkner adds. Shorty's Bistro changes its menu about every six months and offers small specials, especially for weekends. But its claim to distinction is the bread. Purchased from a San Diego bakery, the breads are delivered freshly made or even parbaked, so that the 1,500-squarefoot restaurant finishes the bread and serves it right from the oven. Likewise, Shorty's Bistro strives to buy local, particularly produce. The menu features plenty of American dishes—like a ham-and-cheese sandwich and spicy meatloaf—but lists many offerings with a Mediterranean twist, like a grilled chicken sandwich served on pesto-spread herbed flatbread. grill operates on part of the property during the concerts, giving the general seating patrons a hot food option.) "The concert series has always been a money-maker for the winery," says president Steve Thornton. But, perhaps not surprisingly, the economic downturn has hit Champagne Jazz as well. "Luckily, these artists have very loyal followings. They support these musicians" and the venues where they play. In addition to weekend concerts, Café Champagne also holds Friday Lights live music performances from April through September. The restaurant also offers winemaker dinners, blending sessions and cooking classes. "We are always trying to think of something special," Thornton adds. Classes: Meritage is one of several winery restaurants that host demonstration cooking classes to draw in customers, who get to taste-test the menu (and accompanying wines) as the cook prepares it. "Business has definitely picked up over the (past) four or five years," says Mike Henry. "We have a pretty decent local clientele. That is definitely what we have been pursuing people who come back three times each month or once each week. It is awesome to have customers like that." "It is still very young," Kris May says of Shorty's Bistro. "Normally, you do not expect restaurants to throw off a great amount of profit in the first few years. We have seen a good return—and improving all the time—which means guests coming back frequently." Prime time or sideline? Can a winery restaurant be in the limelight, or is it necessarily always second fiddle to the winery itself? Meritage at Callaway is the third incarnation of the winery's restaurant, explains Mike Henry (who has been with the restaurant since December 2007). In its previous incarnations, the restaurant was leased out to different operators; currently the company that owns Callaway is running the restaurant and employs Henry and all of the restaurant staff. The goal is certainly to turn a profit, Henry explains, but the restaurant is not viewed as the ultimate destination for customers. "We are more set up to be an amenity at this point, a showcase," he says. At the same time, staff recognizes that local customers provide a more consistent revenue stream than the tourists who comprise the majority of their customers. Reaching out to "locals"—a term Henry describes as people living within a 30-mile radius—has encouraged the restaurant to get involved in local chambers of commerce and wine country mixers and 62 p r acti c al w i ne ry & v i ne yard S EPTE MBER 20 13 events. Open daily for lunch and Friday through Sunday for dinner, Meritage participates in slow-food events and pours wine at local festivals and other events. "The Temecula Valley works pretty well together for promotion, and everyone is on the same page," adds Henry. At Falkner Winery, Pinnacle is an integral part of overall profitability. The original vision was that people dining in the restaurant would so enjoy the experience—and the wine—that they would stop by the tasting room, and that people in the tasting room would so enjoy the wine—and the experience—that they would drop into the restaurant for a bite to eat. "But during Pinnacle's first two years, there were minimal crossover sales," Falkner recalls. They developed a training program for staff in the restaurant and tasting room, offering simple methods to encourage customers to linger at Falkner. They also placed information about different facets of the facility in different locations so diners could read up on the winery and tasting room, and visitors to the tasting room could look at the restaurant menu. "Now there is a tremendous amount of synergy between the two. If it is very busy in the restaurant, it is going to end up being busy in the tasting room," adds Falkner. "A tremendous number of diners say, 'I just came from your tasting