3.3 Crafting the Story

We are now ready to start crafting the story. Remember that the information you have is the “raw material” for your story. You have to take the information, add substance to it, and deliver it in a professional, yet fun, manner. No matter what you have heard or think, you need to be prepared and know the information. Many people talk about “just winging it” or “off the cuff”; however, most who are successful doing this (and there are not many), still have done their homework before they speak. The more prepared you are and the more experience you have presenting the better your chance at being successful with “just winging it”. Therefore, to be prepared and ready to tell the story of the wine and winery, you first need to have a story. The best way to start developing the story is to first understand the key parts of the story …

So let's review ....

Four Key Parts of the Story Outline

• Ice Breaker

  • Can be as simple as …

    • “Hi, my name is Jim and I will be helping you today. If you have any questions please ask”

      • This should be something that is natural for you.

• Create Interest

  • This will often come from pouring the wine

    • “The next wine we will taste is our award winning 2014 Pinot Grigio.”

• Involvement

  • Create a 2-way conversation about the wine the guests are tasting

    • Ask them questions as well as answer theirs

    • “Have you ever paired wine with chocolate?”

• Build the Interest

  • Theirs and yours

    • Food pairings

    • Hosting parties

    • Wine knowledge

    • History

Now that we know the parts, let’s delve into the story …

To recap what we learned from the video, when developing your story you need to identify the “Players”, that may include …

• The Wine

  • Wine makers notes

• The Winery/ Vineyard

  • Talk with your owner and fellow staff members

• NC Wine

  • Visit the following websites to learn more. Keep up-to-date with changes (such as number of wineries) in the state.

    • NC Wine

    • North Carolina Winegrowers Association

    • North Carolina Muscadine Grape Association, Inc.

    • N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

• Your Community

  • Visit your local destination marketing organization’s website to learn about additional attractions in your area.

    • Check out this site, Local Destination Marketing Organizations, out to find your local destination marketing organization.

    • Also, VisitNC is a good place to find visitor information throughout the state of NC.   

  • Keep in mind, you should always be positive. Never talk negatively about another wine, winery, or other attraction. 

• The Guest

  • Try to connect them mentally and/or emotionally with the story in some way.

Now let's pause for a minute to review the ideas we have just covered. Read each question below and select what you believe is the correct answer. When finished, look below the last question for the correct answers. 

1. What is considered the "raw material" for your story/ presentation?

a. the wine

b. the grapes

c. information about the wine and winery

d. all the above

2. You do not have to worry about doing any "homework" and learning about the wine or winery. You can just make it up as you go.

a. True

b. False

3. Which of the following is not one of the 5 key points of the story line?

a. Ice breaker

b. Involvement

c. Spotlight

d. Interest

4. When developing your story you need to identify the “Players". Who or what are the players?

a. the wine

b. the winery

c. NC wine

d. all the above 

 Did you get them all? The answers are: 1. d, 2. b, 3. c, and 4. d

This is the end of the third section in Module 3. When you feel ready, move on to the next section by clicking the following link. Quick Tips