Wine retailers say "I do" to gift registries

Wines & Vines, August, 2003 by Jennifer Strailey

Registering couples need to feel the staff is not just knowledgeable about wines in general, but about their tastes specifically. Unlike stainless steel toasters and Egyptian cotton towels, that bottle of 1998 Leroy Clos de Vougeot may not be available two weeks before the big day. Plump Jack works around this by asking couples if they are comfortable with staff recommendations should a wine on their list be unavailable. "Most everyone says, 'yes.' So this is a great opportunity for us to introduce the couple to wines they don't know about, new wines or wines from small producers," Brown notes.

Wedded To Wine

One notable perk of establishing a wine registry is that it enhances your image as a resource for knowledgeable wine service. At In Good Taste, McAllister seizes every opportunity to tie the wine registry to other areas of the store. She works with the store's catering director to host bridal-themed food and wine pairing classes designed to help couples plan rehearsal dinner and reception menus.

Retailers who don't sell food can extend their reach in other ways. "We try to help coordinate wine for the reception and get a piece of that business as well," says Brown of Plump Jack. "We do a lot of consultation for receptions, even if they don't buy the wines from us. If you provide a level of service that very few places offer, the business will come back to you."

Making a commitment to a wine registry means making a commitment to promoting it. To give their fledgling wine registry a boost, In Good Taste exhibited at a bridal show last year. "Our booth stood out because it wasn't like all the others," says McAllister, whose wines were a beacon in a sea of taffeta and sequins.

Plump Jack has stayed closer to home with its promotions, hiring a professional window dresser to design a wedding themed window for the months of June, July and August. Brown further promotes the wine registry through the Plump Jack newsletter, fliers and monthly e-mails.

Web sites can be another important tool. "It's the way to go," urges Churchill, who estimates 95 % of her gifts were shipped from Web orders. Statistics support Churchill's experience. According to a shop.org annual study conducted by Forrester Research of more than 130 retailers, online retail sales brightened an otherwise lackluster retail climate, soaring to $76 billion in 2002, up 48 % from the previous year.

The Churchills are back from their Italian honeymoon and the wedding gifts, ordered online and in person, have been received. With their spacious 750-bottle capacity wine cellar installed, Sarah Churchill has time to reflect: "I used to think, 'why would you get anyone a gift from their registry, it's so impersonal?' Now I realize that's exactly what you should get. It's a very personal gift." And if it's a great bottle of wine, it's likely to be the gift they'll remember most.

(Jennifer Strailey is a freelance food and wine writer based in Marin, Calif. She is a past associate editor Of the Gourmet Retailer magazine And has written about wine and Food for Spain Gourmetour magazine. She may be reached through edit@ Winesandvines.com.)