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The Russian River Wine Road
Introduction
Regional branding has come of age and
winery associations are implementing the
strategies learned by other product and
service providers. While various wine and
wine-related associations vie for consumers’
attention in California, one has been
particularly successful. The Russian River
Wine Road has joined the interests of
wineries and other hospitality enterprises
in Northwest Sonoma to attract a loyal
following of tourists and wine enthusiasts.
Characteristics and Nature of the
Region’s Brand Image
Brand
A brand is “a name, term, sign, symbol or
design, or a combination of these, intended
to identify the goods or services of one
seller or group of sellers and to
differentiate them from those of
competitors” (Kotler et al. 2004, p. 407).
Region as brand
“Wine tourism can play an invaluable role in
being part of the process of creating a
brand identity for a wine(ry) organization,
in fact, it can create the texture and
richness that the wine brand may often lack
to make it truly successful” (Bruwer 2005,
p. 92).
The sense of place created is part of the
wine region’s image. According to Bruwer and
House, ‘using the image of a place of origin
to differentiate a product can be compared
with applying a branding strategy if
marketers can exploit the associations
consumers have with a particular place (Bruwer
& House 2003, p. 56-61).
Wine Road Position
“Sonoma is where fine wine production
started in northern California and, although
in the late 20th century Sonoma was eclipsed
by Napa’s seminal role in the state’s wine
renaissance” (Johnson & Robinson 2001, p.
273).
According to Ries and Trout, first is
best: “The first person, the first mountain,
the first company to occupy the position in
the mind is going to be awfully hard to
dislodge” (Ries & Trout 1986, p. 20). In the
California wine business, Napa has a firm
lock on this primary position.
While the Wine Road has worked on
building an identity apart from the more
famous Napa Valley to the east, it has also
struggled to create an identity that is
distinctly northwest Sonoma County. “The
Sonoma Valley AVA…is nowadays less important
that the northern section…although the town
of Sonoma could hardly be more important to
California wine historians” (Johnson &
Robinson 2001, p. 274).
The renown of the town of Sonoma and the
fact that it is identical to the name of the
county has created for it a stronger
identity than that of the other wine places
in Sonoma. Thus the Wine Road in its
branding has sought to not only create a
recognizable entity apart from Napa but also
one apart from the Sonoma Valley and its
southern hub, the town of Sonoma.
“Sonoma Valley is a very small portion of
Sonoma County but it rivals and occasionally
beats nearby Napa Valley for réclame”
(Robinson 1999, p. 646). In the world of
wine from Sonoma County, Sonoma the town and
the Sonoma Valley that extends north from it
have occupied the first position in the
minds of consumers visiting the region.
According to The Russian River Wine
Road’s Executive Director Beth Costa, “the
image we’re projecting is a simple picture:
Wine Country” (Costa 2005, pers comm.). This
has been a very successful tack for the
organisation to take. An image of Sonoma is
difficult to convey as it has multiple
associations as described above. And
choosing one of the appellations within the
county as an image has not been as
successful with consumers (Frey 2005, pers
comm.). Rather the Wine Road has adopted the
river that runs through a wine country
setting as its standard bearer.
Bruwer states “according to Hall et al
(2000), the concept of a bounded space is
vital to the idea of a wine route since it
defines for its wine-producing members an
identity that proclaims unique attributes
for their wines and cultural heritage” (Bruwer
2005, p. 122). The string that binds the
three diverse regions of the Wine Road is
the Russian River. It flows through the
Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River
Valleys.
Brand Elements
Bruwer’s ‘Main Brand Elements of the Barossa
Valley Wine Region’ (Bruwer 2005b) are
synonymous with the main brand elements of
the Russian River Wine Road:
- Scenery/countryside
magnificent/stunning
- Great wines/great quality
- Food culture
- Tasting rooms well presented
- People friendly
Scenery/Countryside
“I firmly believe from what I have seen
that this is the chosen spot of all the
earth as far as nature is concerned,” said
Luther Burbank, internationally renowned
botanist who made his home in Northwest
Sonoma County (Wine Road website 2005).
Costa states “the image of the Wine Road
is one of rolling hills, country roads and
small wineries. It’s an ideal fantasy
picture. The logo is clean and easy to
remember” (Costa 2005, pers comm.).
Great wines/great quality
Tom Stevenson describes the area as follows:
One of California’s most important wine
regions…and a reputation for quality now
fast-approaching that of Napa…boutique
wineries specializing in premium varietals
are taking over” (Stevenson 2001, p. 458).
Food Culture
“The Barossa Valley region in 2004 became
part of the “Slow Food” movement” (Bruwer
2005, p. 77). Likewise a Slow Food convivium
was formed and titled Russian River in
Sonoma County. There are currently four
convivia in Sonoma County.
MacNeil describes Sonoma like Provence:
“often thought of as California’s Provence,
Sonoma County is also full of small towns
that sell local cheeses, olive oils, honey,
fruits and vegetables” (MacNeil 2001, p.
673).
Tasting Rooms Well Presented
In a classic touring book published by
the Wine Spectator, Sonoma wineries are
described as having a ”more low-key approach
to living. Instead of proclaiming themselves
with eye-catching architecture, the wineries
here tend to be understated converted barns.
With some notable exceptions…smaller
producers still make wine in old, rustic
buildings that are beautiful in their
simplicity” (Shanken 1998, p.45).
While this quote may seem ancient, the
scene it describes is still quite apropos
today. While modern architectural gems have
been created, as at Stryker, barns and wine
farms are still well integrated into the
rural landscape.
People Friendly
Urry cites a former president of
Scandinavian Airlines, who “refers to the
encounter between a customer and a smiling
waiter or welcoming receptionist as ‘moments
of truth’…such moment, it is alleged,
determine a company’s success or failure” (Bruwer
2005, p. 84). So too with a wine region, as
today Napa is considered to be unfriendly to
tourists. In Sonoma there is a more homespun
feel.
This emphasis and acknowledgement of the
importance of visitor satisfaction is
underscored in the annual meetings of the
Russian River Wine Road (Costa 2005, pers.
comm..).
Wine Tourism Components
Bruwer quotes Telfer, stating, “with the
wine tourism product bridging a complex set
of industries from grape growers to wineries
to restaurants and tour operators, the
potential exists for building even greater
strategic alliances” (Bruwer 2005, p. 94).
This is exactly what the Wine Road has
accomplished.
“Wine tourism is set with the context of
cultural, rural and industrial tourism, with
links to festival/event tourism” (Bruwer
2005, p. 95). Much of the brand image of the
industry association is its attraction as a
wine tourism destination. Components as per
Bruwer include:
Cultural Tourism
“Culture is a major tourist
attraction…Cultural tourists might be
interested in the inter-relationships
between wine production and the local people
and their environment, including gastronomy
and authentic traditions” (Bruwer 2005, p.
95). The ‘wine country’ culture of the
region is one of artisinal wine and food
products produced in an historically
agricultural area that also offers the
modern amenities of world-class restaurants,
shopping and spas.
Rural Tourism
“Rural tourism and wine - wine regions
offer a very unique and appealing rural
experience” (Bruwer 2005, p. 95). A tourist
to the Russian River Wine Road has a rural
experience in an authentic agricultural
environment surrounded by oaks and redwood
forests, all within a short drive of a
relatively undeveloped coastline.
Urban Tourism
“Urban tourism and wine – most
international travellers will use urban
gateways to visit wine regions, so that an
urban-rural experience can be packaged for
them” (Bruwer 2005, p. 95). San Francisco is
the gateway for international and interstate
visitors to the Russian River Wine Road.
The proximity of San Francisco is an
asset for the region. “The growth of weekend
breakaways and a desire to visit rural areas
is also compatible with winery visits” (Bruwer
2005, p. 91). The San Francisco Bay Area
provides a market of over 1,000,000 people
and approximately 40% of the Wine Road’s
visitors originate in the greater San
Francisco area (Costa 2005, pers. comm.).
“70% of the Wine Road’s visitors come
from California. Outside of the state, a
large number of visitors from Florida,
Texas, Utah, Colorado and New York, fly into
San Francisco and rent a car to drive into
the region” (Costa 2005, pers. comm.).
Festival and Event Tourism
“Festivals or events and wine – event
tourists fall into at least two categories,
including those motivated by the theme and
those simply looking for a good social
experience. These events are both products
to attract visitors and a means of gaining
publicity and shaping the image of a region”
(Bruwer 2005, p. 96). Attending regional
wine festivals like the Road Trip is a
social experience beyond the wine theme.
There are games and other activities.
The Russian River Wine Road’s Network
Development and Categorization
External Markers and their use by the
Network
“The following were found to be the most
important external markers used by Texas
winery visitors according to Dodd in 1998:
- Word-of-mouth
- Previous exposure to the winery’s
label
- Newspaper or magazine information
- Brochures
- Previous visits to the winery
- Billboards” (Bruwer 2005, p. 114).
Word-of-Mouth
“Word-of-mouth is the most important
source of information” (Bruwer 2005, p.
114). “The team at White Oak Vineyards and
Winery [a member of the Wine Road] also
shares recommendations for dining and
lodging, keeping a restaurant book with
menus at hand. This extra level of service
makes the winery a partner in the visitors’
experience and creates a relationship that
goes way beyond that of traditional sales.
(Johnson 2005, p. 10).
Costa also notes that word-of-mouth from
“people attending priors events with their
friends is the best source of publicity for
the Wine Road” (Costa 2005, pers. comm.).
Newspaper or Magazine Information
According to Costa, results from
advertisements and publicity releases in
Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Francisco
newspapers produce immediate incoming calls
for tickets and information (Costa 2005,
pers. comm.).
Brochures
“Brochures at a hotel would be markers
that may provide information and direction
to people concerning the winery” (Bruwer
2005, p. 113). The Wine Road’s maps are
available at lodgings and at each of the
member wineries to facilitate cross
promotion of all members across their
business type. There are now about 600,000
of the Wine Road maps produced every two
years, reaching thousands of consumers in
the Bay Area and beyond” (Johnson 2005, p.
10).
Billboards/Signs
 The
various appellation orgranisations, rather than the
Wine Road, maintain winery signposts at major intersections.
“Markers may include signs external to the winery
on roadways or buildings pointing to the winery” (Bruwer
2005, p. 113). These external markers benefit all
parties involved.
“Touring routes, such as wine routes, are
a good way to organise and encourage rural
tourism” (Bruwer 2005, p. 96). The Wine Road
is well posted at most major intersections
as shown below. Arrows are paid for by the
member wineries. The appellation
associations coordinate the post placements.
Strategic Alliances
“With the wine tourism product bridging
a complex set of industries from grape
growers to wineries to restaurants and tour
operators, the potential exists for building
even greater strategic alliances” (Telfer
2001, p. 21). The Russian River Wine Road is
just such an alliance, including wineries,
lodgings, restaurants, recreational
providers and grape growers.
Restaurants participate in Wine Road
events and also cooperatively market on the
organisation’s website. At the annual Wine
and Food Affair, over 50 wineries work with
local restaurants to create wine and food
pairings for the attendees. Bruwer quotes
Johnson, saying, “The attributes of a grape
wine region that appeal to those visiting a
wine region (scenery and open spaces) may be
quite unrelated to consuming wine” (Bruwer
2005, p. 95). The Russian River Wine Road
has wisely forged an alliance with partners
outside of the wine industry. The alliance
includes such businesses as canoe rental for
the Russian River and spa treatments in
Healdsburg.
Yet the organization has not gone as far
as industry members one county north: The
Mendocino County grape growers and wineries
are planning to tax themselves to launch a
county wine commission that would promote
the Mendocino County industry. The plan is
unique in California in that it involves
growers and wineries. Proponents said about
75 percent of the 58,000 tons of grapes
grown locally are currently sold to Napa and
Sonoma county wineries, which blend the wine
juice into their own higher-priced varietals
(Geniella 2005, pp. E1 & E6).
Network Categorisation
Hall et al. define four inter-organisational
relationships and two apply to the Russian
River Wine Road:
Organisation sets: inter-organisational
linkages that refer to the clusters of
dyadic relations maintained by a focal
organization, e.g., a visitor
information centre or wine tourism
organization develops individual
relationships with wineries so as to
provide tourists with information on
each winery.
Action sets: a coalition of
interacting organizations that work
together in order to achieve a specific
purpose, e.g., a visitor information
centre [or wine tourism organization]
comes together to produce a regional
wine tourism promotional campaign (Hall
1997, p. 11).
The Russian River Wine Road is a
‘coalition of interacting organisations’
with a unified focus. The member wineries
and lodgings both participate and benefit
from the united marketing effort. Their
inter-organisational relationship is one of
‘action sets’. At the same time, the
individual members, exhibit the behaviour
described by the former, ‘organisational
sets’, treating their own association as if
it is external to them.
Some members are enthusiastic
participants. Director of Hospitality and
Tasting Room Manager Denise Gill of White
Oak Vineyards and Winery describes the Wine
Road as “a source of camaraderie and
support. Denise says that the organization
grows by 10-15 wineries every year. She
states that she’s a firm believer that ‘the
larger the organization, the more impact it
has’ (Johnson 2005, p. 10).
The Organisational Structure and
Mission
The organization began in 1976. At that
time the only structure was that of a board
and general members. For the first two
years, the board met every month to make
decisions and plan events.
Five years ago, a paid position was
created and titled ‘executive director’.
Today there are over 170 members and 120 of
the members are wineries. There is still an
elected board, all volunteers. There are 10
winery representatives and 3 lodging
representatives. Officers are elected
including a President and Vice-President.
The board meets 6 times per year. There
is one annual retreat where most of the
annual plan is visioned and created. General
meetings with the entire membership are held
four times each year.
The organization has created a simple and
powerful mission statement: “The Russian
River Wine Road is a winery and lodging
association geared toward educating
consumers and building sales for its
members.”
From observation and research it is
possible to articulate the organization’s
‘objectives in practice’:
- Be the one-stop shop for Sonoma
County Wine Country visitors
- Strengthen the brand image of the
organization with both casual and avid
wine consumers
- Educate consumers about the value
and quality of the members’ offerings
- Increase visitations and sales for
all members
The Russian River Wine Road has developed
a brand identity that is congruent with the
wine country experience its members provide.
The association has grown and its members
have prospered.
Check out these references for more
information on wine tourism and regional
branding:
References
(i) Bruwer, J. 2005, Wine and Food
Tourism and Festivals, Study Guide,
University of Adelaide, Adelaide.
(ii) Bruwer, J. 2005b, Winery Business
Management, Study Guide, University of
Adelaide, Adelaide.
(iii) Bruwer, J. 2005c, Global Market for
Wine, Study Guide, University of Adelaide,
Adelaide.
(iv) Bruwer, J. 2003, ‘South African Wine
Routes: Some Perspectives on Wine Tourism
Industry Structural Dimensions and the Wine
Tourism Product’, in Tourism Management,
24(4).
(v) Bruwer, J. & House, M. 2003, ‘Has the
Era of Regional Branding Arrived for the
Australian Wine Industry? Some
Perspectives’, The Australian & New Zealand
Grapegrower & Winemaker, December.
(vi) Costa, B. 2005, Personal
Communications, September/October.
(vii) Frey, N. 2005, Personal
Communications, February/March.
(viii) Geniella, M. 2005, ‘Mendocino wine
commission sought’, The Press Democrat, 13
May, pp. E1 & E6.
(ix) Hall, M. et al 1997, ‘Wine Tourism and
Network Development in Australia and New
Zealand: Review, Establishment and
Prospects’, International Journal of Wine
Marketing, 9(2/3).
(x) Hall, M. & Mitchell, R. 1998, ‘The Scope
of Tourism Studies’, in Introduction to
Tourism: Development, Dimensions and Issues,
3rd edition, Australia, Longman-Pearson
Education.
(xi) Johnson, H. & Robinson, J 2001, The
World Atlas of Wine, 5th edition, Mitchell
Beazley, London.
(xii) Johnson, R. 2005, ‘Making Friends in
the Alexander Valley’, Sonoma-Marin Farm
News, August.
(xiii) Kotler, P., Brown, L., Adam, S.,
Armstrong, G., 2004, Marketing, 6th edition,
Pearson Prentice Hall, Frenchs Forest.
(xiv) MacNeil, K. 2001, The Wine Bible,
Workman Publishing, New York.
(xv) Ries, A. & Trout, J. 1986, Postitioning,
The Battle For Your Mind, Warner Books
Edition, New York.
(xvi) Robinson, J. 1999, ‘Sonoma’, Oxford
Companion to Wine, 2nd edition, Oxford
University Press, Oxford.
(xvii) Shanken, M. 1998, Wine Spectator’s
Wine County Guide to California, M. Shanken
Communications, New York.
(xviii) Slowfoodusa.org 2005, ‘Local
Convivia’, [Online, accessed 15 September,
2005]. URL: slowfoodusa.org/contact/index.html
(xix) Stevenson, T. 2001, The New Sotheby’s
Wine Encyclopedia, 3rd edition, DK
Publishing, New York.
(xx) Telfer, D. 2001, ‘Strategic Alliances
along the Niagara Wine Route’ in Tourism
Management, 22 (1).
(xxi) Wineroad.com 2005, ‘Press Kit’,
[Online, accessed 15 September, 2005]. URL:
wineroad.com/aboutus/presskit.asp
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