We’ll match Temecula’s budget of 1.6-1.7mil.
Phil- the product I am referencing are the wines themselves. If these are low priced wines, and they want to be a member- wouldn’t it make more sense to help them to become a member - if they added 1% to their sales price you could get the revenue And let them become a member… if they don’t feel raising the price of the wine to pay for the dues….
Sorry to have jumped in- but you did ask for honest feedback.
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Very sketchy and has the feeling of a grift. Hard pass.
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A voluntary BID…yes, this has come up when talking with vintners.
Totally transparent. Have to show all the accounting.
This is no different than the travel BIDs (T-BIDs) you have to pay when you stay at hotels. Same law, same tracking. 1% is lower than most of the T-BIDS.
Its does not sound voluntary and it is added to a customers bill. we can debate what is or isnt a tax but if there is legal authority to add a charge to a customer that is economically a tax. and everyone wondere why california is so expensive. its death by a thousand cuts. just like this.
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I get why the wineries might benefit from a tourism ad campaign funded by a surcharge.
But does it help us consumers? If Santa Barbara becomes the hot place, wouldn’t prices just go up and availability go down for us consumers?
It’s not that I want wineries i love to struggle so I can save a little money, but I’m just trying to understand the sales pitch of this on WB to consumers.
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Jeff, Larry, Phil,
I guess you can see the consensus is heavily against tack ons.
That said, you should keep pushing for what you feel is best for the region that you guys make your living from.
Once a 1-3% surcharge is there, there is an initial bad taste, but that fades with time. Very few will boycott your products over this.
Since it is already a thing in other competing regions, you may be at a disadvantage if you don’t do it.
The other reason to do it this way is that paying dues, or asking everyone to support the cause voluntarily is like herding cats. There will be a staunch opposition within the ranks and although that may be a minority, it can be enough to stymie any real cooperative endeavors.
I say go for it despite all the bad feedback here. The alternative is nothing gets done and you all suffer and the cause will be in your own ranks.
I’m not happy to pay it but I’ll get over it. It’s popping up everywhere. Surcharges for credit card payments, medical benefit surcharges on restaurant bills, Facilty fees for broadway shows and on and on
Good luck and I hope you guys get the outcome you want
Tony, thank you so much for your perspective. Truly appreciate it.
Trust me, this decision has not been taken lightly.
What I’m most excited about is that the whole region are now members and I don’t have to worry about who is a member and who is not. Who I can market, and who I can’t. Once established, everyone has equal say.
Again, thank you!!
The problem always is as you mention you are behind. Everyone else is charging the fee and you can’t compete without it. Well what happens when Everyone is charging 3% and is again on equal footing as you once were at 0%. Hey let’s charge 4% now because we need more representation than Temecula @ 3%…and it’s just on an on and on, until you are paying tic Tok influencers. (Maybe a slight exaggeration at this point of course). But the escalation never ends.
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Well, a good portion of my job is acting like a Concierge for the whole SBC wine region. I get calls and e-mails all the time. I build itineraries and make appointments for anyone that reaches out. Obviously, this is the best part of the job. We get the funding, hoping we can finally hire more staff. There is a lot of work being done by two people (myself and CEO). Would be great to clone me and provide even more help to visitors.
Also, I build the website myself. It’s a great site…but a pro would be nice. This site helps consumers a lot with information and how to navigate the whole region. We have an app as well, but would hope to improve that tool much more for people.
I’m working on updating the AVA maps…would love to just hand them out to visiting consumers if they are interested instead of having to sell them since we have to count all our pennies.
A robust education component for new visitors and returning customers also really intrigues me. Napa has some amazing curriculum for consumers.
Also, being able to pay for specials sounds super cool…we have a tourism board that gives midweek visitors $100 Visa cards to use at restaurants, wineries, etc. Something like that would be amazing to execute for our wine visitors.
Robert, I hear you…but there has been absolutely zero discussion on escalating. Working with a $500K-$600K (on a good year) budget has shown us how we can get the most for our money.
I get your reasoning…but there are no plans or projections being established where we intend to increase the % over a set amount of years…etc. These BIDS have to be renewed every five years and changes in terms like that have to be approved by it’s board, constituents, Board of Supervisors, etc.
Robert, I agree with you 100%. I love how it’s always " it’s only 1/2 a percent". But we all know that is just the starting point. It will undoubtedly continue to rise just like sales tax has done over the years.
Areas such as Temecula need some way to be able to promote their inferior products. Santa Barbara and Paso Robles have a superior product and do not need this. It is just another form of a tax that we do not need
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Bingo. I live 20 minutes from Temecula and have not a single bottle of wine from the region out of close to 2K in my collection. The wine is no good. This tax is a scam for others to make money off of.
Wineries can promote themselves.
Regardless if Paso or our quality is better, since the BID, Temecula’s tourism has increased 18%. That’s a significant chunk of folks going there instead of us.
Grew up in Oceanside/Bonsall area. We were the same. Doesn’t mean other folks aren’t going to Temecula instead of Central Coast. Especially post BID.
Thanks to everyone for contributing to this!! Ultimately, my customers are my lifeline, so this input is invaluable in determining my position on the matter.
To keep the discussion going, how likely would you, as a consumer, take something like a Wine BID into consideration when planning to visit a wine region? Would a BID affect your decision to be part of a wine club? How much of a consideration would this be for a California resident when partaking in an e-commerce event/sale?
Thanks again to everyone for chiming in! Appreciate the dialogue!
I’m most interested in how consumers feel, as they are the ones affected. As a consumer, I would be against it but as a business owner in a tight knit community I want to see what is best for all and to be on an even playing field with the rest of California. If our members and customers don’t object, I’m all for it.
The consumer should have a voice and I want to hear it, that’s all.
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A 1% BID is going to put a bad taste in my mouth, but realistically isnt going to affect my decision to visit if thats where I want to go or buy wine. If Temecula saw an 18% increase in tourism after the BID founding (lets assume causation, not correlation), it may be worth it. Though SB may be more well known and not have the same results.
Im sure @Phil_Carpenter has the best intentions, but the road to hell and all that. I would absolutely make sure there is a plan beforehand on where and how to spend the money. Hiring staff is expensive and should have a very direct purpose.
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Jeff,
Hey neighbor (for those who don’t know, our tasting rooms are about 50 feet apart in downtown Los Olivos).
I think perhaps you should be a bit more honest here - it’s clear and has been clear for some time that you are in complete opposition to this concept for a number of reasons. And even if a majority of the folks here expressed their desire to see it come to fruition, your stand would most likely not change. If I am incorrect, please do correct me.
And if I remember correctly, you are not currently a member of the Santa Barbara County Vintner’s Association - may I ask why not? Perhaps this might illuminate some of the challenges our wine region faces for others here to see.
I too value the opinions of the members here - as well as consumers elsewhere who do not even know that our region exists as a wine growing region. My goal is to be an active part of the solution to assist our region as a whole, and by doing so, all members of our wine community in Santa Barbara County will have a better chance of prospering. And folks here will continue to enjoy the fruits of our labor so to speak.
I’m curious whether you understand what the proceeds of the BID will be used for in Santa Barbara County? Have you read the information and if so, do you have a problem with how it would be spent?
Since you decided to bring this up here, I think it’s important for others to understand where you truly stand and why. And for everyone to have an open and honest conversation about this subject - one that is being discussed at nearly every wine association not only in CA but elsewhere as well.
Cheers.