A DROPOFF IN RESTAURANT BUSINESS after Sept. 11 forced micro-winery Goosecross Cellars to pump up its mail efforts. But what began as a program to move overstock resulted in a shift in the company’s channel use.
Direct-to-consumer sales, which amounted to 60% of the winery’s total revenue before Sept. 11, currently make up 87% of its business.
Before the attacks, the Yountville, CA vineyard mailed 3,000 postcards quarterly, touting its Chardonnay to the 13 states able to receive wine shipments. But the falloff in restaurant business immediately after Sept. 11 curtailed Goosecross’ wholesale business, and the winery found itself awash in 1,500 more cases of wine than it had anticipated.
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