Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/113109
MILLENNIAL MAGIC: Wente Family Estates W ente Family Estates has an authentic appeal with Millennials. Leveraging its connection with this dynamic generation is a primary marketing strategy, says Marketing Director Nicole Quandt. ���Social media continues to prove to be an important vehicle for us. It has provided real-time marketing tools for our brands to socially connect and form genuine relationships with Millennials in their preferred medium. Through the use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Ustream, Instagram and QR codes, we are personifying our brands, telling our stories, generating word of mouth and increasing accessibility.��� A quick glance at Wente���s portfolio shows why the winery is having success attracting Millennials. From Wente Vineyards, rooted in history as the country���s oldest, continuously operated family-owned winery, to entwine, a collaboration between Wente Vineyards and Food Network, to the adventurously delicious Double Decker line of wines, to the unforgettable estate blends of Murrieta���s Well, Wente Family Estates offers Millennials diversity of choice. Millennials will be impressed to learn that the Wente family released the nation���s irst varietally labeled Chardonnay, a 1936 vintage and since the 1960s, has made Chardonnay from the Riva Ranch vineyard in Arroyo Seco, Monterey. The 2011 vintage, barrel-aged in a combination of American, French, Eastern European and neutral oak barrels, has tropical fruit and spice notes with a long, fruity inish. The estate grown wine sports a modest SRP under $20. The 2010 Wente Vineyards Sandstone Merlot (SRP $15), from the Livermore Valley, is a crowd-pleaser with lavors of black cherry, blackberry, plum and a smooth, toasted oak inish. One of the most accessible wines in the range is entwine Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP $12.99), a California appellated wine created by Fifth Generation Winemaker Karl Wente and Food Network Kitchens Executive Chef Rob Bleifer and wine and food expert Rupa Bhattacharya. Aged 12 months in American, French and Eastern European oak barrels, the wine���s round fruit lavors make it a perfect companion for food. Those looking for a vibrant yet elegant red should test-drive the 2010 Double Decker Red Blend (SRP $10). The easy-to-sip wine is made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Barbera. Priced at $19, the 2011 The Whip is an approachable white blend from Wente-owned Murrieta���s Well in the Livermore Valley. The wine, a blend of six grape varieties, is full-bodied, aromatic and fruity. ���Millennials want a personal connection to brands and Wente Family Estates��� trustworthy and intriguing portfolio of wines deliver on the great quality, value and discovery so highly regarded by Millennial consumers,��� says Quandt. march 2013 / the tasting panel / 123