It may seem too early to be thinking of these two days, but the nature of this gift means that you’ll want a bit of lead time; so, there’s no time like the present for this present.
I have to admit that I’m an admitted “etching” freak. I love the written word, especially when it’s etched onto something of merit that becomes a constant reminder of a special day, time, or place. When my children and grandchildren were born, my family tradition was/is to give those children a silver baby cup and spoon etched with their names and birth dates.
When organizing events, I always like the “etching” aspects as part of the event, and I do it with logos on glasses. The Petite Sirah Symposium that I coordinate always has a Riedel Syrah Vinum glass etched with the logo of the annual event for the people attending, and an etched Master Sommelier glass for the presenters. It’s very sophisticated, and has become everyone’s favorite take-away. In the six years of doing this event, there’s not been one glass left behind, and suspect I won’t have any leftovers this year, either, on August 4th at Concannon Vineyard with the upcoming PS Symposium.
The night that PS I Love You held our Masters of Petite Sirah event at Markham Vineyards, that also had its separate logo and an etched Riedel Syrah Vinum glass to mark the special night. With only 200 of those in existence, they’re so collectible that the ones remaining are an easy silent auction item, as evidenced by the Dark & Delicious event we just held this past February 20, in Alameda. Even though the date goes back to 2007, the glasses were easily sold.
When I recently heard about an “Etched” promotion for wine bloggers by Etching Expressions, I wasted no time becoming part of the program. Like many companies before Etching Expressions, businesses are beginning to recognizing that bloggers give stories a relatively quick turn around, as the eager new writers of the Internet crowd. Yes, traditional writers who have also segued to the Internet are all still being read and enjoyed online; however, there are a lot more options now for readers. All one has to do is Google search “wine blog.” As of this writing, that just returned 251,000,000 results. While there aren’t that many people wine blogging, there’s still a remarkable number of wine bloggers who are sitting inside of that total figure.
An inarguable fact mentioned at the Wine Bloggers Conference in 2008 from one panel member was that new companies don’t get any attention of most established writers – because they are new companies. Who’s going to take the risk of spending a lot of time on a story, only to have that company not make it? (Answer: Not too many established writers.) Bloggers, on the other hand, are on the cutting edge and react with lightening speed. This is very helpful for anyone needing to get the word out – etched or otherwise – in a very quick fashion.
So, there was Etching Expressions with an offer to create a sample bottle with the blogger’s logo. Someone in that company realized that to give a wine writer a first hand experience of what they have to offer, would get the company some Internet exposure. (What a brilliant move.)
My Thalia logo (Thalia was one of the three graces, and one of Bacchus’s cohorts… so there’s my logo explained) was too intricate for etching. This wasn’t a surprise for me, but Etching Expressions was still able to come up with an answer that delivered the “Wow!” factor. If you’re considering having something special etched onto a bottle of wine, remember, simple images translate into success.
For me, it’s such a special bottle that I immediately began to think how this bottle could be marketed. With both Mother’s and Father’s Days coming up, this could be a great gift with a loving sentiment… Parents etch so much into our lives, it’s simple turn about fair play.
The Etching Expressions Website gives you every single special moment when an etched bottle of wine would make a memorable gift. It can either be your bottle of wine, or they have bottles with varietal wines available for etching, also. It’s that simple. You come up with the reason, and they’ll deliver the package.
My bottle remains a testament that I’ve been jounaling. I enjoy having it as a promotional gift from Etching Expressions, right here on my desk as I write this. Since today’s my 30th wedding anniversary, I think I’ll be giving this etched bottle to my husband Jose. He’s the one who gave my first computer to me, the one who wanted us to move to California, the one who supported me in all ways to become a wine professional, and who’s the Webmaster behind this site as my silent support system. Without Jose, there would be no wine-blog. This is how I came to give him my Etching Expressions as an anniversary gift!
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