Friday

Tag, you're it

In the most recent Dining In/Out section of the NY Times was an ad for Dominus, the Napa Valley winery owned by Christian Moueix of Pétrus-fame. What struck me -- besides the fact that they were even advertising -- was the tagline: "Napa terroir, Bordeaux spirit."

It seemed, mmm, a bit too familiar. In fact, it seemed to be almost a parody of another American outpost of a French brand, Domain Drouhin. Their slogan is: "Oregon soil, French soul." I filed this away in my memory-bank because it's an excellent poisitioning line, one that articulates the winery's focus, approach and authenticity, all in four simple words. Brilliant.

Domain Drouhin's tagline is a model of positioning that every winery should strive to emulate. I know it has served me as a benchmark for the branding work that I do.

For example, one of my clients, Renteria Wines, sources
its grapes from vineyards managed by Renteria Vineyard Management, which has some 1,350 acres of vines under its care. This is far more than all but the very largest vintners could ever dream of owning. Unlike an estate winery, the Renterias aren't limited to what grows on their property. And because they farm the grapes, they can control the quality, block by block.

Having a vineyard management company and a boutique winery under one roof offers considerable advantages. Advantages that I tried to capture with the positioning line: "The benefits of an estate winery without the boundaries of an estate."

There is more to the story though. Unlike so many who arrive in Napa with millions to spare, Salvador Renteria, the family patriarch, began as a vineyard worker. His Horatio Alger-like rise now has him retired and living in the hills above the Silverado golf course, while his son, Oscar, runs the company. Clearly, this is a family with big dreams and even bigger achievements.

Thinking about the Renteria family story, combined with the Renteria Winery positioning, lead me to the tagline: "No boundaries." Seems so simple, doesn't it? Of course, it's not, which explains why more wineries aren't able to carve out a position of their own. Did I mention that I do this for a living . . . ?

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