Driving through rural Pennsylvania I passed a number of wineries (the Perkiomen Valley is right up there with Napa, didn’t you hear?) Some were tucked behind a forrest, sure to have an alluring and unique atmosphere built for the snobbiest of wine connoisseurs. Others, though, were along the side of the main road and stood tall, accepting dirt and soot that misted from passing traffic. Most of these vineyards had ornate signs to identify themselves. One had many signs, or rather, billboards in front of their grapes. There was one sign that caught my eye:
“WINE SLUSHIES”
How could a winery have such a provocative sign on their property? Wineries are inherently prestigious, expensive, and white collar locales. A wine slushy is so left field that it could ruin the winery brand in one instant. But then again, every meaningful idea has been against the grain. Nobody wanted automobiles, they wanted faster horses. And I imagine people wanted a better mail system—very few envisioned texting.
It occurred to me that this could either be the greatest marketing strategy ever devised or the worst. It could lower the barrier to entry of wineries, allowing a different demographic in the doors, or it could backfire and ruin the wine-snob brand. Overall, it seems like something worth trying. Fear of change has spoiled many good ideas in the past. Hopefully not this one.
Drink up!