Boost visitation to your cellar door!

“Australia’s Best Cellar Doors” is a national travel guide featuring around 100 cellar doors offering exceptional visitor experiences.

Wine Tourism Australia founder, and recognised wine tourism expert, Robin Shaw is leading an incredible team of wine professionals to produce a practical guide promoting some of Australia’s most interesting and enjoyable cellar door experiences. The team, led by Robin, involves internationally recognised wine critic Jeremy Oliver, esteemed wine journalist Felicity Carter and renowned international wine educator Gill Gordon-Smith along with Sydney-based publisher of popular travel guides, Woodslane Press.

These guidebooks will provide travellers to wineries, and a handful of specialist distillers and breweries with a full summary of features and experiences for each selected Cellar Door as well as independent commentary on each venue. Handy expert ‘insider’ information will help visitors gain the most value from their cellar door experiences and introduce the principal wine and beverage styles of each region.

The initial 272-page book, which will feature cellar doors from Australia’s key tourism regions, is due for release in mid 2025.

Inclusion in the book is by INVITATION ONLY

While wine is the primary focus, the book will also feature a handful of the best regional breweries and distilleries to visit for immersive experiences. Participation in the first edition is limited to around 100 cellar doors which are being selected based on the quality of experiences, not just the beverages they offer.

Significant guaranteed coverage and promotion

The book will have a minimum initial print run of around 5-8K copies distributed through mainstream bookstores, non-traditional booksellers, visitor centres, wine and tourism organisations, travel related businesses and via sponsor/advertiser channels.

Each featured cellar door is also expected to stock and sell the book, with a generous 50-60% discount available directly from the publisher.  In addition to generating income, the book is an excellent promotional tool for loyal customers, members, and trade.

The book is expected to retail for $39.99 and will have a glossy, semi-flexible cover with associated maps, commentary and indexing complementing each cellar door’s two page listing.

Each listing will incorporate a QR code that links to a URL of the cellar door’s choice (i.e., a ‘Visit Us’ page / booking page, etc.) which enables real-time engagement for travellers.

Example Cover & Listing Layout

The publisher will review a selection of hero images that exemplify ‘Australia’s Best Cellar Doors’ and choose an image for the wrap around cover plus others for each state / region as required.

Each cellar door’s listing will look different depending on the type of features, facilities, and services available.  A minimum of three photos will be included.  The sample layout below is indicative only.

Digital Marketing & Social Media Promotion

As an added extra to the ‘Best Cellar Doors’ book, Wine Tourism Australia (WTA) will be taking your journey beyond the pages with an additional digital component via a dedicated page/blog on the WTA website and social media posts for each cellar door promoted periodically on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

• Post/Reel on IG/FB (Reel or Post dependent on supplied content) as a featured experience.
• Post on LinkedIn as feature cellar door experience.
• Blog post in line with the book content to be active on the WTA website, linking back to your page.
• Additional opportunities as they arise.

WTA is committed to increasing awareness around annual regional wine and food festivals and will actively promote these across the calendar year.

The digital marketing program will begin prior to the book’s release and is aimed at:

• Strengthening visibility across social platforms to increase the guide’s reach by targeting wine and beverage enthusiasts and culinary travellers interested in unique experiences.
• Engagement through interactive posts, stories, and videos to engage the audience by building excitement and interest.
• Feedback and Reviews from travellers to help improve the guide and build trust with potential customers.
• Partnerships and Collaborations via platforms like LinkedIn will be used to forge partnerships with cellar doors, tourism boards, and influencers, expanding the guide’s reach and credibility.

HOW CAN YOUR CELLAR DOOR BECOME INVOLVED?

The Wine Tourism Australia team is actively reviewing Australia’s cellar doors to identify and invite a selection of venues from across key wine and tourism regions.  Selection is based on a set of criteria that makes the cellar door a must-visit destination in its region.

Cellar doors may be small, large, open daily or only every weekend (but must be open consistently year round); located in prime regions or where our audience enjoys travelling; offer quirky personal touches, cater for families or appeal to a broad range of visitors.  Importantly, they will all offer a genuine visitor experience that goes beyond a simple ‘tasting’ and will likely offer additional facilities and services such as food, tours, accommodation, nature, or cultural elements.

If you haven’t been approached – and you’d like to be considered – reach out to the team at info@winetourismaustralia.com.au by the end of October 2024 as the quota is more than 75% filled (as at end of September 2024).  Strict quotas exist for major regions to ensure adequate national representation.

Once you’ve been invited to participate, time is of the essence to ensure the publisher’s deadline can be met.

You will need to:

• Complete the survey which captures key information about your cellar door.
• Send relevant, copyright free images as per guidelines provided.
• Pay your one off participation fee $750 + GST which covers basic administration and copy writing.
• Advise the quantity of your initial book purchase*. (Books will be purchased directly from the publisher and delivered to your cellar door free of charge subject to a minimum purchase of 20 books).

* Books can be purchased at 50-60% off the retail value (RRP $39.99), equivalent to $16-20 per book (discount offered based on quantity purchased)

Important note:

Our skilled journalists will review the information provided that describes your cellar door’s key features and create a narrative that suits both the style of the book and the intended audience.  The objective is to identify what sets each cellar door apart and makes them ALL worthy of visiting.  Due to the tight time frames set by the publisher, a final review of your listing will not be possible.

Key Dates:

• Copy received by participating cellar doors – July – November 2024.
• Final copy to publisher – January 2025
• Distribution begins – Mid 2025

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR TOURISM BUSINESSES & CORPORATES

Two opportunities exist for businesses to promote their services to our audience of savvy travellers.

• A small number of advertising spaces are available in the book as one or two page listings. These will be carefully selected to ensure they add value to the overall project objectives of ‘promoting visitation to Australian cellar doors’ and provide genuine value for our discerning audience.
• Businesses can purchase editions with their ‘own covers’ subject to a minimum purchase quantity. Content within the book remains unchanged, while front / back covers can be modified to reflect the promoter’s name and image.

Once approved as an advertiser by WTA, Woodslane Press will provide the advertising specifications and manage the process.

If you need more information about the project or advertising opportunities, please contact Robin on 0419 033 868 or robin@winetourismaustralia.com.au