Wine brochure takes first stab at vintners group
Gilroy – A new wine brochure coming out this month aims to remind the Bay Area that wine in Santa Clara Valley is a family affair.
Carlo Fortino, a fourth generation vintner who runs Hecker Pass Winery with his parents, said a new brochure and map of the area’s 13 wineries is the first in a series of efforts to revive a broader marketing plan for Santa Clara Valley wineries.
“When you come into almost any winery out here, you talk to an owner when you come in the front door,” he said. “Those are the type of stories we want to get out to the general public. That’s what separates us from Napa or Paso Robles.”
The new fold-out brochure Fortino has put together includes a map of the area’s wineries and a paragraph describing each, complete with contact information and logo. Fortino plans to distribute 100,000 of the brochures in travel kiosks at airports, convention centers, motels and restaurants between Monterey and San Francisco.
In addition to the brochures, Fortino and other vintners are working with the Gilroy Visitor’s Bureau to promote the area. They also are holding a region-wide “passport” weekend on Oct. 7 and 8, when visitors can purchase a $20 souvenir wine glass and get free tastings at all of the region’s wineries.
“Each winery will do something a little different and special, ranging from barrel tastings to hors d’oeuvres, bands, tours of the winery, discounted prices,” Fortino said.
The passport events used to be common practice in the 1990s, when the Santa Clara Valley Winegrowers Association was going strong. The financial collapse of the association following efforts to hire a full-time director left a bad taste in the month of local vintners, who have focused on promoting their individual brands in the last few years.
But now, Fortino hopes to use a few traditional ideas and a new name – the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley – to revive the area’s reputation.
“It’s nice as a region to be known,” Fortino said, “and that’s what we’re trying to get back to.”
The new brochures will be available in two weeks.
