Berserker Day Buyer's Survey 2021 - Results

Over the past few months, we’ve been surveying Wine Berserkers - both those who frequent the board and those who are more occasional participants. Today, we’re ready to share the results. Big thanks to Patrick Taylor for shepherding the survey and results consolidation for us all!

We received a total of 872 unique responses and of those 80% made at least one purchase this year, most made even more. While we did not ask how much everyone spent, we did ask if you stuck to your budget and over a third let us know they don’t believe in no stinking budgets!

Price, trying something new, and discounted shipping drove sales while more than half bought from a first time Berserker Day seller.

Happily, most report buying again from Berserker Day sellers over the years and most participants reported enjoying — and buying at – Berserker Days year after year.

Along with these surveys, the Berserker Day Council has been speaking with Berserker Day Sellers and we’re happy to report that the sellers love BD as much as we do. So many mentioned how impressed they were with Berserkers - “such serious and knowledgeable wine people” and “so engaged!” were frequent comments. Along with thinking we’re pretty cool, they love the wild and crazy fun of Berserker Day and the genuine sense of community with winemakers jumping in to support their “competitors” and everyone sharing in the fun.

As we mentioned early in this process, Todd - and the Council - have no desire to amazon-ify Berserker Day. We’re focused on understanding how we can support the event and the sellers so Wine Berserkers can continue to drink great wine, support the small wineries that lead the way in quality juice and celebrate this community.

If you have thoughts to share, please let us know here — or by DM/email to Siun.

Now go dig into all the data details and nice charts in the full results at:

• Siun O’Connell, Patrick Taylor and Richard Frankel. – Berserker Day Council

Thank you for your work on this and sharing the results.
Your comments about BD Sellers liking the event is nice to hear. May encourage others to participate.

Thanks to all who completed the survey.

I’ll give a bit of “off the record” feedback from the wineries I dealt with directly last year.

This BD, in particular, was REALLY REALLY REALLY important. That was a theme from many. And not like “wow, we really appreciate the love and support” but more like “uhh, honestly, we were in deep trouble during the pandemic. Really deep trouble”.

The mid summer offers were super important too, that was Alfert’s idea, because it brought in cash in a time of need.

Absolutely Brig - I definitely spoke with BD sellers who said “it kept the lights on !”

Thanks for all the hard work, and for sharing this with us. Cheers

Time of need was a big deal for me. Laura and I were lucky to stay employed through the pandemic, and I pretty much said I was going to buy like a drunken sailor because I could, and the wineries were struggling. Between celebrating the all clear from my cancer, and knowing how much the producers needed it I had a ton of fun with the pandemic relief offers. Made some new friends (Elyse comes to mind right now), and ended up with a bunch of great wines.

I just have to give a big warm hug to my entire BerserkerDay Council, as they’ve done an INCREDIBLE job. They meet multiple times a month, and if you saw how much work they’ve put into BD12, you’d have as much confidence as I do in future BerserkerDay successes. It’s incredible. They are the BEST.

Bravo to all who make Berserker Day happen!

Such a fun day and an honor to take part in it each and every year. I know I’m going to sound like a broken record, but I wish there was a ‘stipulation’ that wineries had to stay ‘engaged’ on the board year round. I’m happy to see a lot of ‘newbie’ wineries on here but there are many just seem to be here for ‘the offer’ and then not again until the next year. I know I know - those in the wine industry are ‘too busy’ to interact. I’ve got lots to say about that . . .

Cheers

Hey Larry! I know you are one of our most experienced folks in all of this. When we did Seller interviews, we randomly selected the interviewees - but if you’d like to schedule some time, I’d love to get your input. Just DM me.

Very interesting to see the results of the survey

A very big thanks to the BD counsel, Todd, Brig, the sellers and everyone else who helped organise BD and make it great. Was an awesome experience as a consumer. I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about it. Can’t wait to see what next year’s brings

I love buying and selling on Berserker Day. Thank you for the opportunity, especially to the council who I haven’t thanked before! Thanks wineries for some great deals on exceptional wines. Thanks buyers for the support, especially this past year. I feel incredibly fortunate as far as how the pandemic changed business. I didn’t have a big space that had to close, or a staff to lay off and worry about. Special tip of the hat to the warehouses and shippers that were able to stay in operation, without that we all would have been sunk. And thanks generally for this incredible community. I’ve met so many great people over the years, and I look forward to more in the near and distant future.

I’m grateful for the recap and remain grateful for the community and the support its shown our wines. And I’m just appreciative to have a place to be a wine, music and baseball dork on a daily basis.

One more comment - I’ve participated in every Berserker Day since the first, when I didn’t have any wine to sell yet. I benefitted from being a newbie that people graciously took a flyer on. I really appreciate how people continue to support new producers, or lesser known ones in these parts. I occasionally get an email from someone saying - I want to buy from you but I’m focusing on newcomers. I think that’s awesome. Do it.

Excellent work. I did not complete the survey because I did not see it, but the results make me feel way too normal. I was spot on with the largest segment in almost every group except I was at the top of the age curve. Much better than the CT survey that I am still trying to finish after two weeks (just kidding). Here are a few more questions:

Once you bought from someone new to try them out, how likely was it that you would go back to them? Very. Probably over 75%

What was the biggest problem with Berserkerday? Getting shut out on wines that I did not order immediately.

Did you buy any Berserkerday wines that you thought were duds? NO! which was a surprise. I thought I would have at least one dud over the years.

What niche do Berserkerday wines fill in your cellar? They make up a very large portion of my daily drinkers. Probably more than 90% of the daily drinkers from the US.

Data show the West Coast-centric-ness of the Board, which I suppose is not surprising since that is where Todd grew it up.

Berserker Day is the best. I have this board alone, and that in particular, to thank for even making it to my 4th vintage (and hopefully many more).

I’m not sure that is a fair inference to draw. BD, by its very nature, focuses on domestic producers, and the vast majority of them are on the west coast. I think the board is a lot less west coast centric than BD itself

Agree with you Neal.

That said, I would love it if some Finger Lakes producers (e.g. Wiemer, Eminence Road) could get involved in Berserker Day.