Why Wineries Need Ambassadors

Wineries need ambassadors. They need them because in the world of wine the role of the wine sales rep has changed so much, partially because of Covid-19, causing many to be furloughed, but really because so often they are so overloaded and time-famished: many worthy wines are rarely presented to those who really would enjoy selling, offering or yes, buying the wine.

The role of the wine rep, at the distributor level, is to present the right wines to their customers, most of which are, or were, restaurants or retail shops and get the order. But let’s face it, they are so jammed up with an ever-expanding portfolio, stiff competition for appointments and mindshare, they have to match up with the buyers’ share of wallet, and mostly, there is just too much wine available.

But with so little time to get in front of buyers, many reps’ jobs have largely become more of being an order taker, not an order getter. This delegation, or perception, really hurts the boutique wineries, and the many small producers of fine wines versus what’s best known as supermarket plonk in the trade.

Enter the wine ambassador. Just like the emissaries of olden days, the wine ambassador carries the message about the winery to the right people, often wine buyers, sommeliers or shopkeepers who simply don’t have the time to taste every wine. And in turn they help the reps get…