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SVVGA First to Promote a Wine Event with a Video Podcast

By Mary-Colleen Tinney

From Daily News Links, 05/10/2007

The Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance (SVVGA) are the first vintners and growers association to post a video podcast to promote a wine event. “Passport to Sonoma Valley Podcast,” an eight-minute video posted on both on the SVVGA website and on popular video sharing website YouTube, features several of Sonoma Valley’s wineries previewing plans for the upcoming “Passport to Sonoma Valley” event, scheduled for the weekend of May 19 and 20.

“It’s obvious to a lot of people that spaces like MySpace and YouTube are watched almost as much as TV sometimes. We wanted to advance the technology of the Vintners & Growers Alliance and promote what we are doing. You can’t really do that with words,” said Grant Raeside, executive director of SVVGA.

Raeside said that while the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction, which has raised over $5 million for local charities, raises a substantial amount of money, none of it is used to promote Sonoma Valley wineries. “This was an opportunity for us,” he said. “We don’t really have our own fundraiser. It’s an opportunity for wineries to be involved. We can do things like videos and promotion without having to have the wineries pay for it.”

The podcast is shot in an evening magazine format and highlights iconic images of the world’s oldest wine valley as well as tours of Sebastiani, Ledson, Benziger and Landmark wineries. The podcast was produced by James A. Donnelly, and is hosted by actor and winemaker Squire Fridell.

“We wanted to blend in a number of wineries that are participating and promote Passport weekend,” said Raeside. “Each winery is doing food, entertainment, and this is the easiest way to convey to consumers, ‘I want to be there.’ We were able to show the laid back attitude, the gardens, the atmosphere and the wines.”

This is the first of many videos that SVVGA hopes to include on its website, said Raeside. “We want to showcase every winery on our site,” he said. “I’ve always been concerned that when you see a picture of a winery it’s a building or a closed door. I want to get beyond that threshold and let people know what’s it like to be welcomed into the wine country, to really get a sense of what it’s like to be in a tasting room.” Raeside indicates that he hopes to have the shorter, two- to three-minute winery videos on the site by May 2008.

For more information on the event, see previous WBM coverage: “Passport to Sonoma Valley Further Funds Programs and Promotes Brand Sonoma” or visit the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance website at www.sonomavalleywine.com.