Chateau Ste. Michelle Unveils Digital Sommelier and Digital Cellar Web and Mobile Campaign on new Winery Website
Woodinville, Wash.
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington’s pioneering winery, is excited to announce a new innovative “digital sommelier” and “digital cellar” web and mobile device campaign, called “My Chateau.” The new tools are designed to help novice and seasoned enthusiasts record their favorite wines, and inspire them to make new discoveries. The new web and mobile applications for iPhone, Blackberry or Windows Mobile devices are supported by a new print and online advertising campaign appearing in local and national publications starting in April 2009.
The “My Pairings” application serves as a digital sommelier, providing insightful food and wine pairing recommendations. But unlike many other pairing guides, Chateau Ste. Michelle’s is designed to help users understand how the sensory qualities of foods and wines interact. Based upon the deep knowledge of Chateau Ste. Michelle Culinary Director John Sarich and Executive Chef Janet Hedstrom, My Pairings highlights the flavors typically found in food from various regions, and explains which wines best accentuate those flavors. Instead of simply memorizing pairing “rules,” users learn to develop the skills to make truly inspired pairings of their own creation. This tool is available both on the Chateau Ste. Michelle website and as a mobile application for smart phones, so it can be used either for planning meals at home or when in a retail environment.
Complementing this tool is “My Cellar,” a digital cellar which acts as a searchable wine diary. Users can create an online library of their favorite wines, when they enjoyed them, what they paired them with, and other tasting notes. It’s searchable, sortable and there is no limit to the number of wines that can be entered. And because it is accessible from traditional Web browsers and as a smart phone application, users can create new entries or search their listings from anywhere — and never forget a great wine again!
“Chateau Ste. Michelle has been extremely committed to enhancing our customers’ enjoyment and discovery of wine through our extensive touring and tasting program here at our Woodinville Chateau for over three decades,” says Jan Barnes, Marketing Director for Chateau Ste. Michelle. “These new digital applications will allow us to also inspire our online visitors by giving them tools to expand their wine and food experience in their own environment in such an accessible way.”
These applications are now available at www.ste-michelle.com/mychateau
The “My Chateau” digital campaign is just one of the features available on Chateau Ste. Michelle’s newly designed website www.ste-michelle.com, which offers a virtual “Chateau experience.” The new site incorporates beautiful imagery of the winery’s 87-acre grounds, formal gardens, fountains, tasting rooms, historic Manor House, as well as detailed information about the winery’s award-winning wines, summer concert series, culinary events, touring and tasting program, estate vineyards, winemakers, history, Riesling leadership, online store and more.
Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle pioneered vinifera grape growing in Washington state and has been producing classic European varietal wines under the Ste. Michelle label since 1967. The winery combines an ongoing dedication to research with a commitment to classic winemaking traditions. The winery owns 3,500 acres of vineyards in the Columbia Valley of eastern Washington, including Canoe Ridge Estate and Cold Creek. Chateau Ste. Michelle enjoys winemaking partnerships with two of the world’s most distinguished vintners. Col Solare is an alliance with Tuscany’s Piero Antinori and Eroica Riesling is a partnership with the Mosel’s Ernst Loosen.
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For further information:
Lynda Eller
425-415-3364
lynda.eller@ste-michelle.com
