Vinebox: Positive Innovation or Long-Term Negative?

After yesterday’s class and Olga’s lovely pitch about Vinebox, I could not stop thinking about the implications such an innovative product would have on the wine marketplace. 

Firstly, I thought about how someone like Courtney Kingston could benefit from this service. On the surface, it seems like great exposure. Kingston values quality, and direct association with other high-quality wines in the Vinebox would likely bolster consumers’ association of Kingston’s wines with high quality. Furthermore, given the issue of accessibility Courtney Kingston discussed, this would be a seemingly unprecedented means of getting Chilean wines to the living rooms of people everywhere. Because Vinebox pursues low-cost social media marketing that has thus far proven successful, Kingston Vineyards would have to worry less about heightening exposure while also gaining the attention of millennials and even Generation Z consumers who frequent social media platforms and utilize them to influence consumption. 

However, in thinking about how much Courtney and her family emphasize the farm and the passion with which she described what made that property so special, I realized that the traditional wine consumption experience, in-person tastings and all, cannot be replaced effectively—at least not yet. Vinebox, while not fully negating the stories and taste profiles of the wines included in their boxes, trivializes wine consumption in favor of accessibility. Language on Vinebox’s website, for example, includes statements such as “Experience the difficult to pronounce grapes of Sicily grown on the slopes of an active volcano as you veg out on the couch - did you know Nerello Mascalese tastes like Pinot noir and Nebbiolo had a love-child?¹.” Sure, such language makes wine more approachable and colloquial enough to be inviting to any consumer, even those not well-versed with wine. But is this not to the long-term detriment of wineries and winemakers whose diligent craft, dedication to detail-oriented practices, and storied histories are worth further appreciation? Wouldn’t this model diminish the need to tour wineries, join wine clubs, and sit through more formal tastings, in turn putting a dent on both tourism and appreciation for wine regions garnered through experiences that often translates to long-term purchasing? While I may be taking this wine purist thing way too far, something doesn’t sit right with me when I see a package on Vinebox’s website entitled, “12 Nights of Wine - Naughty.” 

On a more practical note, I question how genuinely useful Vinebox is to wine brands. Does it make customer retention more difficult when consumers are faced with so many choices right in front of them (9 different wines from different regions in one box)? The product seemingly promotes the combined enjoyment of these wines, making differentiation increasingly difficult for the average consumer who may still be developing their wine palate. Will wine lists at restaurants, where wines are often separated by region, no longer be enticing? Are patrons going to enter restaurants with their Vineboxes (say goodbye to on-premise markups and corkage fees)? 

1. https://www.getvinebox.com/pages/faq