Yesterday, we held the "Bachelor Wine Party Fall 2023."
Just like in the summer, the slots for women were filled up in an instant after the announcement went out. As expected, women are proactive in meeting people.
but.
But after that, the number gradually increased, and by the day of the event, we had managed to reach just the right number. Phew.
Speaking with some regular customers, it seems that many single men are put off by the idea of a "wine party."
If this were a "single beer party" or "single highball party," I'm sure it would be easier for men to attend. On the other hand, it seems like it would be hard to attract women.
But we are a wine shop, and the purpose of this event is to make people feel closer to wine and enjoy communicating through wine, so we can't change the idea of it being a wine party.
In fact, they claim that it's OK even if you don't know much about wine, and at the last wine party for singles, I don't think even half of the people could name their favorite grape variety. That's not a problem at all.
I think many women think, "I don't know much about wine, but I like drinking it," so if there's a wine event that sounds fun, they'll go ahead and invite it.
However, I feel like men tend to think, "I don't know much about wine, so it's hard for me to participate in wine parties." This may be a prejudice, though.
I think some people might think that if they are going to participate, they should arm themselves with theory to avoid embarrassment.
In fact, among the men who spoke yesterday, there was one who said, "I didn't really understand the technical details, but I decided to take the plunge and apply."
No need to go into too much detail. There's no need to be so bold. Wine is more relaxed than that, is what I want to say.
However, the general public's mood, or rather the mood in Nagoya, still seems to be that "men who drink wine" are strongly associated with the image of "snobbish guys."
Despite all that, I was glad that we were able to bring 10 men and 12 women with us this time.
So, how was this meeting?
For me, it was a series of "Wow!" moments. What kind of "Wow!" moments were they...?
Wow! 1. There was not a single participant from the last meeting (summer meeting).
In other words, this was the first singles wine party for everyone. There was no "Oh, we met again" moment at all.
It was fun to watch the initial tension of being surrounded by strangers gradually melt away as they drank the wine.
Wow! 2. Some people even came all the way from Hokkaido to Nagoya just for this event.
Moreover, he arrived early. He came to the Bokumo counter the day before and stayed overnight in Nagoya. The next day, he participated in the actual singles wine party, making it two Bokumo's in a row. I'm very grateful.
By the way, that person is a regular customer of the mail order Bokumo Wine. I'm glad I ordered it online!
Wow! 3. A friend of a former staff member joined us.
A former female staff member who worked part-time at Bokumo when she was a student and is a friend of hers participated.
"I came here with my girlfriend when I was a student and it was delicious," he said, and he followed Bokumo's Instagram. That's how he found out about this event.
It felt like my past and present Bokumo were connected. I'm glad I had such good staff! I immediately reported it to my girlfriend on LINE.
Wow! 4. Most women found out about the job through Instagram. Few men applied through Instagram.
I realized that there are a huge number of women who gather information on Instagram.
I'm sure there are men who feel the same way, but when I asked the people who attended this event how they found out about it...
"I learned about it from Iwasu-san at the counter at Bokumo," "I saw it on Iwasu-san's Facebook page," "I heard Iwasu-san on the radio"
It's all Iwasu. I realized that for men, knowing the organizer is what motivates them to participate. This tendency may be especially strong for those a little older.
Wow! 5. New Zealand wine has a good reputation.
This was more than just surprising. The majority of the people were saying, "This is my first time trying New Zealand wine." I'm glad that this was an opportunity for such people to try the wine and give us their honest feedback.
What I learned is that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has a unique charm that captivates people.
That's right, I have improved on the points I reflected on last time.
Last time, we asked participants to write only their nickname on their name tags, but this time we asked them to write their nickname plus their hobby, occupation, or another word that describes them.
This was good.
"It says movie, but what kind of movie are you going to watch?"
"Where did you go on your trip?"
It was easier to ask the first question, and it took noticeably less time for the excitement to build up compared to last time.
In the quiz corner, last time the prize was a huge glass, but they realized that it was too big to fit into the fashionable girl's tiny bag.
So this time, we presented a meal voucher for Bokumo to those who answered the quiz correctly. I hope to hear their impressions of the event the next time they come.
Well, this is the second time we're holding the event, and it feels like we're gradually improving the way the event is conducted.
The only thing that bothers me is that none of the participants from the previous event have reported saying they have started dating.
But, I guess that's true. It's not that easy for people to be attracted to each other. I guess it's all about doing things over and over again.
