Worst winery website ever?

[Robin Garr]

It's slick! It moves! It's like watching an art cartoon! It probably cost them a boatload of gelt! And from a standpoint of communication, it may be the worst winery website I've ever seen in my life.

Montevina

Anybody got other nominations? Alternative definitions of "worst"? To me, I don't care how pretty it is (or how homespun) ... if it's hard to use and doesn't make it easy for me to find the content I need, it bites.

[Paul B.]

Robin, I have to say that I absolutely detest any website that uses Flash. Dang gammit - gimme simple frames, and I'm happy. The old "Wine Route" website here in Ontario used to be extremely simple and logically laid out, but as the re-made Wines of Ontario site, they've gone to flash and now it's such a pain to visit that I rarely ever bother anymore. The winery links open up tiny windows within windows and are just ... a pane (pun intended). The maps used to be readable, but now I find them useless.

See for yourself!

I don't need slick - I want functional.

[TomHill]

All about packaging & glitz, no substance behind them.
What's interesting is when you enter the "Store". They ask you for the state to which they'll be shipped. Then give you this scrolling list that you have to hit your state on the fly. Failed at it 5 times, so my wine (if I'd ordered any) is heading to NewHampshire!!
Tom

[Paul B.]

All about packaging & glitz, no substance behind them.

Isn't that the story of our times, increasingly?

Well said.

[Howie Hart]

Probably Chiappone Cellars in Niagara County, NY. He doesn't have one. One can find links about his winery and all the awards he's won on many other sites. He's pretty laid back and manages to sell all his wine every year with no marketing. He even refused to join the Niagara Wine trail because he doesn't need the added expense.

[Paul B.]

Howie, that sounds just like D'Angelo Estate Vineyards, a producer of some very fine Old Vines Foch and Cabernet Franc over near Amherstburg, SW Ontario (near Windsor). They now have a website up for their British Columbia winery, but still nothing of substance for Ontario. For the owner, I guess it's good going if he can sell all his wine with minimal marketing - that's the ideal situation as it minimizes expenses. But for customers, it can be a pain!

[Robin Garr]

I have to say that I absolutely detest any website that uses Flash.

It's like any other tool, Paul. It can be used wisely and well, or it can be used stupid.

Tell me, how does your statement here differ from "I have to say that I absolutely detest any wine that's made from French-hybrid grapes"?

[Paul B.]

Not sure what you're saying, Robin. You know that isn't true for me ...

[Paul B.]

He's pretty laid back and manages to sell all his wine every year with no marketing. He even refused to join the Niagara Wine trail because he doesn't need the added expense.

Howie, it sounds like he really does have the ideal situation.

Sometimes it seems to me that business folks put out a lot of energy and expense trying to cover all possible bases ... yet when you are crisply aware of your market and manage to sell everything year in, year out, then that's a really enviable position to be in. Leaves more time for fishin'!

[Neil Courtney]

I too HATE Flash.

If or when I ever see a good Flash site I may change my mind. But have yet to see a good one. This one I agree is about the worst that I have ever seen. Appaling, and even if I lived rignt next door I wuld not return to their web site.

[Paulo in Philly]

It is all depends who is flashing me!

[JoePerry]

http://www.lopezdeheredia.com/

It doesn't even list all the wines they make, the vintages, anything. It would probably be better to list no information rather than incomplete information.

[Paul B.]

Joe, you have me wanting to say "No Barrique, No Berlusconi, No Flash"

[Jude Fisher]

Seconded, Joe. I've been there looking for information (cepage for example) a number of times. No use whatsoever.

[Thomas]

I once had a cat named Flash. At least she lived up to her name--she ran so fast you couldn't see her go by, whereas Internet Flash makes sure to annoy with its presence.

I think Flash the cat would have given Internet Flash the bird.

[Bill Spohn]

If you want to see a site where the owners clearly fell prey to the programmers and gave them free rein, look at

http://www.lamborghini.com/

There is no such thing as just going there to check a fact - you need to endure all the flash crap every time.

Don't people understand that what might seem interesting once or twice is just a PITA after that?

[JoePerry]

Seconded, Joe. I've been there looking for information (cepage for example) a number of times. No use whatsoever.

They don't even list that they make white wines

[Jenise]

Don't people understand that what might seem interesting once or twice is just a PITA after that?

Ha! I clicked on your link and was met with the announcement that I don't have the most current version of Flash so I can't access the wonderful new website they've created for me. Sounds like I should consider myself lucky.

[Jude Fisher]

Seconded, Joe. I've been there looking for information (cepage for example) a number of times. No use whatsoever.

They don't even list that they make white wines

Actually, I think its a macho thing among traditionalist Rioja bodegas. Having a crap website, that is: http://www.bodegasbilbainas.com.

[Gary Barlettano]

I met these folks at a tasting somewhere and got on their mailing list. The info they used to send out was pretty straightforward. In fact, I used to enjoy reading it because it said a lot. It looks like someone decided to spruce up and rejuvenate a stodgy image (or there may be a Randal Graham wannabe out there). They even got rid of the squiggle over the "n." Well, at least there's no sound ... or did I miss that?

Marketing ... sigh ...

Note: For the purists, I orginally screwed up and wrote "cedilla" when I meant "tilde." Mea culpa.

[Paulo in Philly]

This website annoyed me: http://redwoodcreek.com/

The wine annoyed me. I knew I was taking a risk when I bought a Pinot Noir just for the heck of learning something new about 7 buck CA PN's. To my surprise this 05 had a "cat pee" nose that puzzled me. Young wine, OK, but cat pee??? Then I headed over to their website and got annoyed with way too much "flashing" going on.

Like I said, I wanted to learn more - I guess I learned my lesson: don't buy this again and don't visit their website ever again.

[Gary Barlettano]

That's what happens when you drink Gallo wines! But I have heard that they make you, uh, cocky ...

[Paulo in Philly]

Hush and gimme some of that root canal percacet to help me get over my horrible wine experience!!!!

[Neil Courtney]

This website annoyed me: http://redwoodcreek.com/

Well spotted. A worthy candidate for the worst winery web site even!