I've been on the list for Sin Qua Non since 2006. At this point I laugh each year when I receive the "sorry" email. I allocate my wines simply because I have little yield and I tell customers immediately if they can expect a bottle based on a few assumptions, like typical weather and me not breaking an arm skiing : ) So I think allocations can work if the winery is transparent. But being on a wait list for near 20 years without any update like, "Hi Chris, you moved up 10 spaces on the list this year, you are inching closer." Or a real time list online that customers can keep an eye on, would be the chef's kiss.
A 20-year waitlist is bonkers! What, do they only make two cases a year??? I would really love to know if their members are really that loyal/they don't have much loss, and/or if they have *that* many people on their waitlist?
And yeah, I agree. Letting people know where they are at on the list at the bare minimum would at least make the wait feel less like you are an afterthought. Even just a "hey, we know this is a long wait, and we really appreciate you sticking around."
A real-time list would probably work to get *more* people on the list. People LOVE a countdown.
I’m not on a list, either for allocations or in waiting. Part of this is budget, and as you say, transparency. I do think there is a way to do these lists well however. For instance, if there is waiting time, or other restrictions, it should be a transparent reason for it, which ultimately should boil down to genuine supply constraints. I suspect for some that’s not always the case as they look to maintain the appearance of high demand which a lengthy wait conveys. If SQN was all of a sudden available like any other wine club, would we not make assumptions about quality? Why is it now so easy to get these wines? And therein I think lies a pitfall with the model as well. Unless you can manage your storytelling well, you can get stuck with a model that at some point no longer makes sense.
I'm inclined to agree. I think you might pigeonhole yourself if you end up with a large vintage and a lot of inventory, but have only ever positioned yourself with a multi-year waitlist. But maybe they have a game plan for those vintages, like holding back a handful of cases and doing limited releases of library wines as a sort of "special release" during low-yield vintages.
I do agree though that there needs to be some kind of transparency with these waitlists or you risk your relationship with future customers.
I've been on the list for Sin Qua Non since 2006. At this point I laugh each year when I receive the "sorry" email. I allocate my wines simply because I have little yield and I tell customers immediately if they can expect a bottle based on a few assumptions, like typical weather and me not breaking an arm skiing : ) So I think allocations can work if the winery is transparent. But being on a wait list for near 20 years without any update like, "Hi Chris, you moved up 10 spaces on the list this year, you are inching closer." Or a real time list online that customers can keep an eye on, would be the chef's kiss.
A 20-year waitlist is bonkers! What, do they only make two cases a year??? I would really love to know if their members are really that loyal/they don't have much loss, and/or if they have *that* many people on their waitlist?
And yeah, I agree. Letting people know where they are at on the list at the bare minimum would at least make the wait feel less like you are an afterthought. Even just a "hey, we know this is a long wait, and we really appreciate you sticking around."
A real-time list would probably work to get *more* people on the list. People LOVE a countdown.
I’m not on a list, either for allocations or in waiting. Part of this is budget, and as you say, transparency. I do think there is a way to do these lists well however. For instance, if there is waiting time, or other restrictions, it should be a transparent reason for it, which ultimately should boil down to genuine supply constraints. I suspect for some that’s not always the case as they look to maintain the appearance of high demand which a lengthy wait conveys. If SQN was all of a sudden available like any other wine club, would we not make assumptions about quality? Why is it now so easy to get these wines? And therein I think lies a pitfall with the model as well. Unless you can manage your storytelling well, you can get stuck with a model that at some point no longer makes sense.
I'm inclined to agree. I think you might pigeonhole yourself if you end up with a large vintage and a lot of inventory, but have only ever positioned yourself with a multi-year waitlist. But maybe they have a game plan for those vintages, like holding back a handful of cases and doing limited releases of library wines as a sort of "special release" during low-yield vintages.
I do agree though that there needs to be some kind of transparency with these waitlists or you risk your relationship with future customers.