Chateau Bargylus is one winery in Syria doing exactly this. The Telegraph wrote a piece last year calling it the producer of "the world's most dangerous wine." The article goes on to say that "the feat is all the more remarkable because in many parts of the country, those found drinking any kind of alcohol – let alone a boutique red - face 100 lashes or worse." The winery is family-owned and the land has been in the family for decades. "”Wine ties you to the land,” said one of the two brothers who own the winery. “You cannot just pack up and leave.”
It's easy to see how incredible stories like this would impel someone to buy this wine. But it's also a tricky story to tell - I would imagine that Lebanese winemakers would want their products to be a great purchase on their own, even without the heroic backstory. The challenge will be for Middle Eastern wines to tell their story in a compelling way that is intriguing and yet also doesn't make the consumer feel like s/he is making a pity purchase or buying for the story alone. This is all the more important because someday - hopefully soon - the region will see peace, and I'd hope the wine is just as appreciated.
Interesting to think about this more, Kate, and thanks for bringing it back up. I'm involved in a non-profit microfinance organization in South Sudan, and we are in South Sudan *because* it is so difficult to do business there. As such, the business is fraught with challenges, but going to where it is hard to do something and trying to make it less hard for those that live there is part of the direct mission of the organization. I similarly think it is why we have such strong backing from US supporters who may not desire to be "boots on the ground" in S. Sudan, but also believe in the cause and the operational impact of what our organization is doing for the South Sudanese. Every place has a history, and if we understand and appreciate a location's rich history, I think that context can help us appreciate products or services from that place even more than we might otherwise. As it relates to wine, I see this as *especially* true as cultural and historical context can further enhance the experience we have with and our enjoyment of a particular wine.
ReplyDeleteDave and Kate, This is a really interesting thread.
ReplyDeleteI too enjoyed the class brainstorm about how conflict regions could be great social-good projects and create wonderful marketing opportunities. I wanted to offer a counterpoint that, while these efforts are most often well-intentioned, I've seen them do more harm than good occasionally. While I don't have any experience with wine brands in conflict regions, I've seen similarly intentioned projects in Afghanistan and the southern Philippines (both conflict zones) go awry. In several instances, western non-profits funded local "entrepreneurs" who were quite adept at putting on a show to demonstrate positive intent and capability, and in most cases they were embezzling money. I also saw cases of well-marketed efforts with agricultural projects or water projects that were intended to give agency to individuals in war-torn regions, but what really happened was that local warlords or power brokers simply took over those projects from the shadows and gained another bargaining chip over the disenfranchised. I'm not in any way downplaying the great opportunities and chances to use business, and marketing, to do well and good around the world, I'm simply stating that if not executed flawlessly with local, rigorously-screened partners, these efforts can sometimes do more harm than good.