What would you do?

[Andy Velebil]

We've all hashed about what the Port trade and IVDP has done right or wrong in the promotion of Port. Many feel not enough is being done to promote our favorite beverage. With that said.....

My question to all of you is: If you were given the task to find the best way to promote Port to the masses, what way would that be?

It can be anything...even if it sounds totally un-doable at the present time or if it seems cost prohibitive.

[Brian C.]

This is something that really intrigues me. Marketing usually demands that a product appeal to the 21-34 age range. Port is often perceived to be a rich old man's drink, best consumed with a cigar after dinner. It's a horrible perception, to be sure. I have seen some attempts at trying to appeal to younger demographics, most notably the sleek bottles from Gilbert's, but Gilbert's just doesn't have the distribution network and the marketing budget to make it happen. (I can't speak for the brand beyond that, as I have never tried it.)

I think one of the houses should get port featured in a movie that featured the 21-34 demographic. It just needs to be shown in a non-stereotypical way.

Port just doesn't seem to have much of a presence here in Chicago, as I've said before. Is it a distribution issue or a demographic issue? Is there a way to reach potential port drinkers here? Do wine shops offer port at their tastings? How willing are the major port houses to penetrate the U.S. market in general?

Like with the Portugese table wines, there needs to be real education. Do people want to know all about ruby vs. tawny, VP vs. LBV, and blended vs. colheita? Do the houses want people to know all this.

One other thing to consider, while it is nice to be ahead of a popular trend, do we really want it to become so wildly popular that a standard LBV would be priced over $40?

[Roy Hersh]

As we are not seeing many suggestions, here's at least one more to add to Andy's fine question:

If I were the Port Wine Shipper's Association, I'd band together and hire three "Port Ambassadors" and pay them for full time work, going around the USA ... holding tastings and promoting and educating the trade and consumers throughout No. America. This is what my good friend Mario Ferreira used to do for the IVP and later, when it changed over to the IVDP and Douro wines were added to the mix.

Simultaneously, I'd also have a team of "Port Ambassadors" doing the same thing in Europe.

[Moses Botbol]

I would buy BMW Sauber F1 team for 2010...

[Brian C.]

As we are not seeing many suggestions, here's at least one more to add to Andy's fine question:

If I were the Port Wine Shipper's Association, I'd band together and hire three "Port Ambassadors" and pay them for full time work, going around the USA ... holding tastings and promoting and educating the trade and consumers throughout No. America. This is what my good friend Mario Ferreira used to do for the IVP and later, when it changed over to the IVDP and Douro wines were added to the mix.

Simultaneously, I'd also have a team of "Port Ambassadors" doing the same thing in Europe.

A good ground game is definitely essential to the effort. Your post definitely speaks to that.

How does one go about increasing awareness within a populace, though? Has there ever been a remarkable ad campaign aside from the ads put out by Ramos Pinto in the first half of the 20th century? Some of those posters were really cool. We have a framed poster of one of them, as a matter of fact.

Getting port placed in a popular movie or TV series would be huge. I mean, if we could find a vehicle that does for port like what Sex and the City did for cosmos, the landscape would change overnight. That's easier said than done, I know. I'm thinking if James Bond started drinking port instead of martinis, that might help. I think that is the basic image to shoot for. Any older than that, and the image reverts back to rich old man drinking port with a cigar. Port isn't perceived to be the most accessible drink out there, and that image just keeps it that way.

I know that when I was in my 20s, it never occurred to me that I should try the drink. What would have gotten me to drink it sooner? As it was, I only discovered it because my in-laws went to Portugal three years ago and brought us back a little bottle of Graham's. It's hard to rely on scenarios like that when trying to build a customer base.

[Moses Botbol]

Any older than that, and the image reverts back to rich old man drinking port with a cigar. Port isn't perceived to be the most accessible drink out there, and that image just keeps it that way.

[Peter W. Meek]

My question to all of you is: If you were given the task to find the best way to promote Port to the masses, what way would that be?

One of my favorite quotes:

Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient
that which should not be done at all.

Are you sure you want to turn Port into Big Business? Think of some other things that have become extremely popular (Cristal champagne comes to mind) and ask yourself: is that where I want Port to go?

Port is a niche wine; popular with a limited number of enthusiasts. By all means, introduce it to friends, introduce it to strangers - if they like it, fine; if they don't, fine. The disaster would be if Port became "Kewl" and was being consumed to amplify the drinker instead of to please the drinker. Do you want someone who doesn't give a damn to buy the last few bottles of some rare Port and serve it up in beer mugs just to prove he can?

When I have a bottle available in a public place, I offer sips or samples to anyone who seems interested. (This is especially effective if the opening/decanting is something of a production.) Then, to the extent that they are interested, I discuss what I know about Port - how it's made, why it originated (at least my understanding of it), different kinds (with samples if I can arrange it), and so forth.

I think I may have created a few new enthusiasts, and certainly raised awareness in some others. To survive we merely must (on average) replace ourselves. Anything else, however slight, means uncontrolled growth or uncontrolled decline. Neither is satisfactory in the long run; either one eventually leads to extinction.

[Scott Anaya]

You just gotta get Port into peoples glasses, even just a taste. Before I opened a wine bar, I turned alot of friends and colleagues onto Port by simply sampling them--but that only happened ooccassionally at parties and holidays. Now I get to do this on a much larger scale and as regularly as i want to. I have turned many people onto Port giving them their very first sip and have created some pertty serious Port lovers over the past year plus. Most recently this past Saturday it was two young 22 year old women who had ordered a riesling & moscato, so I had a suspicion they might like a 20yr tawny and they did! I often pour people a customized port flight so they can get the basics and figure out what they like.
And our Port tasting 101 Class was our most popular one last winter.

So whether this is an Ambassador team that travels and conducts tastings in stores, shops, bars, & events as Roy mentioned, IMO efforts all have to lead to getting Port past peoples lips. Now Port is expensive so your likely only to see establishment owners with a passion passing out free samples of the stuff...or staff impressing patrons with free samples So maybe more Port education and marketing samples directed at establishments that connect with the public could be an option as well.

[Andy Velebil]

I've really enjoyed reading peoples responses to this question. I do hope more will chime in and give their thoughts. As I stated before, there is no constraints here. Even if your idea sounds far-fetched or far to costly to do.

[Frederick Blais]

How to reach people nowadays it through the internet. I did meet in 2006 with marketing director of IVDP for a fantastic(or I thought at least) idea of a new website. They liked the idea but had no budget. Look how much already FTLOP is doing to promote Port and I'm sure people on this website have increase the number of Ports they do buy since they are into it.

They should invest into something bigger that is reaching the mass. It is much more cost efficient and embracing a wider audience than sending 50 delegates around the world for tasting lessons and fairs.

[Eric Menchen]

About six months ago I was recently digging through old Food & Wine magazines, finding recipes I liked and putting them into a database (Living Cookbook) so I could stop digging through magazines when I wanted to cook something. In one of those I found a booklet all about Port. It was nice, and I pulled it out to put on a shelf away from the magazines. Inside the booklet was a reply card to send in for more information. I sent it in and never got a reply. Now, the magazine was old, but the address was a physical address in New York City for some Portuguese Port promoting organization. I wonder what happened to that.

[Moses Botbol]

Trendsetters have to start drinking port.

[Scott Anaya]

Brad Pitt & Angelina

Or Miley Cyrus and PDiddy if we really want to get the 21 year olds drinking it

[Peter W. Meek]

Brad Pitt & Angelina

Or Miley Cyrus and PDiddy if we really want to get the 21 year olds drinking it

I dread the thought. People should drink port because they like it, not because some star has been promoted as drinking it.

You and I drink port because we like it. If we turn just a few people on to port, then there will be as many people drinking port when we're gone as there are now. I assert that this is what we should aspire to, not some fabulous growth where every port producer is a rock-star and port is the wine that is on everybody's lips.

[Moses Botbol]

Here's two good port rap video concepts...

50 Cent is sipping port next to his triple beam and cash counting machine

Puff Daddy, dripping port down the chests of beautiful women in bikinis on a yacht.

[Glenn E.]

Here's two good port rap video concepts...

50 Cent is sipping port next to his triple beam and cash counting machine

Puff Daddy, dripping port down the chests of beautiful women in bikinis on a yacht.

I dread the thought. People should drink port because they like it, not because some star has been promoted as drinking it.

I really have to agree with Peter on this one. I don't want to see Port promoted because that will drive up prices for no reason. Rap and Hip Hop are especially bad ways to do that, as that audience will buy anything they're told to buy just to enhance their image.

I'd like to see consumers educated about Port so that the ones who actually like it (as opposed to simply desiring its image) can find out about it. I think that the ambassador idea is a good one, as are current steps like blogs that some producers are taking (yay Oscar!).

Ultimately, though, I think that word of mouth is the best route for Port to take. If Port becomes too popular they'll have to change the law and allow the use of C-grade vineyards (or even lower) in the making of Port in order to keep up with demand. I think we're better off in the long run if demand grows slowly.

[Moses Botbol]

What could be worse is if the Douro really promotes dry wines and then less resources go to making port; phasing out port for something more profitable and quicker... I can understand the farmer wanting to make the most money for their land; it's their quinta and their livelyhood.

That is a fear worse than if port is on Yo MTV Raps.

[Frederick Blais]

What could be worse is if the Douro really promotes dry wines and then less resources go to making port; phasing out port for something more profitable and quicker... I can understand the farmer wanting to make the most money for their land; it's their quinta and their livelyhood.

That is a fear worse than if port is on Yo MTV Raps.

As long as the Beneficio is in place, they make more money than if they would do dry wines, believe me! Plus, making wines requires more effort in the vineyard than Port for equivalent quality.

[Glenn E.]

As long as the Beneficio is in place, they make more money than if they would do dry wines, believe me! Plus, making wines requires more effort in the vineyard than Port for equivalent quality.

Yeah, my understanding is that the current push toward dry wines is coming from the lower-rated vineyards, not the A- and B-rated vineyards used to make Port. Those grapes can't be used for Port, so wine is possibly their best option. (Can they make aguardente from those vineyards?) But it's not as lucrative as Port.

[Moses Botbol]

What could be worse is if the Douro really promotes dry wines and then less resources go to making port; phasing out port for something more profitable and quicker... I can understand the farmer wanting to make the most money for their land; it's their quinta and their livelyhood.

That is a fear worse than if port is on Yo MTV Raps.

As long as the Beneficio is in place

Maybe that's the key to keeping port around?