WINE
Vineyards squeeze profits from concerts
STATEWIDE— First, grow the grapes. Then make the wine.
And next, book Bob Dylan? With an increasing number of players
in the winery business, several vineyards are relying on hosted
concerts to market and create an outlet for their food and
drink.
McMenamins jumped on the trend last month as it began an
outdoor summer concert series at its Edgefield property in
Troutdale, where it has operated a winery since 1990. The
4,500-person venue will share grass with the golf course before
moving in 2008 to a permanent location across the street as
part of a new complex to include more guest rooms and meeting
spaces. “There is not a lot of options for large outdoor
music venues in the Portland area,” says marketing
director Renee Rank. McMenamins sells its food and alcohol
during the concerts. “It’s good marketing,”
Rank adds.
Secret House Vineyards in Veneta has hit its stride after four
years of hosting summer concerts promoted by Square Peg
Concerts. The vineyard produces about 5,000 cases of wine per
year, selling nearly all of it on-site during concerts, murder
mystery dinners and other events such as bird watching
festivals. “We’re a shoestring operation,”
says co-owner Patti Chappel. “Concerts help us make ends
meet.” Secret House does not take a percentage of the
gate from the 10 or so summer concerts at its 3,000-person
outdoor venue, relying on the food and beverage sales to bring
in the revenue. Chappel has not been able to produce enough of
her own wine to satisfy the growing demand from more vineyard
visitors, so now she also sells beer and wine from other
producers at the concerts.
Outdoor concerts were part of the original concept since
Maryhill Winery, overlooking the Columbia River in Goldendale,
Wash., opened in 2001. The winery has put its concerts on
hiatus this summer while it builds a permanent stage and box
seats to improve its 4,000-seat outdoor amphitheater.
“The concerts create good cash flow,” says co-owner
Craig Leuthold. The House of Blues will continue to promote
four to six concerts at the vineyard each summer. “People
remember the good memories at specific events, and remember us
when picking wines at the grocery store,” Leuthold says.
The winery produces 40,000 cases of wine each year. Leuthold
intends to expand the vineyard’s 18-state distribution
territory by three to five states a year.
— Robert H.
Hamrick
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