New Music Competition Just For Wineries Creates Many Winners Host, Contestants, Sponsors, and Audience All Sing A Happy Tune

The breakdown of today’s wine-drinking market includes a significant portion in the 25-30 year-old age group, a segment younger than traditionally associated with wine drinking. This gives wineries’ marketing departments, who typically focus on the 35 and older crowd, a challenging task. Some are responding with edgy names, colorful labels, and under-ten-dollar price tags. One has its wine marketing team conduct wine tasting tours in tandem with an alternative rock band.

Now, a new and unique music competition in California’s Central Coast wine country is gaining marketing momentum as it approaches its climactic finale mainly because it is answering the needs of this broad, 25-54 year-old demographic. Just from observing the diverse audience at any one of three Semi-Final rounds held this summer you know this is not your typical battle of the bands.

A local music competition among unsigned original artists is not really anything out of the ordinary these days. But word spreads quickly when the target audience is wine drinkers, the scene is a dimly lit room lined on all sides with wine barrels inside a brand new winery, and the talent is so outstanding that even the company awarding the Grand Prize recording contract and participating in the judging admits it will be painful to select only one winner.

The 2005 Winery Music Awards competition, founded and produced by Kathy Kelly Productions, Inc., was created from the growing popularity of quality musical performances at many wineries throughout California. In just three months, fourteen local, regional, and international sponsors have put their names behind it and the event has quickly become the talk of the town.

The competition showcases original music artists who perform in California wine regions and are not under contract with a major record label. This year’s competition is in Paso Robles, considered by many in the industry to be the single fastest growing wine region in California. Cass Winery, which opened its doors last May, is hosting the event.

“Some wineries offer fine music, others offer award-winning wines. We’re offering award-winning music at the region’s finest wineries,“ says Kathy Kelly, creator and producer of the event who plans to expand the concept to the major wine regions of the state, from Napa Valley to Temecula.

“Wine and music is the ultimate marriage of the senses,” adds Kathy. “The atmosphere is both relaxed and filled with excitement at the same time. Hearing relatively unknown artists perform wonderful music is like tasting a new wine for the first time and absolutely loving it—both moments are to be savored.”

The unique barrel room environment serves as a fitting backdrop to the originality of the music from the lineup of talented musicians who have made it to the final round. A full gamut of musical genres will come together at the October 8th Finals, from smooth jazz to alternative/acoustic rock. The 4-hour concert will give the audience their money’s worth.

Steve Cass, owner of host, Cass Winery, is pleased with the amount of publicity his new winery has received from the Winery Music Awards. “The Winery Music Awards competition had the tasting room at near capacity for the Semi-Finals and I expect the Finals will cause an overflow to our patio,” says Cass. “In particular, I am excited that we also get a chance to build our mailing list and wine club memberships during these concerts and establish our brand with the younger members of the audience.”

Sponsors of the competition are attracted to the nature of the audience. “We appreciate how valuable it is to successfully reach the entire wine-drinking age group all at once,” says Dana Ginavan, VP of Sales of Riedel Crystal of America. Riedel, a wineglass producer and the competition’s international sponsor, is the company that first recognized that the shape and size of the bowl of a wine glass could enhance the perception of wine. Riedel is providing a super-sized wine glass as the competition trophy.

With a panel of nine judges from the music, entertainment and wine industries that will score Finalists in categories of originality, musicianship and, most importantly, marketability to the wine-consuming market, the winner of the final round will be well deserving of their award. The Final competition will be tense. All six Finalists scored within thirteen points of each other on a 100-point scale in the Semi-Final rounds.

The Grand Prize winner of this year’s Winery Music Awards will receive prizes valued over $10,000, including a record/CD contract with a Los Angeles-based label, 40 hours of recording time at a local recording studio, $1000.00 cash from the host winery, $2500.00 worth of online marketing, $1000.00 in musical instrument gift certificates, and a crystal wine glass trophy. Second and third place prizes will also be awarded.

“When you take everything into account—the music, the wine, the atmosphere, and the chance to see and hear possibly the next Platinum seller, this truly is a unique and exciting event,” adds Kelly.

Sponsors of the Winery Music Awards are RNB Entertainment and iFANZ Marketing of Los Angeles; Riedel Glass of Austria; Guitar Lab, New Times, and S. Lombardi & Associates of San Luis Obispo, CA; McPhee’s Grill of Templeton, CA; Poor Richard’s Press, The High Ridge Manor and The Yellow Rose Bungalow of Paso Robles, CA; Central Coast Magazine, and local NBC affiliate, KSBY-TV6.

Tickets for the October 8th Finals can be reserved by calling 805-227-2888 or going to www.casswines.com


Note to Editor:
If your publication plans to attend the Winery Music Awards, media passes are available. Contact Kathy Kelly to make arrangements. Media can meet and interview Finals artists, judges, host Steve Cass, or Producer, Kathy Kelly on October 8 from 2-4pm at Cass Winery.

Producer Kathy Kelly has over 25 years of experience in television ad production, starting with a fledgling CNN in 1980 and eventually owning and operating her own Los Angeles-based production company, Kathy Kelly Productions, Inc., established in 1994. With expertise in direct response marketing and television advertising campaigns, both short and long form, Kathy has also produced TV specials, made-for-TV movies, corporate event stage shows and multi-camera, high-definition TV programs. Kathy now operates her production and marketing company from her wine country home in Templeton, CA.

Photos available upon request.
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