“The Four Seasons campaign is designed to reflect the fact that good food and good company deserve great wine,” explains Ross Sleet, sales and marketing manager at the estate.
“We believe that the type of wine that people consume is based on the occasion, the time of year and the mood of the consumer. We want to engage in conversations with our consumers on an ongoing basis so we can identify those ‘inspired moments'.”
Each ambassador was given the complimentary wines, Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Chardonnay 2009 and Gamay Noir Rosé 2009, and asked to to host wine tastings or dinner parties for family and friends and then tell the estate what exactly it was about the wines that they and their guests enjoyed. They then provide feedback on the wines, which is posted onto the campaign website.
The most successful and interesting ambassador each season will win an all-expenses trip to the estate where they will enjoy the delights that this wine farm has to offer, which includes Terroir Restaurant, the four-star Kleine Zalze Lodge, and, of course, the award-winning winery. The renowned De Zalze Golf Course is adjacent to the estate.
The response from potential ambassadors and the actual ambassadors has been described as overwhelming. Many have already started blogging about their thoughts and experiences of the estate and the wines they received.
One ambassador took his Cellar Selection Chenin Blanc 2009, with friends of course, up Table Mountain for what must be one of the highest points on earth a Chenin has ever been enjoyed. Another took her Chardonnay 2007 to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the Kalahari and raved about its bouquet and taste.
In addition, just to prove that the wines transcend even borders, an ambassador from the US, now living in SA, decided the wines gave her the ideal opportunity to meet “like-minded” people, people who enjoy the good things in life.
For the autumn season, the wine ambassadors will get Vineyard Selection Chenin Blanc 2009, the Cellar Selection Pinotage 2008 and the Cellar Selection Merlot 2008 to challenge their creative juices further.
The Four Seasons campaign runs from January 2010 until December 2010. Follow the trials and tribulations of the wine ambassadors on www.fortheloveofwine.co.za and on Twitter at @fortheloveofwine.
