Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category
Summer’s Top 10 Family Hot Spots
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Travel
Undoubtedly after a long winter, the thought of summer vacation warms us right to the core. But where to go? Your traditional family stand by? Somewhere new to explore? An exciting destination just a tank of gas away? Oh, and of course it needs to be family friendly…
Travelocity‘s experts have examined the website’s summer booking data to discover where families will take their summer vacations in 2011:
- Orlando, FL
- Cancun, Mexico
- Honolulu, HI
- Maui, HI
- Kauai, HI
- Bahamas
- Kona, HI
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Turks & Caicos
- Dominican Republic
Read more about these top 10 family locations >
2011 Travel Design Awards
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Design, Hospitality News, Technology, Travel
We’ve all stayed at a hotel that was so well designed that you didn’t want to check out. Why would you? It’s so much cooler than your own home. And as you look around, you think “Wow, I would never be able to think of doing anything even remotely similar myself”. Or you visit a restaurant whose interior is so breathtaking, you are more interested in staring around at the beautiful chandeliers than choosing your entree. Which is why a hotel stay or a night out on the town can offer more than a getaway from your everyday life or a place to indulge and unwind. It becomes a window into another, much more stylish way of living that you instantly want to be a part of.
For the 7th year in a row, Travel + Leisure has gathered their collection of hotels, restaurants and more that they feel have pushed design boundaries to deliver products that are truly unique and innovative. Two forward-thinking cities—Abu Dhabi and Shanghai—both had many entrants to the awards, as they have quickly become synonymous with unparalleled design. In the US, they applauded the collaboration between boutique hotelier Ian Schrager and Marriott International, which produced The Waikiki edition, the first in a series of resorts and hotels from the freshly minted hybrid brand. And when it came to the best-designed resort, they gave that title to the Amangiri in Utah. The resort is “an ostensibly indigenous exercise in perfectly pitched Zen-like restraint and organic architecture—34 minimalist rooms that essentially cleanse the aesthetic palate by banishing the garish banalities of the kind of ho-hum luxury that this year struck no one as luxurious.”
Flip through the rest of the winners of Travel + Leisure’s 2011 Travel Design Awards—and don’t forget to take some notes for your inner interior designer.
Hottest Travel Destinations of 2011
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Travel
Travel & Leisure has announced their picks for the hottest new travel destinations of 2011. The list is comprised of four fabulously exotic places that you don’t usually see on any list, which is both exciting and refreshing. Which would you want to travel to first? Learn more about each destination.
Lhasa, Tibet
Kimberley, Australia
Zambia, Central Africa
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
photos from T&L.com
Flash Sales Spark Online Travel
Posted by Jeff Gurtman | Filed under Advertising, Hospitality News, Media, Travel
Travel-related flash sales seem to be spreading like wildfire across the Internet. By offering steep discounts during limited-duration sales, they motivate consumers to book quickly to take advantage of great deals. Here’s a sampling of what’s new:
Sniqueaway™ was recently launched as part of Smarter Travel Media, a TripAdvisor Media Group company. This members-only site offers limited-time sales on 4-star hotels that are highly rated on TripAdvisor.
TripAlertz™, which started beta testing this fall, claims to offer “epic savings for premium getaways.” Also a members-only site, it features quality hotels (3-star and up) and a unique strategy that lowers the price as more travelers book.
LivingSocial®, the site that offers city-specific deals, recently added travel “Escapes” to its offerings. The “Escape Kits” typically offer accommodations with add-ons like a cooking class, massage or ski lift ticket.
Groupon®, the city-specific flash sale giant, recently partnered with Where I’ve Been™, giving Groupon access to Where I’ve Been’s established base of millions of social travelers.
Mobile Spinach employs targeted demographic marketing to create offers and issue mobile cash vouchers that customers can use at retail outlets and restaurants, as well as spas and hotels.
CityDeals offers discount gift cards, gift certificates and coupons for local and national brands (restaurants, entertainment, stores, spas and hotels) that can be mailed, printed or sent to customers’ phones.
Successful in many segments, flash sales are a relatively new concept for travel, but one that is sure to broaden the social travel experience of the Internet. Although the impact on online sales is still unchartered waters, we already see the potential for this trend to impact your business positively:
- These channels can be a great way to quickly and efficiently unload excess inventory.
- By offering a limited-time deal instead of simply decreasing rates via an OTA, your hotel can fill rooms without expressly jeopardizing rate.
- By creating attractive packages that bundle rooms with additional amenities and services (dining, spa, golf, etc.), your property may also lead customers to increase spend.
- Group buying sites offer your business the opportunity and ability to discount and minimize risk (think: quantity discount). You can protect yourself from selling a low-rated piece of business to just a few customers because unless many customers react and agree to a certain volume of sale, the deal can be deemed invalid.
Want to know more about how this trend will impact the ever-evolving online travel market and your business? Dana develops custom promotions and campaigns that utilize these technologies. We offer turnkey solutions that can be deployed quickly and cost effectively. Maybe you are looking to offer an innovative promotion around the holidays? There’s still time. And the best part is, you can tell your boss, shareholders and kids that you’re at the forefront of the social media trend. Give Dana a call to discuss the opportunities.
Contact Jeff Gurtman, Vice President of Strategy, at jgurtman@danacommunications.com or 609.644.2408.
The Value of Travel Professionals
Posted by Tracy Stottler | Filed under Hospitality News, Media, Travel
The total number of Travel Professionals may be lower than it was years ago, but the travel industry is in a constant state of transformation, and the number of agency locations continues to grow by nearly 6% every year. Travel Professionals have become even more valuable as travel-related businesses undergo new openings (or closings) and agents are positioned to find the best price or deliver a trusted product to their customers.
Travel agencies reportedly account for $130 billion in gross travel sales in the U.S., as well as more than half of the $247 billion travel market and 30% of all hotel bookings (as reported by PhoCusWright). Travel Weekly’s 2010 Consumer Trends report also indicated that comparatively, younger Echo-Boomer travelers, who prefer to be waited on and have others do for them, tend to seek out Travel Professionals more than older Gen Xers, who are real do-it-yourselfers. This younger generation represents 20% of leisure travelers who use traditional travel agents. Because the web is “old hat” to them, they are not as entranced by what they can find online, and actually, they are pushing back from information overload by allowing an expert to do it for them.
Several years ago, one of our clients, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, recognized that travelers were increasingly turning to Travel Professionals for valuable personal relationships and a trusted source of information. Created by professionals and for professionals, StarwoodPro.com was established to provide a sophisticated, user-friendly interface between Starwood and Travel Professionals. StarwoodPro.com delivers easily accessible content on deals, rates, products, commissions and sales contacts, plus comprehensive hotel and brand information, along with benefits from a rich loyalty program.
In 2010, Sheraton and Westin hotels, which are both Starwood brands, wanted to leverage the relationships established within this segment by introducing specific Travel Professional promotions designed to generate interest, gain trust and sway their powerful influence. These campaigns drew participation from 8,400 and 15,000 participants, respectively—and doubled the size of Starwood’s Travel Professional database within one week. Explosive campaign results, in addition to general performance indicators within the industry, show that Travel Professionals continue to have value and are a critical target audience to be included in any marketing plan.
America’s Greatest Fall Color Drives
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Travel
From Travel & Leisure, October 2010, Margie Goldsmith
The fall foliage season is now starting, and color seekers can visit 31 states and drive more than 3,000 miles of national scenic byways—plus thousands of other scenic roads—to see the changing palette of deciduous trees in blazing bloom. Here are some of our favorite fall color drives:
Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, VA
The Route: 105 miles.
This park in the Blue Ridge Mountains is the quintessential fall foliage destination for Southeast travelers, and Skyline Drive has been called one of the top 10 scenic mountain drives in the U.S. Cruise along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Front Royal, VA, to the Waynesboro-Charlottesville area, and ogle at the bright red Virginia creeper vines, yellow and orange hickories, and deep purple dogwoods.
Where to Stop: Visit The Apple House in Linden, and Skyland Resort Gift Shop for local Virginia wines, and stay at the historic Skyland Resort, 3,680 feet above sea level. Ride horseback through the park’s scenic wooded trails, and don’t miss Luray Caverns.
Moosehead Lake Region, ME
The Route: 75.2 miles.
Visit the spectacular foliage of Maine’s largest lake, Moosehead. Start at The Forks, Maine’s white-water-rafting hub, then to Jackman, deep in the North Woods. Stop at the Attean Overlook for an extraordinary view of the Moose River Valley all the way to the Canadian border. Head to Rockwood on the shores of Moosehead Lake and spend the night in Greenville. In the morning, drive beneath spectacular tree canopies on unpaved logging roads.
Where to Stop: Overnight at the luxurious Blair Hill Inn; book a moose safari, white-water raft or hike to Moxie Falls, and take a scenic floatplane tour for a bird’s-eye view of Moosehead Lake.
The Green Mountain and Mad River Byways, VT
The Route: 23.9 miles.
Vermont is known as the mecca for serious leaf viewers in the Eastern United States. Drive on one-lane highways meandering through valleys and mountains painted glorious shades with yellow alder leaves, purplish-red pin cheery, and brilliant orange and red maple trees. Begin in Waitsfield where the Mad River runs, continue through Waterbury, and end in Stowe to see Vermont’s highest colorful peak, Mount Mansfield.
Where to Stop: Visit Cold Hollow Cider Mill for a tour and cider tasting; dine at Michael’s on the Hill with panoramic views of Green Mountain; and shop for local products at Cabot Annex, home of eight specialty shops including Cabot Cheese, Danforth Pewter, and Lake Champlain Chocolates.
Lake Placid, NY
The Route: 45 miles.
The Adirondacks, the largest natural wilderness region in the Eastern United States, offers a dazzling palette of autumnal colors in the six-million-acre Adirondack Park, designated “forever wild.” Start in Lake Placid and go northeast on Route 86 along the high cliffs of the Au Sable River to view the sugar maples, American beech, and yellow birch trees’ dazzling color display. Pass Jay and Keene, continue up the mountain along Cascades Lake, then head back into Lake Placid.
Where to Stop: Don’t miss Lake Placid’s Flaming Leaf Festival, October 9th; overnight at the Lake Placid Lodge; take the Whiteface Mountain gondola ride; and go to Santa’s Workshop in Wilmington.
The Driftless Region, WI
The Route: 158 miles.
Wisconsin offers some of the most spectacular Midwest foliage driving routes, including The Driftless Region, a loop starting and ending at Mineral Point. Head north on Highway 23 to Baraboo, where sumac and maple trees streak the hillsides, and twisted oak and wild hickory blaze orange and yellow along the river valleys.
Where to Stop: Visit the historic Pendarvis miners’ homes in Mineral Point, Cave of the Mounds at Blue Mounds, and Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s home in Spring Green. Sample artisan Black Sheep Truffle and Goat Cheddar at Carr Valley Cheese in Prairie du Sac; ride the free Colsac III ferry across the Wisconsin River.
Cades Cove, The Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, TN
The Route: 49 miles.
Straddling the Tennessee–North Carolina border, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in America. For optimal leaf viewing, start at the “top of Ole Smoky” at Newfound Gap, and drive down the mountainside to Cades Cove. You’ll experience the fiery yellows of American beech and birch and vibrant reds of mountain ash, pin cherry, and mountain maple. Take the 11-mile loop around Cades Cove, winding past foliage surrounded by waterfalls, streams, and panoramic views.
Where to Stop: Shop for handmade baskets, scrimshaw, and leather goods at Gatlinburg’s Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community; bite into a stack of flapjacks at the Pancake Pantry; hike, bike, or horseback ride Cades Cove to view the 19th-century homesteads.
Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville, NC
The Route: 110 miles.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway, an ideal time to drive its winding scenic roads with panoramic views. Start on the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 469.1 from Cherokee through Mount Pisgah, Asheville, and head to Mount Mitchell State Park, the highest peak in the Eastern United States. Feast your eyes on the eye-popping colors of ash, beech, red spruce, poplar, and maple trees.
Where to Stop: Enjoy panoramic forest views and excellent wildlife spotting from the 5,000-foot-high Pisgah Inn restaurant’s observation deck, and visit the Southern Highland Folk Art Center for locally made rocking chairs, pottery, and quilts.
West Elk Loop Scenic & Historic Byway, Gunnison-Crested Butte, CO
The Route: 205 miles.
The country’s largest and most spectacular aspen grove delivers endless vistas of gold, orange, and crimson. From Gunnison, head to Crested Butte on Highway 135 and on the Kebler Pass Road (gravel, but fine) that connects to Highway 133 near Paonia Dam. Loop back around on the West Elk Loop Byway, along the Blue Mesa Reservoir and the north rim of the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park.
Where to Stop: Tour the galleries on Crested Butte’s September 30th ArtWalk; take a trail ride through the forest with Fantasy Ranch Horseback Adventures; try the Fried Green Tomato Po’ Boy at Sugah’s Café in Gunnison; and bunk at the Inn at Crested Butte with daily wine tasting.
The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, Taos, NM
The Route: 84 miles.
You’ll find some of the best southwestern fall foliage along the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway loop from Taos to Eagle Nest (where you’ll see 13,161-foot high Wheeler Peak), on to Angel Fire, and back to Taos. Here, the aspens range in color from brilliant gold to dark orange. Feast on purple cinquefoil and golden and red cottonwoods while on the lookout for elk, black bear, and eagles.
Where to Stop: Swing by the Taos Fall Arts Fest, September 24th–October 11th, and the old gold-mining town of Elizabethtown; dine at The Old Blinking Light Restaurant, known for its Tex-Mex Red Chile; and stay at the Historic Taos Inn (in business since 1936) in the town’s charming old section.
Eastern Sierras, CA
The Route: 125 miles.
Head to California for blinding displays of yellow and orange aspens, golden willows, and crimson cottonwoods amid sapphire alpine lakes, gushing waterfalls, and snow-frosted 12,000-foot-high mountain peaks. Start in Coleville to Lundy Lake, and then continue on to the June Lake Loop and Mono Lake. Go through Mammoth Lakes where orange streaks the mountainside, and finally to Rock Creek Canyon.
Where to Stop: Take a short hike for a view of Lundy Canyon Falls plunging down hundreds of feet; visit the West’s largest unrestored ghost town, Bodie, in the Basin Range; and don’t miss the he-man Cowboy Steak Sandwich at the unusual Whoa Nellie Deli located inside the Tioga Gas Mart in Lee Vining.
See the slideshow of America’s Best Fall Color Drives
“If I knew then what I know now…”
Posted by Lynn Kaniper | Filed under Advertising, Tips and Trends Series, Travel
At the start of the recession, some companies put the brakes on—a response as natural as slowing down when hitting an icy patch on the road. Marketing cuts are understandable when companies face tough choices about retaining staff or slashing budgets. Long-term plans get derailed when key decisions are no longer in the hands of the marketing team. Whatever the reasons, the results were similar: delayed decisions, reduced spending and postponed plans for new strategies. And like hitting the brakes on ice, the outcome wasn’t what these companies wanted.
Now the recession’s thawing. The road ahead looks a little smoother. And those who stopped moving forward are struggling to catch up. As companies dust off their marketing plans and update the media schedules, you can hear them lament: “If I knew then what I know now…”
As hospitality marketing experts, we know a slowdown is not the time to apply the brakes. In fact, it’s a time to strategically rev up your marketing message to capture the market share left behind by others. Clients who took our advice on this aren’t playing catch-up—they’re out in front of the competition. Here’s how they did it:
Resisting the urge to cut.
When business slows, cutting advertising and marketing reduces business even more. Instead, switch to marketing strategies that can be accurately tracked, so you’ll get value out of every dollar you spend.Focusing on past and present customers.
If you don’t already have a relationship-building program, now is the time to launch one. If your program is in place, ramp it up with new ideas to reward your customers and show them you appreciate their business. This will pay dividends now—and help you retain business during future slow-downs.Mixing it up.
For best results, use multiple marketing strategies to grow your business. In addition to paid print and online advertising (banner ads, PPC, etc.), try social networking, blogs, podcasts and video. How many of these are you using now?Continuing to build the brand.
Shine your image. Polish your reputation. When business is back, you’ll stand out brilliantly in the crowd. (For more about this, see “Brand Stewardship” on Dana’s blog.)
For more about partnering with Dana to seize opportunities in every situation, contact bprewitt@danacommunications.com.
T+L’s Top Travel Apps 2010
Posted by Charisse Gallagher | Filed under Social Media, Technology, Travel
Travel & Leisure has “scoured the virtual aisles of the Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Palm, and Windows stores for their 53 favorite travel apps”. How many do you have?
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/tls-top-travel-apps-2010
What’s Happening In The Wine World, Part II
Posted by Bob Prewitt | Filed under Tips and Trends Series, Travel
Bob Prewitt continues his tasting notes from those who know and love wines. (Click here if you missed Part I)
Kimberly Charles is the top public relations professional in the Wine Industry. She represents some of the largest and most prestigious wineries in the World as well as other wine-oriented companies. She is active in the Society of Wine Educators and a frequent judge at wine competitions. She will be at the L.A. County Fair next month.
“The wine business is now consumer-driven. It used to be that all the power was with the proprietors and the wineries. We learned from the great estates, and we learned what they wanted us to know. Now, the consumer is king. Wine is now a democracy and is gradually being imbedded in our culture with an educational component. At the Society of Wine Educators, we are selling record numbers of exam certifications.”
“Women are making beverage choice decisions as frequently as men, and women tend to choose a wine experience versus a beer or spirits experience.”
“There is a sense of adventure—experimentation. I have been in this business for 25 years. It was fun back then, and it is really fun again.”
Eric Welsh is Director of Interactive Services here at Dana Communications. He is our resident expert on all things web and is particularly knowledgeable about social networking. He is also a pretty fair Juice Jockey, as he can talk Gruner Veltliner versus Gewurztraminer, and the Macon versus Marlborough.
“What I take away when I think about the Wine Industry right now is less about the product and more about how we find it. Or more so, how it finds us. Just look at Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV (daily online TV about wine with 80,000 viewers a day and 852,000 followers). It seems that every winery has a Facebook page. I just googled ‘wine social network’ and got 14,300,000 listings in 0.22 seconds. Has there ever been a time in history when we had better connected, educated and shared wine experiences?”
Isabelle Tourneau and I have shared innumerable food and wine experiences all across the continent. She’s fun to break bread with because of her passion for creating and enjoying flavorful experiences. She is endlessly curious about what regional flavors reveal about everything from culture to agriculture—an interest that serves her well in both culinary and oenological arenas.
“Never missing a chance to taste good wine, I know pairing, sipping and sampling are nothing new. But I love how these events are pushing the envelope in ways simple and sophisticated.”
“There’s simplicity in how small wine shops are finding space among the shelves for a little tasting bar, where you can sample and chat about the owner’s latest finds. Simple is also casual “wine socials” where you’re mingling, sipping, nibbling—sans the expert to tell you what you’re tasting. And it’s wine dinners reinvented as community table evenings, where you meet new people and new wines. The keywords here are casual, conversational, interactive, fun.”
“Sophistication is the zeal and knowledge swirling around wine these days. It’s the trendy wine bar that pairs an extraordinary chef and brilliant wine guy whose menu of wines and small plates knocks you off your chic little barstool. It’s asking your server about a wine and getting the response of a truly informed palate. And it’s the wine shop/restaurant combo where everything from reasonable corkage fees to rave-worthy dishes shout out the owner’s enthusiasm for wine and food. The keywords? Passion, craft, an ethos of generosity and sharing.”
“It’s all good. And getting better.”
So now it’s my turn. I certainly agree with what has been stated above. It looks like I have a pretty smart group of wine buddies.
My conclusion is that in 2010, it is really easy and really cool to make wine a part of your lifestyle. It is easy to build it into the fabric of your everyday life, and it is even easier to learn about wines and become knowledgeable about the topic.
You can learn about wines through the social networks and by asking questions in restaurants and wine stores. You can buy great values by staying up with the forced sale of older wines. You can have wines shipped to you across state lines. If you want to keep up with the younger generations, you should tweet, follow Facebook and pay attention to the voluminous discussion of the topic on the Internet.
The consensus here at Dana Communications is that the world of wine has never been better. Join up.
For more about partnering with Dana—or to get to know us over a glass of wine—contact jzech@danacommunications.com.
A Trio of Terrific Summer Wines
Posted by Bob Prewitt | Filed under Hospitality News, Tips and Trends Series, Travel
Lois Gruner Veltliner (2008) Austria – medium weight, dry white, fruit forward. GV is the historic, legendary white varietal of Austria. The producer here is Fred Loimer Winery—one of the most highly regarded, artisanal winemakers in Austria. This wine is a great chicken wine and also goes really well with firm bodied fish and Asian wontons, dumplings and meat stir-frys. It holds up to spicy foods too. Great, great value at about $13.50.
Chateau de Montfort Vouvray (2008) France – slightly sweet with a big acid backdrop. I love Chenin Blanc, and this is a great representation of the varietal. You have to have a palate for sweetness to appreciate this wine, but if you do, you will adore it. It attacks with honey and cantaloupe and pears and Grand Marnier. Try it with Asian food or cheese, or just sip it on a pleasant weekend afternoon while you sit by the pool. About $15.
Gruet Sparkling Wines (non vintage, all types) – Albuquerque, New Mexico – the best sparkling wines made in the USA. In fact, in my opinion, these wines are as good as any sparkling wine made in the world outside of Champagne. I am particularly fond of the Blanc de Noirs. They go with anything and everything foodwise—I mean it—and the price/value relationship is unbelievable. About $13.75.
Read What’s Happening in the Wine World, Part II
What’s Happening in the Wine World, Part I
Let me tell you.
Wine is a significant component of the “Hospitality and Travel Lifestyle,” which partially explains our interest in them here at Dana Communications. Another reason we are interested is that we like to drink them. Duh!
Three of us actually have formal training in matters oenological. Eric Welsh’s family owned a prestigious wine store in Lambertville, New Jersey, where he spent a lot of time growing up. Isabelle Tourneau writes about regional foods and has the passion for food and wine pairing that one expects in a professional foodie. I am a founding member of the Society of Wine Educators, which happened when I worked for Wine Institute—the trade organization for California wineries.
So I decided to call around and ask my wine friends, “What is the most significant thing happening in the Wine Industry today?”
The first person I talked with is Robin Kelly O’Connor. RKO is presently Director of Sales and Education for Sherry Lehman, one of the truly remarkable retail stores in the country (located at 59th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan). Previously, Robin spent over a decade working as Trade Liaison for Bordeaux Wines. Robin has an energy and passion for learning about wines like no one else I know, and he has gifted chemical senses—thus a great palate. On numerous occasions, I have seen him correctly identify a wine from a region that most people in the room had never heard of.
His response was, “2009 Bordeaux. They are equivalent to, if not better than, the 2005 and 1982 vintages. And maybe deeper than the 1961 and 1929 vintages.” This is major stuff, as those four years are considered the benchmarks by which all wines are compared, not just Bordeaux.
Then I called Bruce Cass, one of America’s greatest wine educators and writers. Bruce studied pre-medicine at Stanford and uses this scientific training to make the chemistry and biology of wine accessible to the layman. Attending one of his classes is a remarkable experience, as he has an enthralling way of making the complexities of wine understandable. He has also trained his chemical senses so that his palate is world class.
“The ongoing development of direct shipping is my first thought,” said Bruce when I asked about what is happening. “After 20 years of battles, we can now say that we can legally ship across state lines—almost. The Supreme Court will ultimately make the final decision, and that might take another 20 years. But in the last year, we have seen a major movement toward direct shipping.”
He also commented on the wine-consuming behavior of the Millennial Generation and how that is leading to a dramatic increase in wine intake in America. “Millennials drink a lot more wine than Gen-Xers, and they are a big, big group of people—the Baby Boomer Echo. Within the next 5 or 10 years, the US will become the largest wine-consuming nation in the World… Of course, that will last only a few years, when China will take over.”
Then I talked with Laely Heron, owner and winemaker at Heron Wines. Laely has been making wines for 20 years—in France, Spain and California. Her wines are highly regarded for their price/value relationship, and you will see them served by the glass in a lot of successful, wine-oriented restaurants. Laely has traveled to virtually every spot on the planet, is fluent in four languages and conversant in many more and has a uniquely refined palate due to her extensive travels.
Her answer to my question: “We have a glut of product. Over the past years, the industry has overproduced, and we are sitting on product that is expiring and that needs to be sold now. I am seeing a lot of quality, old wine from good vintages being sold by the glass at under-market prices.”
Laely goes on to say that this means two things. First, “The recession will last longer in the wine industry than in most other industries. We are dealing with difficult economic times and an excess of product that is time-sensitive and must be sold soon.” Second, she feels the ability to buy older wines at great prices will continue. “This is not a new phenomenon. Smart buyers have known how to get great deals—particularly online—in recent years. However, the buyers market will only get better. It is a good time to figure out how to find the great bargains that are available.”
We’ll post What’s Happening in the Wine World, Part II next week—check back then.
For more about partnering with Dana—or to get to know us over a glass of wine—contact jzech@danacommunications.com.
