ZIN VALLE VINEYARDS: SELF-GUIDED TASTING FLIGHTS

L = Strategic Creative Director

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Over a year after I creative directed and launched Zin Valle Vineyards’ rebrand, they continued to experience a steady increase in customer traffic. They were eager to find new ways to service a larger volume of customers without compromising the quality of the wine experience or requiring a significant increase in staff. They also wanted to explore solutions with additional revenue potential.

THE INSPIRATION + THE WORK

My team understood that wine customers thoroughly enjoy becoming acquainted with a winery through a thoughtfully curated flight. So we suggested Zin Valle Vineyards introduce an elevated version of self-guided tasting flights as a standard part of their experience offering. However, we strongly encouraged them to go beyond generic flight options or serving their wine on a board without an explanation of the story behind it. We believed self-guided tasting flights should be enriching tasting experiences complete with inviting themes, informative tasting notes and lovely elements of storytelling. When done well, they are just as immersive as a tasting conducted by winery staff but allow customers to guide themselves through a tasting at their own pace.

We created four three self-guided tasting flights that showcase the best of Zin Valle Vineyards’ wine portfolio, tell their unique blended Texas/Tuscan brand story, and of course, please their customers’ varied palates. I designed and wrote a printed tasting guide to accompany each flight which tells the story behind the flight theme, offers tasting instructions and provides a detailed description of each wine. I also designed and sourced a custom wine holder in the shape of Zin Valle Vineyards’ “Z” icon to make every aspect of the experience 100% unique to their brand, and of course, as “Instagramable” as possible. Details such as numbers were thoughtfully integrated into the designs of the guides and holders to direct tasters independently through the experience.

Since introducing the self-guided tasting flights, they have become one of the most popular options on their wine menu.