Last Updated on June 25, 2021 by

Sweeten the deal for your winery club members by organizing and hosting a virtual wine tasting event. Learn how it’s done here.

Tasting rooms might be closed, but that doesn’t mean things can’t be business as usual. Technology has allowed everyone to stay connected, even during a time of social distancing. 

Thankfully, winemakers and wineries can partake in utilizing digital platforms as well. As most people are beginning to catch cabin fever, they are looking for ways to experience a sense of normalcy.

By hosting a virtual wine tasting event, it helps you keep your finger on the pulse of today’s social norm. Wine tasting event planning isn’t too difficult, but it does require a bit of organization. Here are a few tips to help make your gathering a success:

How to Host a Virtual Wine Tasting: Select an Expert

When your guests leave your wine tasting event, they should be more knowledgeable about the products they’re drinking. Well, to make that happen the host of the show should be an expert on all things wine.

Therefore, the tasting room manager or winemaker needs to be the one educating everyone in attendance. During the session, the winemaker can give a backstory on how the product was made, talk a bit about the harvest, and explain the type of grapes used.

Likewise, the tasting room manager can demonstrate the proper way to swirl and sip the wine. Since the guests won’t physically be there, it’s important to keep everyone’s attention. Consider having two hosts; one can entertain the “party people” who just enjoy drinking wine, and the other can appeal to the wine enthusiasts. 

Choose the Best Virtual Platform

These days there are tons of digital platforms available that allow a wine tasting business to connect with consumers. Video meeting services like Zoom and Microsoft Teams are great for holding virtual meetings.

However, it’s best to choose a service that’s easily accessible to everyone, and social media is the best place. Most likely you’re already leveraging the internet as a marketing tool, so why not use it for your wine tasting event?

By using Facebook or Instagram Live, you can ensure that more people attend your virtual soiree without hassle.  

Create a Catchy Title

Virtual wine tasting events are popping up everywhere, and it’s imperative that you stand out in the crowd. The primary way to do that is by creating an eye-catching title for your function.

Names for wine tasting events need to be clever in order to attract an audience. If the name is intriguing, it instantly makes people want to attend; the key is to pique their interest and make them not want to miss out!

Set a Good Time

It’s impossible to accommodate everyone’s schedule, but you should at least try. Wine tastings happen at all times of day, but things have to be done differently when you’re utilizing a virtual setting.

Chances are most people are going to be able to attend during evening hours, so shoot for a time after dinner. However, a “wine and lunch” type of idea is fun too, so you could also do it in the afternoon. 

Gather Your Guests

The next step in organizing a fantastic wine tasting event is to put together a guest list. Email marketing is an incredible way to reach potential guests and invite them to the event.

Furthermore, it’s a good idea to target your current members and the ones who have canceled your service. By doing so, you entice them to rejoin membership and also come to the event.

In addition to utilizing an email blast, you should advertise your virtual wine tasting event everywhere that your business is branded. To get the most exposure, post about it on your company website and on all social media platforms.

Furthermore, your goal should be to target guests who aren’t club members. Approximately 54% of social media users rely on social media apps to research products.

Therefore, it’s important to utilize hashtags such as “#virtualwinetasting”. You never know how many new club members are waiting to discover your wine tasting business!

Set the Ambience for Your Wine Tasting Event

The key to ensuring that your virtual wine tasting event a hit is by making it as authentic as possible. The attendees want to feel as if they’re taking a trip from their home, directly into a tasting room.

You might not be able to mimic everything, but there’s a lot you can do. Set the scene by hanging up string lights, put out some plastic grapes, or play soothing music in the background. The more effort that’s put into it, the better the experience for the guests.

Keep Your Club Members Happy

Sippers everywhere are stocking up on bottles and relying on a soothing glass of wine to keep them in good spirits. Now is the time to connect with your members like you never have before.

A virtual wine tasting event is not only fun, but it helps to give your guests an escape. Since socializing isn’t allowed at the moment, this gives club members the opportunity to do something out of the ordinary. Trust us, they won’t ever forget it!

If you need assistance with growing your club memberships, we’re here for you. Our goal is to help you increase sales and retain your current members.

Feel to contact us for more info. We look forward to hearing from you soon. Cheers!