A Story Makes it Taste Even Better

Take a tour of wine country and you'll learn about wine - and the value of a great story.

I recently went to some cult (meaning expensive) wineries in Sonoma and Napa Valley. I had the chance to meet the vintners (owners) and, of course, got to sample some wonderful wine.

But the best wineries all had one thing in common. Each had its unique story. One owner told of how he accidentally happened upon his winery. Another had learned at the feet of the finest French wine experts. Yet another was a family business - they told of how their dad started the business and how the family is taking it into the 21st century. Only one that I visited had no story, nothing unique or memorable about it.

The best wineries didn't allow me to taste their wine until they shared their story. When I did taste their wine, I appreciated it, it felt special to me. Coincidentally, the winery with no special story was a disappointment - and their wine didn't knock me out.

Makes sense. A customer can get a widget anywhere. But if you want that customer to become a fan, to have passion about your company, they first need to know the story about why that widget was created. They need to know your story.


Barry LaBov, CEO
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com