Washington wineries test Florida market

YAKIMA – The Washington wine industry is giving “surf and turf” new meaning with an advertising campaign in Florida.

The print, radio and billboard advertisements aim to raise awareness about Washington wine in the Tampa area.

The advertisements juxtapose Florida “surf” with Washington “turf” to connect the two geographic areas, as well as marry Washington wine with Florida seafood. The test market campaign is the first under the wine industry’s new brand, “Washington State – The Perfect Climate for Wine,” launched last year.

“It’s kind of a play on words, the fact that our wine pairs well with their food, and the fact that it’s our turf … that really makes Washington so special and so unique in terms of a wine-growing region,” said Robin Pollard, executive director of the Washington Wine Commission.

The $385,000 campaign will run through April.

Tampa was chosen as a test market for several reasons, Pollard said. Consumers there are representative of consumers in other midsize U.S. cities and they drink a good deal of wine.

They also know very little about Washington wine, according to surveys.

Overall, consumers don’t consider Washington a “category,” like they would California or Europe, when they select wine, said Jeff Gordon, owner of Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards in Pasco and chair of the wine commission.

“It sure slows up sales,” Gordon said. “But we knew that going in. We picked Tampa because of its above-average wine consumption. It’s a wine town, but its knowledge of Washington wine is very small, if anything.”