Talking to Jess Lander of the San Francisco Chronicle
Jess gives us her do's and don'ts for how small wineries (or any winery!) should approach media, and what you need to do to get on her radar for potential coverage.
Ever wondered why some wineries get coverage in major publications, and how they got it? Ever been intimidated to reach out to journalists, or thought that you needed a PR firm to get any attention for your brand? Guess what - I have felt that way too!
Lucky for us, Jess Lander is here today to talk about all of these things in a transparent, no-BS way. In the interview below, Jess will tell us:
What her philosophy is on writing about small wineries.
What the realistic expectation should be for a small winery hoping to get some media coverage.
Her do’s and don’ts that small wineries (actually, all wineries) should follow when approaching media.
Whether or not it’s appropriate to follow up after you’ve reached out.
What kind of things can make a small winery stand out to a journalist.
How a small winery should approach her if they don’t have a PR person.
Whether or not a winery should worry about getting bad press.
What tools a winery should have in place before approaching journalists.
Keep reading to get all of this valuable information, and more.
“I get a lot of emails from people saying, ‘We just hired this (famous consultant),’ or ‘We’re sourcing from XYZ famous vineyard and making a $150 Cabernet Sauvignon,’ or ‘We’re using organic farming practices.’ Those are all things that may help sell your wine to consumers, but a lot of small wineries are doing those things, so it is really helpful if you can differentiate yourself. Tell us why what you're doing is unique or innovative, or why it’s important based on the challenges the industry is facing right now.” - Jess Lander
In case you missed it -
A round up of links from the last few weeks that are relevant to small wineries.
What Are Your Career Options After Life As a Sommelier? - I loved this piece from SevenFifty Daily about where somms go when they leave restaurants.
How To Stay Informed on Wine Trends in 2024 - fellow Substacker and long-time wine blogger Tom Wark weighs in on things we should all be paying attention to in 2024.
Jess Lander - Wine Reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle
Jess Lander joined the food and wine team at The San Francisco Chronicle as wine reporter in 2022. Based in Napa Valley, Jess has extensively covered California wine for numerous national and international publications since 2014, including Decanter, Wine Enthusiast, VinePair and more. In 2021, Jess published "The Essential Napa Valley Cookbook," a project that raised more than $100,000 for Napa Valley restaurant workers impacted by the pandemic and fires.
What is your philosophy on writing about small wineries?
I love writing about small wineries. I love uplifting small businesses and helping the little guy get heard among the sea of bigger players. But from a journalist’s perspective, I don't ever look at a story and think, ‘Is this a small winery or a big winery?’ The size of the winery does not drive my editorial decisions at all – I always just think about what our readers care about and what wineries might fit the topic I'm writing about.
For the Chronicle we find that our readers care about all sizes, and we have consumers that are drinking for all budgets, so we try to equally represent the whole industry.
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