XChateau is a podcast about all things wine, from vine to your glass. We tackle the business of wine and keep you up to date with new and exciting developments in the wine industry.In this episode, Robert Vernick and Peter Yeung interview wine influencer Nicole Muscari (Instagram: @grapechic).  Nicole tells Robert and Peter about her journey from a career in dance to fashion and then into wine.  Having built a 23.5k+ Instagram following and launching a wine blog, Nicole has become the Private Client Sales rep for the Northeast for Chateau de Pommard. Other topics covered in this episode include:BFA in dance, her first job was with Carnival Cruise LineWorked at Walt Disney World and wanted to be Princess JasmineVisited Napa in 2014 and fell in love with wineQuintessa was the experience that stood out, and she’s still in their wine clubFounding member of The Chelsea Wine SocietyStarted when Charlotte (thelondonwinegirl) was in NYCInvited a group of Instagram wine folks to a Chapel Down tastingBecame a study group for WSET coursesMembers would post on IG, which got wineries wanting to send them wines and do tastingsFellow Instagrammer (idream.o.vino) asked her if she was interested in wine as a job and introduced her to her current jobPrivate Client Sales for Chateau de PommardManages direct sales for the Northeast USLaunching a members-only, interactive platform soonPay a yearly membership feeLive experiences for wines/regions from all over the worldWine advisors host experiencesGet sent small tasting tubes to tryOption to buy the winesSocial media platformsInstagram focus, started 3 years ago, was part of the “1st wave” of wine influencers - grew to 10,000 followers in 1st year, lots of engagement to grow base (answering comments / DMs)Has FB, Twitter - just mirror contentPinterest - never pinnedSocial has a side hustlePress trips, samples, sponsored postsDoes ~2 paid sponsorships/monthInteracting with wine brandsTransparency is key - say right off the bat if you want to just send samples or do a paid partnershipEmail is preferred over DMsHas media kitRegular posts (usually with 3-5 stories)IGTV tastings with brandsLive Tastings (30 mins about the wines)Website / blog packages#ad - reach is usually less than without itPaid sponsorships - a brand can boost the posts (Gerard Bertrand did this on Facebook)Successful partnershipsLovejadot - Giveaways, Instagram Live, and PostsWine regions - Vinho Verde, Loire Valley, Discover BojoPrint vs social mediaPrint is longer-lasting, enables search, good SEO articles have a greater impact than socialInstagram gets more engagement, but because it’s easier, posts die after a whileInstagram demographics55% male, 45% femaleFemale younger (25-35), male (35-45)US, Italy, France, UK, BrazilCities - NY, Paris, LondonContent StrategyCloser photos work better than further awayThe wine matters - better wines get more engagementKnown for her shoe collectionWine education - adds value to the contentIf you loved this episode, we would love for you to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Until next time, cheers! Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.