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I want to try and get some wine country bookings in Califorinia. Any advice? Should I email wineries? Whats the best way to go about getting these bookings?

MJ

In addition to the usual suspects (Santa Barbara & Temecula), have you considered Agua Dulce Vinyards?

I was there a few weeks ago and it's a charming little winery. It's relatively small, but it's right in your backyard.

With a little cross-promotion, perhaps you could put together a mini-package.

Dave

Lukens got some good points here. Of the wine tours I have done they are usually always on Sunday and go for at least 8 hours. Not to many other jobs you can pick up like that on a sunday in this town save for award shows and that's only 5 sundays a year.

Besides really should not matter how hard a job it is that's what you have employees for. No matter how hard the job you will be sitting at home making money, as long as you are making more than farming it out by all means go after the work. However if you do get a easy local job on a sunday take that and farm the wine tour. Company I work for would always be glad to take it!

Lukens Wrote:
> Just charge extra for rush hour arrivals and departures.
Lukens can you give some real world examples that you have seen of this?
How much and what times of day did it apply to?

Seems that 405 is rush hour traffic about 20 hours out of the day! LOL

quote:

Originally posted by wolfelimo:
I want to try and get some wine country bookings in Califorinia. Any advice? Should I email wineries? Whats the best way to go about getting these bookings?

MJ

Look at the price of gas and your ten pac getting about 10 mpg loaded if you're lucky. Pay no attention to what the computer read out tells you. Lincoln/Ford put that in there to make us believe we're driving efficient vehicles. The damn thing reads 25 mpg downhill on the freeway fercryinoutloud. Drive all the way to Temecula or Santa Barbara and watch your A/C in the back sputter out in the heat, watch your profit margin being sucked into the V-8, and watch your clients trash your interior. Listen to them wail and knash their teeth when the winery won't let your stretch on the property after all that driving. Put more gas into the tank while the clients take days waiting for the bathroom. Then clean up the puke and smashed food they casually leave behind.
BIG FUN. Or do as I previously suggested and just advertise locally. You would get enough gigs just up there in Valencia if you did. Direct mailings are dicey at best. Get the word of mouth going by doing the local papers. Offer your service gratis to the mom and pop groups having events up there. I used to work for a service that doesn't even have a real office up there. The owner lives there and everyone believes he's based there since he has a po box kinda setup. The cars and office are all down here in LA and we had to drive that nightmare 405/5 freeway interchange up through the mountains everytime... 2 hours in traffic to pickup somebody for $75 bucks, of which we got practically nothing. Then another 2 hours back down to LAX or elsewhere, then home. You get to know every inch of freeway since you're driving around 2 miles an hour between skreeching stops. I digress. You will see.
Forget the long haul stuff, its for those who fail to see the coming storm. Stick to short hops when the client spends most of their paying time in some venue or restaurant while you sit in a coffee shop counting your money and the car ISN'T BURNING FOSSIL FUEL. That's where the cash is. That and quicky airports. Just charge extra for rush hour arrivals and departures. The client sees stopped cars for miles on the freeway and then realizes they got a good deal despite the extra charge. It works. Anybody whines and say "I'm sure the gypsy operators will do it for less than cab fare. Good day."
I forgot to add, fear not the naysayers about farming gigs. Give that winery nightmare run to another company based near said wineries. They can deal with the nonsense and you can pocket the percentage and stay home.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve W.:
MJ I cant say I have ever heard any revolutionary ideas for you on this one. Should have the basics in place though:

Sign up for the program here:
Temecula Vally Wine Growers Association
not that you will get any business from it but you will be listed on their website and maybe a local to SC might see it and call you first. But for the most part I do not think people go through the wineries to arrange travel. And it's getting to the point they really do not want us (limos) there anyway.

Have a web page on your site about wine tour packages. Look to :
Limousing Scene for an example.
It's a little bit about educating consumers what they can use a limo for, give them some ideas.

Most of the wine tours we get are not a result of people wanting to drink wine rather it's just a celebration of some kind and they decide that would be a fun thing to do for someone birthday or anniversary. After that the traditional ways of finding transportation come into play.

Maybe do some flyer marketing to your local wine store or party supply store, see if they have a community bulletin board you can post something. "Experience the wines of the Temecula Valley" or Santa Barbara or Napa and give some enticing descriptions, might get people thinking about a trip.

Listen to Steve.

Temecula wineries make you sign a contract and register with their "respnsible partners program" and if you don't, you are not welcome on their property. You will then be responsible for your clients not being overly intoxicated and/or making a scene. You are also supposed to promote no hard alcohol or beer in the limo to add to the clients alcohol level. Some wineries, like Ponte, absolutely don't want you on their property on saturdays. Others like Mt. Palomar and Faulkner reward your drivers with gourmet sandwich's(pizza's or burgers). Most of the wineries want at least 24 hours notice(reservations) before you come to ensure ample room and proper service.

I know well about this subject. You have to know what you are selling! First, if you have not hooked up with small wineries in your area, you need to do so. The power of selling the experience is knowing what you are doing. Looking at a map won't do it! I sold Napa for years and drove them there. Smaller wineries give better service and private tours unlike the big machines! Some wineries in Napa area like Mumm's has stop Limousines and Buses from going there! Things you need to know.

When your are selling the package, its like telling a story. If you can't tell the story, you can't sell the package! SO what are you waiting for, get out there, drink wine, and meet people, then you will be able to sell the deal!

Remember, the deal does not mean cheep! Keep the price up! Good Luck!

MJ I cant say I have ever heard any revolutionary ideas for you on this one. Should have the basics in place though:

Sign up for the program here:
Temecula Vally Wine Growers Association
not that you will get any business from it but you will be listed on their website and maybe a local to SC might see it and call you first. But for the most part I do not think people go through the wineries to arrange travel. And it's getting to the point they really do not want us (limos) there anyway.

Have a web page on your site about wine tour packages. Look to :
Limousing Scene for an example.
It's a little bit about educating consumers what they can use a limo for, give them some ideas.

Most of the wine tours we get are not a result of people wanting to drink wine rather it's just a celebration of some kind and they decide that would be a fun thing to do for someone birthday or anniversary. After that the traditional ways of finding transportation come into play.

Maybe do some flyer marketing to your local wine store or party supply store, see if they have a community bulletin board you can post something. "Experience the wines of the Temecula Valley" or Santa Barbara or Napa and give some enticing descriptions, might get people thinking about a trip.

Tread carefully. In reading past articles posted via news articles about wineries in CA not liking limousines/coaches taking customers to and from different wineries, many object due to the drunk, beligerant clients arriving at their place of business and causing disruptions. Many don't like it and some refuse to serve those arriving in limousines.

Go visit all the wineries you plan on including in your tour. Find out their concerns and priorities. Then decide how you want to target potential customers. Some services have a portion of their website devoted to wine tours.

quote:

Originally posted by wolfelimo:
I want to try and get some wine country bookings in Califorinia. Any advice? Should I email wineries? Whats the best way to go about getting these bookings?

MJ