Wine tasting from the couch, well I’ll raise a glass to that.
The folks up at Ben Ean winery in Pokolbin, NSW will be offering virtual wine tastings via skype from next week so bust out the tasting notes and your comfiest pair of trackies.
Order some bottles of wine and you’ll be able to Skype in with one of the cellar door staff to take you through what it is you are drinking. Now, my ability to appreciate wine is certainly nothing to write home about, but having a drink and laughing with friends, even if it is only digitally, sounds pretty ace right now.
The idea was born out of a brainstorm on how to navigate the current situation with bookings for birthdays, anniversaries and weekend’s away being cancelled as NSW and Australia put in regulations surrounding crowd numbers and venues.
“We don’t want a single member of staff to lose their job”
Joe Spagnolo, Operations Manager – Ben Ean
Naturally with some cancellations affecting revenue, the adopting some of the more innovative ideas is a way to try and ensure the short and long term well-being of the some 70 staff across the business.
This is not the first foray into the digital space for some wine makers with Seppeltsfield wines in South Australia’s Barossa Valley already offering a virtual reality tour of their estate. This includes 360 degree walk-throughs of their cellar door, barrel cellar, winery & restaurant.
As our beloved tourism industry continues to take hits, new ideas are essential to help get through difficult times. For me, the more like this the better!
