1. Offer diverse events & membership tiers to attract a wide range of guests.
As Oregon wine tourism spiked post-pandemic, Amira Makansi of the Stoller Family Estate recognized the need to adapt to a diverse clientele. To meet this demand, the winery introduced a range of experiences on Tock, catering to first-time visitors and seasoned club members alike.
With 225 acres of vineyards and multiple tasting rooms on the property, Makansi utilizes the entire winery space to entice visitors. The Stoller Lawn, which she describes as having “a cabana bar vibe,” includes a casual walk-up bar, outdoor games, and Adirondack chairs overlooking the scenic property. The property’s first tasting room hosts the Legacy Experience: a 120-minute educational tasting featuring reserved, limited production lines.
“That’s really fun to offer during the peak season so that visitors who may have been to Stoller once, twice, or even five times always have something fresh and new to try,” Makansi explains.
2. Reward members with exclusive events to enhance retention and loyalty.
Don Davis of MacRostie Winery Estate House regularly faces the challenge of how to reach customers outside of California. Davis finds that the best way to turn visitors into repeat patrons is to bring the Sonoma experience to them. Selecting four to six markets a year, MacRostie hosts pop-ups to connect with customers nationwide. Open to the public, the winery also invites new clientele to learn more about the brand and its selections.
Similarly, Stoller Wine Group organizes special events like private tastings and chef-driven pairing dinners twice to thrice yearly for their wine club members. The most recent dinner Stoller hosted featured wine pairings with Cuban cuisine. To attract new members, the winery hosts fun gatherings like a National Cocktail Day celebration with wine-based cocktails designed to captivate wine club members and the public.
3. Personalize experiences and outreach using your customers’ history.
Stoller Winery uses Tock’s comprehensive relationship management tool and guest tagging capabilities to bolster its club members’ experience and create sales opportunities.
“I think about Tock not just as a reservation system but a deeper CRM system where you can capture information about the guests and use it to maximize sales,” Makansi says. Stoller collects generic guest information like dietary preferences and how long they’ve been a wine club member to more specific details like names of club members’ pets. Stoller staff can then greet returning pets by name for a memorable, personal touch. “So, next time [they visit], it’s not, ‘Hey, what’s your dog’s name?’ but, rather, ‘Hey Max, how are you doing?” Makansi explains.
4. Consider implementing a dedicated team member for guest relations and feedback.
Appropriate management and distribution of guest data is crucial for Stoller’s success. As part of their pre-shift prep, the management team at Stoller reviews which club members are visiting the winery daily, paying attention to their purchase history and wine interests. They effectively communicate this information to the floor staff using Tock’s guest notes feature, enabling the team to better prepare for the day.
“Before every Saturday and Sunday service, our management team reviews the club members who will be visiting that day,” says Makansi. “[They] include details in Tock’s visit notes about the wines the members have recently purchased. If we have a new vintage of [that] wine, our ambassador shares that information with them.”
5. Capture guest information for targeted marketing and sales efforts.
Building a guest database not only provides a basis for superior hospitality but also serves as a powerful tool for driving revenue. Using Tock, the MacRostie sales team can segment customers into specific lists, from repeat visitors to guests who purchased a case of pinot noir within the past year. Using this information, the team creates targeted marketing campaigns and makes outbound sales calls to drive revenue.
6. Lead with hospitality to make a lasting impact on your visitors.
With numerous tourists visiting wine country annually, providing an exceptional experience is the key to generating return visits. For Davis, this is where the art of hospitality takes center stage. “We really staked our claim on leading with hospitality first,” says Davis. “Everything is hospitality-driven. Everything is experience-driven. People don’t remember the specific wines they had, but they remember how you made them feel while they were at the winery.”
For Davis, an exceptional experience is all about the little details. MacRostie greets first-time visitors by engaging them in a conversation about the winery’s history. For regulars, MacRostie welcomes them with a glass of their favorite pour. Gentle yet personable interactions like these make for a standout guest visit.
Schedule a demo to learn more about why so many wineries use Tock.
