Chelo Miñana
Director of Wine Tourism at Masaveu Wineries
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“We offer tailor-made experiences thanks to personalized digital tools.”
Although tradition plays a fundamental role in the world of winemaking, digitalisation has also been a key factor in the evolution of the sector. This is explained by Chelo Miñana, director of Wine Tourism at Masaveu Bodegas, who shares how technology has not only helped to streamline processes, but also to maintain the philosophy and values of the wineries.
“We see digitalisation as a tool and we use it, precisely, to maintain our essence,” says Chelo Miñana, highlighting that the main objective is to preserve tradition while adopting technological advances that optimise the experience of visitors and internal operations.
In departments such as wine tourism, a fundamental area for the winery, digitalisation has allowed us to streamline administrative procedures and personalise experiences. “Our objective is to dedicate ourselves body and soul to being hosts, and digitalisation allows our visitors to live a personalised experience from the moment they contact us.”
The arrival of wine tourism has been a significant change for wineries. What was initially just an activity related to winemaking has become a cross-cutting experience that involves different areas of the winery. “Not only does it have a great capacity for brand projection, but it can also capture information from our end customers, which can be crucial to building loyalty in the purchase of wine at other points of sale,” shares the director of Wine Tourism.
In the case of Masaveu Bodegas and the wineries that belong to this winery group and have wine tourism activity (Murua in DOCa. Rioja or Fillaboa in DO Rías Baixas), for Miñana, “digitalization has been a decisive and firm commitment.” In the wineries, “wine tourism is not only seen as a commercial tool, but its philosophy is based on giving visibility to all the work carried out by the team: from the work in the vineyard to the enhancement of the product.”
One of the most recent advances at Masaveu Bodegas has been the implementation of a reservation platform, which not only facilitates the management of visits, but also allows the customer experience to be personalized. “We could say that our friends have the possibility of contacting us in very diverse ways and that the more we know them, the happier we make them. If we transfer this image of everyday life to what we seek at Masaveu Bodegas, we will obtain the integration of a complete reservation platform that will allow us to offer multiple possibilities so that visiting us is an à la carte and accessible experience. Knowing and managing our clients allows us to introduce them to our universe, always with their permission and with our absolute respect for the management of databases,” explains Chelo Miñana.
By working in synergy with technology companies, Masaveu Bodegas has been able to constantly update its tools and advance quickly in the market. This collaborative approach has allowed them to identify solutions adapted to the specific needs of the wine sector, always staying at the forefront.
“We weren’t just talking about buying a ticket online, we needed a platform that would allow us to facilitate contact procedures, improve detailed information for customers, facilitate payment and diversify the offer,” explains Miñana. With these improvements, the customer experience is not only simplified, but enriched by being designed to be flexible and personalized.
Digitization has not been a disruptive process, but a tool that complements and reinforces their traditional vision of wine, becoming a key ally to offer unforgettable experiences without giving up the essence that defines them.