Experientials – Building the Brand while you Educate the Wine Buyers

​The Experience
At a recent wine tasting hosted by The Wine Life Kenya located in the upmarket Girgiri area, guests could be seen driving in from 5.30pm in a rush to get the best spot to settle in and wait for the host to begin (mostly at 6pm sharp). Usually entrance is free but lately the organisers opted to charge Ksh 500 per person to help them limit the crowd to a sizeable lot while still adhering to the new covid rules. The wine sommelier of the day (Silas Ngungu) kicks off the session away by greeting the guests and makes sure that all attendees have been handed tasting wine glasses.
Lessons are subject to the laid out itinerary but generally wine experts cover the make of the wine, origin, why it tastes how it tastes, types of wine glass to use, how to prepare your palate and understand the wine maker. They are very interactive and guests are encouraged to be as social as possible. “The experience is key when it comes to wine, your choice is influenced by your taste,” Sommelier Ian Ndungu said when he gave The Wine Story his views on the current wine tasting fad in Kenya.

​Following the recent trends, with players in the wine-tasting space required to limit capacity in their tasting rooms, virtual wine tasting has also become an important tool in online wine events and webinars and masterclasses. It is expected that this will continue well past the pandemic.

Bottles used in the wine tasting: Beynat 2019 Sauvignon and Floyd by Beynat Malbec imported by Decanter ltd Kenya.