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Good winery websites
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:31 pm
by pstarr
I've been thinking a bit about what makes a good winery website, partly as an input into getting the site content sorted for the place where I volunteer.
Aside from things relating to how the website is run (such as being kept up to date), are there winery websites out there that forumites like?
I don't think I have any particular favourites, though the Bell Hill one is pretty good, and some of the Spanish producers have nice sites.
So any winery sites people like? Australian and non?
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:25 pm
by Daryl Douglas
Yep, I like Tahbilk's best but Cullen's, Thorn Clarke's and Turkey Flat are pretty good. Torzi Matthews, Longhop and Howard Park are good too.
The above are good because they're updated regularly and offer online cellar door sales. Forrest Hill Vineyard is good but updates seem a bit irregular, Coldstream Hills likewise.
Cheers
daz
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:25 pm
by Andre
Some "must have" for a winery website:
- Online order at cellar door prices (not "download the form", real online);
- Complete tasting Notes for all wines "ever" made, current and past vintages, including cellar door releases and just for export wines;
Information about the vineyards and vintage reports, as well as cellaring potential is a plus and very welcome.
If you are ITB, image bank helps a lot.
Henschke is a very good one, unfortunatelly with no online order ....
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:33 pm
by griff
Noon has a fantastic site. Tasting notes, sense of atmosphere. No online ordering though...
cheers
Carl
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:59 pm
by dave vino
http://www.rockfordwines.com.au/
Bit too over the top and flashy for my liking.
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:20 pm
by rednut
dave vino wrote:http://www.rockfordwines.com.au/
Bit too over the top and flashy for my liking.
I was gonna say not last time I was on there but I then realised you were joking...
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:23 pm
by rednut
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:35 am
by Christo
The WDC website is good, info on the wines, vines, plots, etc.. soon with online access for members. You can even make requests to get on there mail list.
http://www.wildduckcreekestate.com/
c
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:39 am
by Jay60A
An example of how some wineries sites do TNs I really dislike. This one is for XXXXXXX XXXX 2004. The bold is added by me and the name suppressed although it's not hard to guess from the blend.
"62% Shiraz, 38% Cabernet – the quintessential Australian blend. A classic dry red wine, that is complex and rich and will age well. It seems that to bring out the best in Shiraz you have to throw in a few climatic curve balls and the 2004 growing season was just like that. Some serious rains, thankfully at the right time and some record heat has delivered what is probably one of our best XXXX to date."
This was the second vintage of XXXX (first was 2002) so it would be hard for it NOT to be one of the best to date. Oh ... and no tasting note for 2002, which was a better wine but sold out for sure.
Jay
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:56 am
by Daryl Douglas
I was going to include Kilikanoon but there's no online sales facility. Apart from that though, it is a very good site.
Cheers
daz
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:15 am
by Red Bigot
griff wrote:Noon has a fantastic site. Tasting notes, sense of atmosphere. No online ordering though...
cheers
Carl
Why waste money on online ordering when you sell out in 3 weeks?
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:47 am
by GraemeG
I think 'download the order form' is an acceptable option for businesses which have an "annual" sales cycle, and whose customers follow a similar pattern.
But I think more wineries should do their 'back-catalogues' justice by leaving tasting notes on older vintages there - and comprehensive tasting notes at that, with as many technical details as they'd like to provide: picking dates, oak, pH, alcohol, etc.
But then, many of them aren't even too good about getting up information on current releases...
cheers,
Graeme
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:24 am
by winetastic
The content I am most interested in seeing on a winery website relates to up to date news / releases and an archive of tasting notes and professional reviews going back as far as possible.
Meerea Park are doing a good job in this regard, likewise
Olivers Taranga although I wish the navigation was not done in flash...
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:32 am
by ACG
Flash - Its a curse!
I like De Bortoli for its absolute breadth of up to date info (but the site itself is very plain). Tyrrells also good in this regard. Yalumba is quite good.
The key for me is just up to date info, inc critical reviews.
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:51 am
by griff
Red Bigot wrote:griff wrote:Noon has a fantastic site. Tasting notes, sense of atmosphere. No online ordering though...
cheers
Carl
Why waste money on online ordering when you sell out in 3 weeks?
Exactly
But a good site nevertheless.
cheers
Carl
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 12:44 pm
by n4sir
I think Yalumba's one of the best locally, a goldmine of information on the wines including a good backlog of prior vintages, independent reviews, up-to-date news and history, all without flash or other gimmicks.
http://www.yalumba.com/
Cheers,
Ian
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 3:59 pm
by pstarr
Thanks for all the suggestions. Much appreciated.
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:09 pm
by dave vino