2024 Experiential Marketing
Last year, Art Murray of Flambeaux Wine and his friend Alex Harris of The Harris Gallery Wine, both located in Sonoma County, Calif., were thinking about how to boost visitors in the traditionally slower months of the year. The two partnered to produce TOWN, a series of off-season, monthly wine, food, art and overnight stay experiences that took place November 2023 through March 2024.
TOWN, which stands for “Traveling Off-Season for Wine Night,” featured a uniquely-themed dinner at a different Sonoma County destination each month. The dinners attracted visitors and gained new fans of all that Sonoma has to offer, during the "off-season," an otherwise typically slower time of the year.
Each event was held on a weeknight, encouraging visitors to stay for a long weekend. Dinners each featured a different guest winery and spotlighted Sonoma County chefs and hotel partners. Guests also received themed gifts, take-aways and the opportunity to visit participating wineries as special guests.
Not only were wines marketed, experienced and purchased, TOWN unified the wine, art, hospitality, entertainment, travel and accommodation segments of Sonoma County over the winter months.
The second annual TOWN Dinner Series will run from late 2024 to 2025.
Three generations of the Murray family have come from the rich loam of the Mississippi River to the gravelly soil of the Dry Creek Valley to craft Flambeaux—limited production artisan wine celebrating the rich diversity of Sonoma County, California terroirs. At Flambeaux, Winemaker Ryan Prichard employs the Murray family’s philosophy of allowing the grapes to evolve and naturally grow into what they want to become. With this minimalist approach, the fruit ends up as the best of itself and results in intriguing and exciting wines.
The Harris Gallery is a bonafide family affair, serving as both a fine art gallery and tasting room. M.C. and his son A3L3XZAND3R are not only artists but also (with the help of their significant others), wine curators. Partnering with notable winemakers, Wells Guthrie and Leo Hansen, The Harris Gallery is proud to curate a collection of special wines. A philosophy of creating art is reflected in the taste, character and expression of each wine, with all the labels adorned with the painters' signature fine art.
Gallery
