Marketing Monterey

Wines & Vines, July, 2005 by Tina Caputo

When people think of Monterey, what images come to mind? They might focus on the region's stellar golf courses, or the famous aquarium--but do they think of wine? Not yet.

"Mention Napa, Sonoma or Santa Barbara, and wine immediately comes to mind," says Barbara Drady, president and founder of Affairs of the Vine, a California-based company that specializes in wine education events. "Not so with Monterey, even though there are some fantastic wines coming from wonderful wineries. Most of the consumers I work with are not focused on Monterey as an appellation. They don't say, 'Wow! Monterey is making great wines!'"

Even so, Drady says, they are often aware of individual appellations within Monterey County. But this isn't always a blessing.

"Part of the problem, as I see it, is the diversity and the marketing/labeling of the individual appellations, i.e. Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco, and not the overall Monterey connection," she explains. "In my opinion, Sonoma made this mistake in the early days, but thanks to efforts from Jamie Douglas at SCWA, Sonoma County was able to establish a high recognition factor for quality. Napa pulled together as Napa and later branched out into more concentrated appellations."

In addition to promoting specific appellations on their labels, Drady says it's important for wineries to include the Monterey designation to boost consumer awareness of the region. Keeping Monterey in the minds of the press is also essential.

"The last article I can find about Monterey in the Wine Spectator was in before 2000," Drady says. "The (Robert) Parker article last fall predicted a great future for the Central Coast; Monterey should be using this information to create a buzz. If everyone tells the same story over and over again about Monterey, the word will get out there."

Christie Dufault, consulting sommelier for VinTrust and former sommelier for San Francisco's Gary Danko restaurant, attended the Monterey Wine Festival in April, and participated in a panel discussion about the region's artisan vintners. Despite this experience, Dufault says her impression of Monterey wines has not yet solidified.

"To be honest, I couldn't really find myself drawing any conclusions about Monterey," she says. "There's all this focus and excitement and promotion of Napa Valley, Sonoma, the Sonoma Coast ... the south Central Coast is hotter than ever with Santa Ynez, Santa Rita and Santa Barbara. But where do these Monterey County wines fit in? Basically, I think there's a misunderstood image of Monterey."

Dufault points out that there are some "phenomenal" wines coming out of the region, and cites Marilyn Remark as her favorite new Monterey winery. But among the rising stars, she says, there are a lot of ordinary wines that haven't done much to elevate the region's reputation. "All the dozens of Monterey wineries that we've known forever ... those wines have never really excited me."

Both Marilyn Remark and Chalone wines were included on Gary Danko's wine list during Dufault's time there, and she found the restaurant's customers to be receptive to Monterey wines. "There are some really successful wineries there, but the image of Monterey itself as a winegrowing appellation is not well represented."

Retailer Peter Schwarzbach, whose family owns the Wine Discount Center in Chicago, says Monterey hasn't made a distinctive impression in his mind--positive or otherwise.

"When you asked me about Monterey, nothing really came to mind, so I asked my father. Nothing really came to his mind, so I asked Jim Buckley, our head wine buyer, who has a memory like an elephant. But no one had much to say about Monterey."

Though Wine Discount Center sells a lot of Monterey wines--especially Chardonnays--Schwarzbach says they don't stand out among the store's other offerings. "They're nice wines," he says, "but there's no particular cachet. It's better to have a Monterey appellation than it is to have California or no appellation, and no one really says anything negative about (Monterey wines), but there's not really an image yet."

Washington Post wine writer Ben Giliberti says that lack of awareness is only part of the problem. "Monterey has yet to make its case with me, especially for reds, he says. "Despite some improvements, the Bordeaux varietals still taste green. I suspect the problem is insoluble; if not, it would have been fixed by now. The whites are a different story. They're good--very good. Big deal. Good cheap whites are a dime a dozen. My guess is that the future for Monterey is Pinot Noir and Syrah. I like what I've tasted, but I don't taste many."

Though there are good wines being produced in Monterey, Giliberti says many consumers know little--if anything--about the region. "As far as consumers in the Washington area, most would say, 'What's a Monterey?'"

Taking Action

The Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association (MCVGA) also recognized the need to define and strengthen Monterey's brand image, and in late 2004, the organization launched a plan of action.