Taste Network, a specialized food and beverage marketing agency, has created a multi-channel marketing initiative to make sure that wine explorers know about Ribera del Duero and Rueda, iconic wine regions in the Castilla y León province in Northwest Spain where Ribera’s Tempranillo (red) and Rueda’s Verdejo (white) wines have established benchmarks for these varieties.
The campaign emphasizes a grassroots strategy focused on independent specialty food retailers and the higher touch aspects of how they market to their customers.
“We’re partnering with the retail tastemakers who plant the seeds of knowledge and long-term appreciation,” said industry veteran Greg O’Neill, who is leading the effort.
Thirty-six food and wine retailers across the country are taking part, including Di Bruno Bros., Greene Grape, Antonelli’s Cheese, Zingerman’s, Spanish Table, Milk Bar, Cheese Plus, and others.
“The Ribera y Rueda campaign provided useful resources on Ribera del Duero and Rueda wines” said Sande Friedman, category manager at Di Bruno, in a statement. “We’ve been in business for over eight decades but have only been able to sell wine for five years. Not only are our sales of Ribera del Duero and Rueda wines up about 300 percent, but they’ve helped us become one of the highest volume wine retailers in PA, excluding the state-run liquor stores.”
Kendall Antonelli of Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Austin, Texas, found value in the program and held classes and tastings for consumers and the trade.
“We’ve loved partnering with Rueda y Ribera to spread the word about these sometimes overlooked, yet always crowd-pleasing wines and regions,” said Antonelli. “These are cheese-friendly wines and we know the wines will be a hit while letting the cheese shine too.”
Brooklyn’s Greene Grape Wine & Spirits sources products that match the environmental and social values of its customers. Manager Michele Thompson said she loves “getting caught in the minutia and getting nerdy with the wines, and at the end of our day, our customers appreciate the creative ways we think about the business. Ribera y Rueda are on our monthly “Pouroscope” so clients can consult the stars and find out which wine matches their horoscope. Our monthly Spotify playlist features specific tracks to accompany these wines, along with food recommendations to enhance the complete experience.”
Taste Network president Pablo Olay, said of the effort: “Rueda Verdejo is the number one selling white wine in Spain, and Ribera del Duero’s Tempranillo wines are already considered among the country’s greatest reds. Who tells that story best? Not a big box store or supermarket, but specialty retailers are the perfect venue to generate the word-of-mouth and personal recommendations that build customer loyalty and a desire to share this discovery with their friends.”
Related: Cheese Focus: PIvots With Staying Power; Video: Di Bruno Bros.' Mignucci on Joining the Family Business.