GAMBINO WINERY

CASE STUDY

TASTING ROOM SALES + EMAIL MARKETING STRATEGY

Client Overview

Gambino Vini is one of the more well-known wineries on Mt. Etna in Sicily. They are focused on hospitality and receive many American visitors each year for wine tastings. They have an elegant tasting center at 3,000 ft up Mt. Etna with a view overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and into Italy’s region of Calabria. The romantic experience of the tasting combined with outstanding wine created a high demand from their US visitors.

The Challenges

Before we partnered with Gambino Vini

  • Customers could only purchase what they could fit in their luggage – 1 or 2 bottles.
  • Gambino had no way to ship bottles from Sicily to the US.
  • The demand from their many US visitors was not being met, resulting in lost sales.
  • When customers returned home, there was no way for them to order more Gambino wine, so the winery was missing out on repeat orders from loyal customers.

The Solutions

Since becoming Gambino Vini’s US Partner we

  • Provide logistic solutions to safely transport the wine from Gambino’s cellar to the customer’s home in the US. We do this through temperature-controlled importation methods and forward staging inventory at a fulfillment center centrally located in the US.
  • Created a user-friendly and seamless ordering system for on-site sales as well as an ecommerce site for customers to repurchase.
  • Provide full range of marketing services: email marketing, a US based wine club, blogging, SEO, and referral programs.
  • Provide 24/7 customer care and support for their US customers.

Results

This strategy has achieved:

  • The average order increased from 2 bottles to 10 bottles.
  • Sales growth of over 400% – In 2015 our total sales were 6,000 bottles and in 2019 we sold over 24,500 bottles. We currently have a 70% customer retention rate.
  • Since its start in 2017, the wine club has grown to over 800 members. Over 200 new members each year.
  • By outsourcing their US market sales to Wanderlust Wines, Gambino Vini has been able to focus their time and efforts on the day-to-day tasks at the winery:
    • Gambino Vini opened a new tasting center in 2015, which has been highly successful for our partnership.
    • Gambino has also expanded their production since working with Wanderlust Wines to meet the growing demand for markets, including the US market.