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70 p r a c t i c a l w i n e r y & v i n e ya r d J U n e 2 0 1 4 M a r K e T i n g Todd Newhouse, Upland Vineyards, Sunnyside, Wash. BY Branding your SMALL vineyard Q: Why do you need to brand your small vineyard? A: You do not need to if you are happy with average or below- average prices or "the going rate." Increase potential to obtain top dollar for your grapes. In less than 10 years, Upland Vineyards grape prices have increased by 30% or more. If you plan to expand your vineyard in the future, branding is important. Your grapes will eventually only be as good as your brand. Q. How do you develop a story? A. Start with a name. (Insert narrative and essential qualities of a great name taken from Hired Guns Creative blog and tweak things to make it better fit vineyards: hiredgunscreative.com/ blog/patterns-how-to-name-a-new-winery#all.) Do the vineyard's surroundings have any geographical or his- torical significance? Can you use interesting family history? Can you sell the story to draw interest to the grapes? Get cre- ative to make your vineyard distinctive. Do not simply rely on the fruit. There is a lot of "the best" fruit out there. You need good branding to set yourself apart. Q. Does it matter who buys your fruit? A. Wineries are the best way to obtain recognition for your brand. Currently Upland Vineyards sells to 50 wineries, 45 of which are "boutique" and take less than 15 tons each. Less than 10 years ago, only five wineries (three small) purchased grapes from Upland Vineyards. Wineries have far more opportunities for exposure than vineyards. The more well-known a winery is, the more people they reach; and by association, the more your vineyard can reach as well. Be comfortable with who you sell to. The relationship needs to be mutually beneficial. Even if the winery is well known, you have to be comfortable working with them. Both parties need to be getting something out of the business relationship –and not just money for fruit. You are both trying to evolve your busi- ness, so how do you help each other do that? By associating each other's brand with the other! Be available and work together. Make decisions together and walk the vineyards together. Do not be afraid to try new things and techniques, even if it is the winemaker's idea. Compromise if you are skeptical by managing vine rows two ways. If you are proud of a winery (and you always should be), give a winery specific vine rows and tag the rows with their name on the end posts. This gives the winery a sense of ownership and vintage consistency. TASTE Washington Upland Vineyards participated in the "Taste the Vineyards" section of the March 2014 TASTE Washington in Seattle. The vineyards section of the large walk-around tasting hall included multiple wines and brands made from each of 10 vineyards. The Vineyards section was created in 2008. Chris Stone, vice president of marketing and communications for the Washington Wine Commission, added the section to the annual program to give wine tasters something different at the event and give growers an opportunity to showcase their wines. Every year at least six different wineries are showcased that use a dozen or more grape varieties grown at Upland Vineyards. About 15% of the current Upland Vineyards winery clients are a direct result of our participation in TASTE Washington. It is the only annual opportunity in Washington where most of the Washington wineries and many top vine- yards gather under one roof to taste each other's wines and network. Many top trade and media representatives attend and countless avid wine consumers. It has become a very impor- tant tool in Washington for the process of branding a vineyard.