The first spring wine holidays come as welcome signs to the beverage alcohol retail tier. “Easter is a key wine selling event, especially in the first half of the year,” says Mat Dinsmore, owner, of Wilbur’s Total Beverage in Fort Collins and Wyatt’s Wet Goods in Longmont, Colorado. “We see domestic Chardonnays and rosès move, and the other hot one is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. We see a kick in our Provence rosès sales. We still feel the bump. We also sell a lot of Pinot Noir, especially with holiday fare like ham.”
Dinsmore’s stores also do fine with Kosher wine sales. Heading into the first day of Passover on Thursday, April 2nd, leading sellers include traditional offerings like Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon ($15 a 750-ml.), Golan Heights Winery Hermon Cabernet Sauvignon ($17), and Mogen David Blackberry and Concord ($8). “Mogen David is a ceremonial wine that brings people back to their youth,” he says.
Dinsmore promotes wines with print advertising and a lot of social media leaning in the week before Easter Sunday, April 5th. “Traditionally we sell a lot of wine in the $8 to $14 range,” he says. “We see a lot of folks trading up and buying in the $12 -$25 price range to wines like Meiomi Pinot Noir ($20), La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($27), and Angel Landing Pinot Noir ($25). Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay ($15) is always a safe bet. Customers are trading up a bit because they are hosting their friends and family.”
In Fishkill, New York, Boutique Wines & Spirits will hold its ninth annual Grand Wine Tasting March 28th, the weekend before Easter. The event is promoted on Eventbrite, Facebook, through the store’s email list, and in store handouts. “Getting liquid to lips is a key strategy to getting wines moving for Easter,” says store co-owner Gennaro Flori. “We structure the tasting with more than 10 vendors, and we tend to rotate who shows and what SKUs they show, all with the spring holidays in mind.”…