THE WINE CLUB
Since I was a girl, I was mesmerized by the language on the backs of wine bottles — the mention of faraway lands and the magical, somatic experience you would have with this product, all in 200-300 characters.
It started as a way to keep the business alive during COVID-19, and it turned into so much more. The Wine Wise Wine Club began in 2020 with a group of loyal VIPs, these were annual attendees of the brand’s events since its conception. With their support, the business stayed afloat and now has grown to over 120 members. My role was to support and optimize the perks for the Wine Club. I wrote monthly letters and tasting notes for six distinct wines, conducted research to tell the stories of winemakers and viticultural processes across the globe, ran cost analyses to plan out wine deliveries, and produced the Chef Recipe Series.
Project: Chef Recipe Series
The Chef Recipe Series was a multi-channel marketing campaign that featured local chefs inviting us behind the scenes of their highly-acclaimed restaurants. The Wine Club members had early access to the recipes as a perk before the campaign was made public on social channels. I was the project manager of this campaign, leveraging my industry connections, communicating with the chefs, scheduling and organizing the shoot, and finalizing written and audiovisual deliverables.
Behind the Scenes
My team re-designed this project for cross-channel marketing: it appeared first in blog form for a select readership, then was expanded into an Instagram Reel series that expanded the reach of Wine Wise on Instagram.
Client
Wine Wise
Year
2024
Wine Research and Product Writing
Wine Wise Explorer Wine Club
2021 Mas d'Alezon, Cabretta, Faugères Blanc, France
In honor of Women’s History Month, winemaker Catherine Rocque’s gorgeous “Cabretta” is at your doorstep today. This mother and daughter team makes wine in Faugères, on the Western edges of the Coteaux du Languedoc region, one of the only appellations granted total independence from the larger Languedoc appellation, almost entirely due to its unique schist soil composition and micro-climate. Catherine is an experienced, minimalist and certified organic winemaker, carefully watching as cool and slow fermentation shape her stunning wines. She chooses very little intervention, aging in old barrels and cement, so that this Cabretta is a honest and delightful representation of Roussanne, Clairette, Grenache blanc and Grenache gris offering a beautifully bright wine with notes of graphite pencil, dried wildflowers, beeswax, orange peel. A beautiful cool-weather white.
Varietal: Roussanne, Clairette, Grenache blanc and Grenache gris
Drink: Young
Pairing: On one of these sunnier days, grab some oysters from Harbor Fish Market, a big jacket, and a campfire and enjoy as a sort of Winter al fresco wine!
Writing Example of Monthly Letters
Happy Midwinter!
JANUARY 2024
Dear Wine Club Member,
January is the season of new beginnings, but also a season to rest. Just as much as we create resolutions and goals for the year, we also enjoy stillness and cozy up in our homes to wait out the winter. Take advantage of some of these early nights by tucking in with one of these three beautiful reds that we’ve selected to brighten up your day, provide richness and warmth to your evenings, and spark creativity and inspiration for your new year.
The first bottle is a 2021 Blaufränkisch from the renowned Austrian winemaker, Roland Velich of Moric Winery. Moric is a fascinating producer who has contributed greatly to the popularization of native Austrian grapes in western culture. “Fed up with uniform wines,” Velich is, his Blaufränkisch can go toe-to-toe with some fine Beaujolais’, yet remains a distinctive expression of Burgenland. A sip of this next wine, a certified Organic Frappato with a floral aroma, and bright juicy body will feel like the Sicilian sun on your skin on a drizzly January day. Bonincontro’s 2020 Frappato has a dazzling ruby red color, fresh violets and sweet spices on the nose, and a medium body with notes of fresh, tart berries. Lastly, For some of you, this last bottle will sound vaguely familiar… Or maybe you’ve been on the edge of your seat, awaiting its return! The 2013 vintage of Mercedes Lopez de Heredia’s Rioja sold out instantly when we offered it last year. Selecting the 2014 vintage was a no-brainer, this wine has been reserved for the exact moment fourth-generation winemaking Lopez sisters declare it perfecta. Savor this wine slowly with Chef Sansonetti’s Cubillo Lamb recipe, which was created to honor the regional traditions of the Lopez family.
Lastly, Portland Wine Week is on the horizon! It will take place June 10-16th, 2024. 3 Bottle Club members get 1-day advance access to Women in Wine Dinner tickets, which sell out quickly! These incredible dinners are truly the highlight of our year, where our community comes together with 10 local women Sommeliers and 5 Chefs to open up the week of festivities.
Don’t forget to tell us what you think of these wines by dropping us a line, or tagging us on Instagram or Facebook.
Cheers!
The Team at Wine Wise
Product writing for Wine Wise was done using The Wine and Spirits Education Trust’s (WSET) standard. I webbed together stories of terroir and family history to paint a complete picture of the wines coming in each month’s order.