There are myriad national, international and global holidays that celebrate wine.
Some are general, like “National Drink Wine Day” in February, and others highlight Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and other specific vintages.
Leah Derton, Chief Marketing Officer for William Chris Wines, said her team utilizes them as a fun way to engage with customers, but places greater importance on traditional holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas for bigger promotions.
For instance, for New Year’s, the winery is hosting a black-eyed pea cook-off on its grounds.
“We do have fun with some of these more random holidays, usually just as a social engagement hook,” Derton said. “Every once in awhile we may promote a relevant wine, but we really try to keep our promotions limited to the more authentic, real holidays where wine has a more meaningful role in the event.”
As for driving tourism, William Chris’s placement in the Texas Hill Country — a short drive from major hubs like San Antonio and Austin — is a primary focus.
“We follow the natural seasonality of our region, which peaks in the spring and fall when Texas weather is on its best behavior,” she said.
Working hand-in-hand with local area businesses also helps William Chris promote its brand and strengthen its community, contributing to the area’s status as a tourism draw.
Derton said William Chris typically has several strategic partnerships in the works at any given time.
“We’ve done some great collaborations in the last year with Austin and Hill Country-based beer and spirits producers, which has been a lot of fun,” Derton said. “It’s an opportunity for us to have another creative outlet and reach some new fans at the same time.”
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