Woodinville Wine Country Case Study

If you’ve ever wondered where Washington pours, it’s a place called Woodinville, which sits against the western side of the state just 30 minutes from Seattle. With more than 130 wineries and tasting rooms spanning the area, including some of the state’s premiere facilities, it’s no wonder the city has become a tourist destination for wine aficionados.

Woodinville Wine Country began working with Bandwango in May 2019 after the local winery association mobilized to craft a paid pass that could encourage visitation to the 49 hot spots included within the project. They had two goals in mind: firstly, they hoped to move their current technology platform into Bandwango’s to create more flexibility, functionality and reporting; and secondly, to be able to launch additional curated wine passes that went beyond their pre-existing Passport to Taste.

“For members of the association, one of the biggest benefits is data,” Jackie Sturn from Woodinville Wine Association said. “Since transactions happen on the consumer’s device, tasting room staff aren’t required to take additional steps to collect consumer information. It’s already done for them!”

Offerings range from passes beginning at $15 to annual passes sold  at $100.00. Paired with their online approach and variations of the annual pass created for incoming groups, Woodinville Wine Country has experienced staggering success.

With the annual version of the pass, visitors to Woodinville can sample wine, beer and spirits year-round at member locations.

Customers looking for weekend getaways can visit Woodinville Wine Country’s landing page, which presents different experiences perfect for a few days away, like the Downtown Wine Pass, which allows users to experience up to four 4 Woodinville wineries in the Downtown District. There’s also the walkable Hurray for Hollywood tasting experience, Women Winemaker Pass, and a host of others.

Sturn says these more specialized passes are a direct result of the Bandwango platform, therefore allowing the WWC team to expand offerings and enabled more options for guests and a variety of ways for members to participate.

"We have received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from consumers and members for the ease of use, and flexibility, of the mobile passes," Sturn said. "The "new normal" post-COVID-19 will present a unique opportunity for the association to leverage additional functionalities on the platform, which we hope will help ensure safety for both guests and tasting room staff."

Woodinville Wine Country Case Study Results

9,000+

Total passes sold

23,000+

Wine tastings and discounts redeemed at member locations

3,000+

Additional bottle purchases at member locations from passholders

Visitors from across Washington have dominated pass sales, but nearby Oregon and California boast impressive numbers during this first year. Emerging markets like Texas, Florida and Colorado take credit for about 60 sales between them.

In conclusion, if you’re a craft spirit association or DMO looking to maximize your beverage offerings, check out our Solutions section, or schedule a demo at the link below.

*Data from January 1, 2019 to May 26, 202