Celebrating the role of wine as a communal and celebratory beverage both now and historically, the team behind Come Together has announced the kickoff of their Come Over October campaign. Created by wine journalist Karen MacNeil, together with wine industry communications professionals Gino Colangelo and Kimberly Noelle Charles DipWSET, the campaign encourages friends, family, and colleagues to "come over" during the month of October to share wine and celebrate friendship.
Dubbed by TIME magazine as the "Missionary of the Vine," author of The Wine Bible, Karen MacNeil states: "We are living in trying times, and we all know that good company, good conversation, laughter, and conviviality contribute to an enhanced lifestyle. We want to encourage people to put down their devices and share in each other's company. Historically and socially, wine has often played a role in facilitating conversation, nurturing new friendships, and deepening old ones."
Over time, the wine industry has experienced ebbs and flows and has met numerous societal and generational challenges. But the industry has taken those challenges in stride, as wine has often been the preferred beverage when people gather. To wit, recently, a restaurant in the most wine-centric town of Italy, Verona, called Il Condominio, offered its clientele a free bottle of wine if customers agreed to relinquish their phones for the period of a meal, so that they might get back to the art of conversation at the table.
This is what Come Over October advocates – a chance to share stories, be together, celebrate an event or occasion – ostensibly, a chance to reconnect in a digital world. States Kimberly Noelle Charles, "I've always appreciated the power of technology to connect. The pandemic made that even more real, as we all connected to friends, loved ones and associates via virtual meetings or FaceTime. Despite that, we might have overlooked the true intimacy that comes with in-person connection, and sharing wine is a great way to achieve that."
Having launched to the media in July, the campaign has received early support from Wine America, Lyft, Silicon Valley Bank, Women For WineSense, Women of the Vine and Spirits, VinePair, and Wine Enthusiast, among others. Globally, Wines of South Africa, Wines of Chile, Wines of Sicilia Doc, and Vinitaly are also supporters of the campaign.
Co-founder Gino Colangelo states, "Some people want to speak to the end of wine's relevancy in our lives but, over the decades, wine has always found its place in America. We are still a young country relative to wine producing regions in Europe, but wine has been woven into the tapestry of American culture since the founding of the nation. The team that founded Come Together has witnessed periods like this before, and we want to assure people that wine is here to stay."
The Come Over October website is now live and includes a list of events and ideas for fun ways to engage during the month of October. Wine lovers can also follow along on Instagram using @comeoveroctober or by following #comeoveroctober.
For more info about the Come Over October campaign, visit their website: www.comeoveroctober.com.