Satellite Beach, FL – It’s
Official. A Gallup Poll in July 2005 shows that, for the first
time, more Americans prefer wine than beer. Wine pulled in 39 percent
of the vote for favorite alcoholic beverage followed by beer at 36
percent.
The news wasn’t a surprise to executives at Sonoma Wine Group.
Kurt W. Krause, the corporation’s president, and Stephanie Olson, the
executive vice president, have utilized beer sales techniques to allow
customers the opportunity to sip a big wine as easy as popping open a
bottle of suds - with a little more grace, of course.
Krause, with 35 years in the beer business, says the wine industry has
been slow to eliminate snobbery and market to the general
consumer. Even as bar and restaurant patrons have switched to
wine drinking, most wine distributors are slow to restock.
Restaurateurs have struggled with the storage of cumbersome oversize
bottles. Servers have struggled with clumsy corkscrews and
cork-tainted wines.
Sonoma Wine Group packages vintage Shiraz, Chardonnay and White
Zinfandel wines in 375 ml bottles – just enough for two glasses.
A patented QualitySealTM, screw-off top allows easy opening without a
corkscrew and without the risk of cork taint.
Adding to the new concept for easy wine sales, Sonoma Wine Group sells
to restaurants and bars through a national network of Coors and Miller
beer distributors.
“The beer distributors took years to realize they needed to include
wine brands if they wanted to keep large market shares,” Krause
said. “And wineries were missing the same opportunity, relying on
the traditionally slow and unresponsive wine and spirit distributor
networks. The merger has created a culture both sides are
embracing.”
Beer distributors can restock supplies every day. “They’re used
to it,” Krause said, “because they’ve been doing it for decades.
The smaller bottles help prevent the clutter caused by traditional 1.5
liter bottles - and can help increase sales.”
“Who wants to sit around waiting for the waitress to offer you a second
glass of wine?” Olson asked. “When you buy one of our brands, you get
two perfect 6 oz. glasses of wine delivered right to your table.
Unlike a happy hour 2 for 1 special, the 375QTM allows you to decide
when to have that second glass of wine.”
Sonoma Wine Group is a true bi-costal company. The Florida
corporation buys wine from the finest California vineyards and sells it
through a national chain of distributors.
“Many people feel they are not knowledgeable enough about wine to order
it properly,” Olson said. “As more people put down the bottle and
pick up a stemmed glass, we want to help make the transition as easy as
possible.”
For more information about Sonoma Wine Group, visit www.sonomawinegroup.com.
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Media Contact:
Quantified Marketing Group
407.936.1010
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