. ISSUE No. 01 | VOLUME No. 01 | WINTER 2020 NWGGA CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY

The 2019 Nebraska Winery & Grape Growers Association Annual Membership Meeting and Educational Sessions were a great success! The event was held on Monday, November 11, 2019 at Glacial Till Winery in Palmyra, Nebraska. We had fifty- eight attendees which included 8 vendors. Sponsors also supported the event which was greatly appreciated.

Ed Swanson (Capitol View Winery in Roca) is A major highlight of the day pictured with Lt Governor Mike Foley. Ed and Holly was the presentation on 25th Swanson owned the Nebraska’s First winery, Cuthills in Pierce, Nebraska. Anniversary of the Nebraska Wine & Grape Industry and IN THIS ISSUE proclamation being presented by Lt. Governor Mike Foley. This is an exciting time for our industry and we look forward to celebrating for the NWGGA Celebrates 25 years entire year of 2020.

NWGGA Membership campaign & Renewal The event kicked off with the Annual Membership Meeting. The NWGGA notices for 2020 Board appreciates the membership for participating in this important meeting. Elections were held for three open board positions. Les Meyer, 2020 NWGGA Board of Directors Capitol View Winery, was elected President-Elect, and two Directors were NEW Online Membership Renewal and event elected - Nick Ryan, Prairie Creek Vineyards & Winery, and Tim Nissen, registration System Available Nissen Winery. Kara Sousek, Hundred Hills Hops & Vines, was elected Secretary of the Association. Thank you to our 2019 Annual meeting vendors During the NWGGA Business Meeting Connie Brittan was awarded a plaque for her 10 years of service to the association and Ted Schekirke was New Management Firm Hired by NWGGA presented a plaque for his service as President of the association. Thank you for service an important role for the association. Upcoming Events: Toast Nebraska Following a lunch provided by ChefauChef Catering, Steve Maly with Maly Marketing provided an overview on marketing concepts and website management. Steve is the Founder and Chief Activist of Maly Marketing. Steve has an extensive background in marketing, media production, and NEBRASKA WINE NEWSLETTER BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE NEBRASKA WINERY & GRAPE GROWERS ASSOCIATION. helping other people make gobs of money. A firm believer in the power of education, in all forms, has lead to Maly Marketing’s emphasis on education- based marketing. (continued on page 4)

CONTACT US 2020 NWGGA MEMBERSHIP 521 First Street The 2020 NWGGA membership renewal notices have been sent. Your PO Box 10 membership in the Nebraska Winery and Grape Growers Association helps Milford, NE 68405 us promote our industry and encourage people to open their minds to 402-761-2216 Nebraska . Network with like-minded growers and vintners and [email protected] build relationships that will improve both our businesses and our industry. If you need a membership form, visit nebraskawines.com www.nebraskawines.com 2020 NWGGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nebraska Wine. Official publication of the Nebraska Winery & Grape Growers Association.

Published 4x yearly. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020

Building the wine and grape growing industry in MICK MCDOWELL TED SCHEKIRKE LES MEYER KARA SOUSEK Nebraska. President Past President President-Elect Secretary Mission Statement Promote and develop the Nebraska wine and grape industry, our members’ interests and activities.

Promote industry excellence and quality assurance, thereby enhancing the marketability of the industry and its products.

Promote education, internally for KEVIN AIMES RON HESKETT RICH HILSKE JOHN SIEBERT our members and externally for Treasurer At Large Member At Large Member At Large Member the greater community and so in the spirit of cooperation and continuous improvement.

Nebraska Winery & Grape Not Pictured: Growers Association CLAY SCHUTZ 2020 President Mick McDowell, Miletta At Large Member Vista Winery TIM NISSEN NICK RYAN At Large Member At Large Member NWGGA Office & Staff 521 First Street | P.O. Box 10 Milford, Nebraska 68405 New Online Renewal System and Executive Director: Kathi Schildt Event System Available! [email protected] Editor: Kylie Schildt The NWGGA Board had authorized Advanced Association Management [email protected] (AAM) to work on building a new and more powerful membership system for the association that meets our present needs and those of the future. This new system allows members to renew memberships online and also register for events online. The new system’s reporting and exporting functionality, SUBMIT ARTICLES coupled with an intuitive interface, will enable your association to make the most of AAM’s staff time and the ease of register and renewing. If you have anything you’d like to submit for inclusion Watch for emails and updates as we move forward through the transition in the NWGGA Newsletter, process as we will continue to have added features. One feature that will please contact Kathi Schildt be added is an enhanced Directory system, stay tuned for more information at [email protected] soon! If you have any questions or concerns about regarding the system, or (402) 405-1291. please contact one of your NWGGA staff members at the office.

www.nebraskawines.com Nebraska Wine. 2 A letter from the UPCOMING EVENTS president: FEBRUARY 2020  February 11, 2020, Tuesday, Legislative Day, Happy New Year! Lincoln, Governor Mansion

Watching the Rose Parade is tradition which  February 11 - NWGGA Board Meeting started during my formative years. My mom and my aunt always enjoyed the pageantry displayed during the Tournament of Roses. “The Grand Daddy of Parades” really is  February 20-22 - Minnesota Cold Climate quite the spectacle. It draws you in with its artistry, agricultural Conference, Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN and western heritage; cultural diversity, and a display of theme interpretations on every float.

Visitors from around the world make the journey to Pasadena to revel in the glory of a New Year’s Day tradition that began in MARCH 2020 1890 . For many, it is now a traditional way to start the New Year. It is watched worldwide by millions in over 100 countries and  March 2 - Winery Education – Mitigating territories. It is a tradition, that began with an expression of a Dissolved Oxygen, Extending Bottle Life and other group’s passion. Topics as presented by Luke Holcombe of Scott Labs. Location Prairie Creek Winery, Central By definition, traditions are behaviors and beliefs passed on from one generation to the next. For the Nebraska Farm Wine Industry City NE 10 a.m. Please Register for this event. (NFWI), tradition began in 1994 when Ed and Holly Swanson were Members: No Charge; Non-Members $75. Lunch granted the first license for a Nebraska Farm Winery. will be available.

Twenty-five (25) years later there have been nearly 50 wineries,  March 28, Spray Program Planning and and 200 grape growers, past and present, who can celebrate the Evaluating your vineyards Fertility, Grower pioneering efforts which have contributed to build the Nebraska Farm Wine Industry. Workshop Location and time are TBD.

NFWI’s first 25 years, saw Nebraska Wines win some of the highest awards given at National and International competitions. In 2019 the same was claimed by Glacial Till’ s cider maker; and Ed Swanson MAY 2020 - May is national wine month! says that he is close to releasing some great new red hybrids.  May 15-16 - TOAST Nebraska Wine Festival, To me it seems obvious that our first 25 years have been quite “Impactful.” Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, Gretna, NE

As we celebrate the first 25 years of the Nebraska Farm Wine and  May 25 - National Wine Day Grape Grower Industry, (NFWGGI), let’s celebrate our rural roots, our local impact and our pursuit of excellences.

Let’s remember that great wines are made in the vineyard as we JUNE 2020 look to ferment memorable vintages beyond 25.  June 2 - Speaker Jose Alberto Santos, Enartis Labs. Let’s never be satisfied with mediocrity which knows nothing higher than itself. Topic Pre-Fermentation Tannins, Fermentation Tannins, Finishing Tannins, Wood Alternative and Let’s remember why we started our vineyard or winery and not let More - Capitol View Winery, 10:00 a.m. Members the burdens of running a business suck the life out of us. No Charge; Non-Members $75. Lunch Will be available. Please Register on nebraskawines.com. Let’s endeavor to enjoy the good times, while seeking the best things, always putting the best thing first in our lives.

In 2020, let us define our industry. Let’s not leave the defining of our industry to others. Let’s proclaim our successes, knowing that AUGUST/September 2020 tomorrow brings a new path, a new challenge and new rewards.  August 28-September 7 - Nebraska State Fair In 2020, let’s define our industry, and “Inspire Through Excellence”.

From President, Mick McDowell Nebraska Wine. 3 (continued from page 1) He has worked with clients in over 42 different industries all over the US. Steve is a regular on the educational speaking circuit, where he speaks on a variety of topics from marketing messaging and strategy, to digital marketing, to entrepreneurship.

Jim Anderson is the Executive Director of the Wine and Grape Board for the Missouri Department of Agriculture. As Wine and Grape Board Director, his duties are to coordinate with wholesalers, restaurants, retailers and the general public about Missouri wines and juices. Priorities include building consumer awareness of the quality and availability of and juices. He has spread consumer awareness for wine and juice through events, brochures, news releases and articles of publication. His overall goal is to have a resourceful program that assures quality wine and juice products and serves to stimulate the growth of the grape and wine industry in Missouri.

Lynita May Docken and Mark Delaney presented and led a roundtable session on being an Edelweiss Grower and allowed the attendees the opportunity to taste their signature wine. Lynita May Docken, by far the most active and creative woman you will ever meet, wanted a retirement project. Originally one of three women master plumbers (yes, you read that right: PLUMBERS) statewide, Lynita was finishing up her career as the plumbing program manager for Wisconsin. A lover of outdoors and the environment, she was debating a specialty crop. When she discovered the University of Minnesota grape hybrids, she was hooked. She planted Marquette to make a long story short, she fell in love with grapes, wine and brought everyone along with her. In 2010, she completed her enology (study of winemaking) certificate from the University of California-Davis. She has created phenomenal, award-winning wines ranging from dry oaked reds like Marquette to full, sweet, black currant wines. Each wine is a work of art and Lynita, a master artist.

Mark Edward Delaney has farmed since he was a boy. He and his dad, Robert, planted soybeans as their first crop on the family homestead. The old farmhouse foundation sat underneath an over 300-year-old, white, pine tree in the middle of the 80-acres of sandy loam that started as Mark’s great-great-great-grandparents’ dream. Mark and his parents continued to farm this land, and up to 1400-acres more, every season since he was a boy.

They formed Elmaro Farms Incorporated, and the name equally represents them in the first two letters of each of their names: Elaine, Mark, and Robert. Then came the grapes… Mark sold almost every piece of farming equipment he owned March 15, 2010, and turned it over to start a winery. He said, “I accomplished my dream of farming. It’s time to help someone else achieve theirs.” He managed the vineyard and any other task put before him till this spring, when he decided to take a little more time for himself. He now offers help on special projects and advice whenever we need it.

The NWGGA is always in need of association members to volunteer to work on the Annual Meeting and Educational Sessions. It does take some time and effort but the rewards are plentiful. Please contact the NWGGA office if you are interested in being on the committee.

Nebraska Wine. 4 NWGGA ANNOUNCES NEW A SPECIAL THANK YOU MANAGEMENT FIRM HIRED: TO OUR 2019 ANNUAL MEETING VENDORS! ADVANCED ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT

The Board of Directors are pleased to announce that Advanced Association Management from Milford has been retained to manage the NWGGA office and perform the duties of NWGGA Executive Director. This transition took place effective October 1, 2019.

Advanced Association Management staff from left: Megan Benes, Lindsey Brabec, Kathi Schildt, Taylor Moore, Kylie Schildt, Jennifer Eurek, Whitney Parks and Emily Stolpe.

AAM is a company that provides management and directorship to both small and large associations in the Midwest and Internationally. This decision was made with much thought and consideration, and AAM was chosen after thorough vetting by speaking to existing clients with the most emphasis placed on specific skills that could be performed by their staff that were currently being outsourced. All the entities that we spoke to had nothing but good things to say about AAM. AAM is a one stop shop. They provide accounting, budgeting, accounts payable, billing and dues collection, web design, in-house printing and graphic design, mass email communication services, preparation and filing of IRS forms, meeting support to include attending board meetings and providing all of the printing of documents for said meeting, plus taking and typing the meeting minutes. They will also archive the NWGGA files in a climate-controlled area in the AAM office. In the present model, the NWGGA is paying multiple vendors for these services in addition to the Executive Director’s salary and benefits.

The office will have a dedicated account specialist for the NWGGA tasks and will have office hours 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, Monday through Friday. The total cost for AAM to manage the NWGGA ended TOAST TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE! up being less than us paying an Executive Director and subscribing to and paying for the services that we are currently. Bottom line, this Toast Nebraska Wine Festival decision makes good business sense, plus is a cost savings for the May 15-16, 2020 NWGGA so we can provide other added benefits to other areas. Vala’s - Gretna, Nebraska Please be patient as we move through the first year and don’t hesitate Visit https://toastwinefest.com to contact Kathi Schildt, NWGGA Executive Director, if you have any for more details! specific questions or needs.

Nebraska Wine. 5 Pesticide Training 2020 Encouraging Sensitive Crop Video Use By Mick McDowell

January signals the beginning of another private pesticide applicator training season for UNL. Current dates of those training sessions can be found online at https://edmedia.wufoo.com/reports/2020-psep-private-training-dates/

I called the Pesticide Safety Education programing office at UNL to ask about sensitive crop training at all their 2020 sessions and was reminded that many of the training units that Extension Educators use are ELECTIVE.

This means that each local training session present awareness training chosen by the educator themselves.

Thus, if local Grape Growers and other specialty crop growers ask the Extension Educator to include a 5 minute video to everyone being trained about grape sensitivity, it can be done. It’s a local decision.

I was also directed to UNL’s youtube channel for all the training modules they have developed. Steve Gamet was the narrator in a nice 5 minute video on Grapes. There are also videos about Driftwatch, Hopps, Organics and other sensitive crops.

What this means is that If you have a desire to have the Extension Educator in your county to include training on sensitive crops at your area training sessions, you and perhaps a delegation of growers [if more than one in your county] should have a conversation with your Extension Educator about utilizing those training specific training modules in the training sessions they conduct. At the very least, write a letter to present to them.

We will try and get these units linked to the Nebraskawines.com for viewers to click on and view.

Needless to say, as much work as the Drift Committee has done over the years to help our industry, you as an individual members or as a group of grapes growers in combination with other specialty crop growers in your area, can have the greatest impact on the front line training in your county.

It’s up to you to help make a difference in your backyard. Just remember to be as respectful as you can in a state that is primarily Cows and Corn.

InteGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLANS Kara Sousek, Hundred Hills Hops and Vines, 402-480-1395

While winter’s bitter cold days may keep us inside and away from vineyard pruning, they offer a perfect opportunity to revisit your Integrated Pest Management programs. Spring is only three months away, and it will be time to place chemical orders soon. It’s a good idea to look at your previous year’s spray schedule and plan for some chemical rotation to avoid development of resistance. To find recommended chemicals and timing for sprays, refer to the University of Purdue’s 2019-2020 Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide for grapes, starting on page 79.

https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/hort/documents/id-465.pdf--

The NWGGA will be hosting a Seminar on March 28th, focusing on Vine Nutrition and Building an Integrated Pest Management and Spray Program. Location TBD.

Nebraska Wine. 6 2020 TOAST Nebraska wine Festival

Preparations for the 2020 Toast Wine Festival are well underway. We are looking to expand on the success we had in 2019 and bring an even larger crowd to the event. Once again the event will be held at Vala’s Pumpkin patch, just outside of Omaha May 15th and 16th.

Attendees will enjoy unlimited tastings of great Nebraska Wines, a variety of artisan vendors, live music, and some of Vala’s classic food offerings. Each ticket includes a 6 bottle wine tote which gives attendees a chance to bring home a lot of Nebraska Wine as well as a stemless Toast Logo glass. Last year wineries reported phenomenal sales as the crowd was definitely in a buying mood, especially on Saturday, despite some rain showers that rolled through.

Tickets are already on sale and we will soon begin a major push to promote the event. This year we will be doing a lot of digital ads as well as radio, especially in the Omaha and Lincoln areas.

We are working on many things to make this festival even better. The staff at Advanced Management has a wealth of experience putting on events and their presence will be utilized to make things go smoother. This will be especially true at the admissions area, where we are working to streamline and speed this process up for the visitors to alleviate lines.

The setup will be similar to the past years with 20 x 20 tents with sides provided to the wineries. We are working on providing consistent signage for each winery for both outside and inside the tents. This will assure that attendees will know what each winery has available as they approach the tent and while they are at the tasting counter. We’ll have more details on this soon.

The wineries that attend can help to insure a great experience for our guests by focusing on customer service. Please make sure you have enough staff/volunteers on hand to handle the crowds. We would recommend at least 2 pouring stations and 6 to 8 people pouring, helping customers, and selling wine. Especially during the typically busy Saturday afternoon. Also remember to bring enough wine for the two days. While it can be a pain to bring back wine, you can’t sell what you don’t bring and last year customers mentioned wineries running out of wines they would have purchased more of.

As previously mentioned it was a buying crowd last year so we would anticipate the same in 2020. As we get closer to the festival we will be providing updates on the ticket sales so you can plan accordingly. Hope to see you there!

The Toast Committee - Katie Benner, Richard Hilske, Casey Ryan, Jennifer Reeder, Al Vybira

Nebraska Wine. 7 INTERVIEW WITH THE BEST SOMMELIER IN THE WORLD By Alistair Morrell - Editor - SommelierBusiness.com

Paolo Basso became the ASI Best Sommelier in the World in 2013 after coming second in the same competition three times 2000, 2007, 2010, the latter of which he was crowned Best Sommelier in Europe. He has had wide experience in one and two Michelin star restaurants. He has now turned his attention towards wine production in his home country of Switzerland. He shared his valuable perspective as a student, winner and wine lover with SommelierBusiness.com

‘Best Sommelier in the World 2013’ - what does it take to win such a wonderful award? A lot of lucidities to be aware of your attitude to study, because there is much to study. Then a lot of time to do it, perseverance to dedicate all the available time of private life to this project and last but not least a budget that must be allocated to support studies and tastings.

What inspired you to become a sommelier? When I was at the hotel management school and I discovered that wine was the most complex and difficult subject to understand. This seduced me and I began to deepen my knowledge of the topic, discovering that in wine there is nature, science, geography, history, traditions, culture and a bit of mystery.

Can you describe the greatest wine and wine experiences that you have ever had? The best wine I’ve ever tasted was a 1989 Château Haut Brion in magnum, tasted in 2014. The best wine experience was a visit to the Tuscan estate of Isole e Olena where I learned much about viticulture.

What is the role of a sommelier in your opinion? The Sommelier must be a reference point for the customer in the selection of wines. This is what the customer asks us to do: to be quality filters that give them the assurance of having wines of a high- quality level corresponding to their price range. If we make a mistake in this mission by recommending wines with faults, then, in ten years time the profession will no longer exist.

What is the career path for a sommelier? Everyone chooses the path that suits them best. However, I would say that the sommelier curriculum must contain at least ten years of work in high-level fine dining restaurants. These are places to learn food and wine matching whilst understanding the psychology of the consumer. These are essential experiences that other wine- related training courses do not offer.

You also produce wine in Ticino, Switzerland is there ever conflict or tension between producer and sommelier? Since I became a producer, I’ve known the other side of the story and I understand that some sommeliers are not beloved by producers. As a producer, after three years of hard work and many risks, including economic ones, a sommelier makes me constructive comments, I gladly accept them. But, if the comments are unfounded and made without knowledge, I would be less accepting. In my career as a sommelier at the highest level, I have kept the ability to taste objectively. I know very well where the quality level of my wine is. A sommelier must always remember that behind a glass of wine there is a lot of work and commitment that must be respected.

Many of our readers might not be aware that Switzerland is such a major producer of wine - can you tell us a little more about Swiss wines and what we are missing out on? Switzerland has very different geographical and climatic conditions and also very different cultures and traditions. This means that we produce wines of great diversity and absolute quality. They are only to be discovered!

Which are the most important characteristics that go to make a good sommelier: psychologist, counselor, performer/artist? As I said before, for the consumer, a good sommelier must be a qualitative filter to allow only high-quality wines to pass through, obviously in relation to their price. To do this he must be a good psychologist to understand the wishes of the customer and the context of consumption. For the restaurateur, a good sommelier is the one who knows how to manage the cellar well and the sales of wine, that generates profits and creates customer loyalty.

What’s your view on wine closures and does this influence your own or do you think it would affect the choices made by your customers? The best closure, in my opinion, is the screw cap, but due to the prejudices of the customer, it is difficult to use it. The right compromise is the TCA-free microgranulated cork stoppers. I am more and more disappointed by natural cork, especially since I am a producer and realize that many of the wines that are flawed due to the cork are drunk by consumers who do not realize that the cause is the cork and are judged negatively.

How do you work with the chefs and kitchen to marry wines/drinks and their creations? What are your tips for menu pairing? It depends on what the objective is. It is clear that in a restaurant you go first of all to eat, so normally the wine must adapt to the style of cooking. Here the sommelier’s ability is to understand the cuisine, context and adapt the selection of wines. In no case should the sommelier make a choice for personal pleasure. In my case that now I am asked to animate wine-dinners around the world where wine is the most important element of the event, is the cuisine that must be adapted. Making a good wine with a medium maturation takes five to ten years. It takes a few hours to make a dish. It is clear that it is the dish that must adapt to the wine.

Nebraska Wine. 8 10 Tips To Grow Your Wine Brand’s On-Premise Presence Grow your wine brand’s on-premise presence with 10 tips by Sid Patel, CEO of Beverage Trade Network Reprinted from sommelierschoiceawards.com

Building an on-premise presence for your wine can be a tough ladder to climb. Sid Patel, CEO of Beverage Trade Network, Organizers of Sommelier’s Choice Awards shares 10 tips to build your wine’s on-premise presence.

Being in the world of wine for over 10 years, Sid has seen all sides of the industry. From being a distributor, to owning a wine brand, and now connecting the industry with each other, he’s found his way to across the entire spectrum.

“Here’s how I thought about growing my wine brand’s on-premise presence. I grew my brand from 0 to 2 million in sales in less than four years” said Sid as he dived into the 10 tips of building your wine brand’s on-premise presence.

1. Perfect Product Offering - The first thing you need to do is to have a perfect product offering. When you’re offering your wine to a restaurant, make sure you create a brand which stands out. The first thing you would need to do is study the market - and see what is trending and what is in demand currently. For example, one of the best ways to create a perfect offering is by offering seasonal wine. If you’re pitching to a restaurant getting close to the months of summer, then offer them a light rose, or a white wine - something that is more for the summer. If you’re pitching to a restaurant closer to the colder months, then make sure to offer a full bodied red that would fit the weather and would also move from the restaurant during that period of time. Another way to offer the perfect product is by picking out something from a nearby region or from a lesser known wine region - which will put you and the restaurant in a different and unique position, being able to sell the wine to consumers.

2. Promotional Programmes - Start out with a solid promotional programme for the season. A great example would be offering programmes such as wine by tap, or wine by the glass, or maybe some customised coasters. Basically anything that they can use to play around with your programme and increase their footfall. Try to care about the restaurant you’re offering to and try to help them drive up your sales. Pro Tip: Come up with a solid programme, where the pitch would be your programme and not your product.

3. Glass Pour Programme - Offering a glass pour or wine by glass programme is one of the very many beneficial programmes you can offer a restaurant. “Especially if you’re a distributor, try to find an amazing 1.5litre wine, where you can blow their mind out with the quality and the price” explained Sid. Try coming up with a great value that can build a good wine by glass programme - something that is unique, and something that neighbouring restaurants do not have to offer.

4. Keep a check on depletion reports - Try to make sure you ask the restaurant for your depletion report. It’s important for you to know the reports and how your wine is selling. So for example, if your wine isn’t selling as much, try to offer programmes such as in-store tastings or a lower price where they can sell your product successfully and increase their sales as well.

5. Distribute in branded restaurants - Get a branded restaurant to help out in building your credibility. “So when I sold my wine, I had sold it to Cipriani Wallstreet, which is one of the best restaurants in New York - where the average bill is about $300 per table for two. The reason I sold to them is because I wanted to build credibility for my wine and I wanted my sales reps to use this in their pitch that yes, New York Cipriani Wall Street stocks my wine” said Sid. You can have one of the famous steakhouses pour your value wine so that you can build credibility and even the smaller restaurants will seek your wine as well, considering that it’s also stocked by some of the most credible brands out there.

6. Approach famous restaurants - Once you have a good rapport and reputation within branded restaurants and you have a good number to add to your portfolio, approach famous restaurants and pitch your wine to them. You can leverage the placement of your wine in branded restaurants in your presentation, and you can also offer good promotional programmes like mentioned above to make your pitch more valuable. Pro Tip: When you’re pitching to restaurants, show them your portfolio of the branded and famous restaurants that hold your wine. Don’t tell them stories about your wine or winemaker - but tell them more about which other restaurants are selling your wine. Also make sure that the restaurant next to the one you’re pitching isn’t selling your wine - as all restaurants want a unique offering for their customers in their area. Do you want to pitch your wines to the leading on-premise buyers?

7. Build national accounts - Have your office/winery work from both ends. Yes you have to reach out to small and medium restaurants by pitching your product from door-to-door, but at the same time you can have your office generate leads for you. National chains are also always easy to open and more effective to open from an office rather than knocking on doors.

8. National Distribution - If you have national accounts, then it’s time to start national distribution. You can pitch to chains such as Olive Garden, or other Steakhouses. It’s super important that after you build your brand regionally; you need to start finding distribution networks which are easy for the restaurant to grasp from.

9. Make sure wine experts know you - Sommeliers and wine directors have a lot of say in the industry, so make sure that they like your wine and are ready to back it. Industry experts are always helpful when it comes to spreading the word about a wine or even recommending your wine to a certain restaurant. If you can get one of the top sommeliers to recommend your wine to a restaurant, then you’ve hit a homerun.

10. Leverage wine tasting and training programmes - Make sure you get in touch with sommeliers and hold tastings and training programmes for them and their staff. This will give you a more personal relationship with them and they’ll also see you genuinely caring to work towards increasing both theirs and your sales. If you keep a sommelier and their staff happy, and you have a good quality wine that offers good value, then you’re good to go.

“By following these 10 tips, I increased my wine sales from 0 to 2 million in approximately four years and built a viable on-premise presence for my brand” concluded Sid Patel.

Nebraska Wine. 9