Uncorking a New Online Presence for the Virginia Wine Distribution Company

25,488 cases of wine were produced by Virginia farm wineries – in 2017 alone. Farm wineries (where a majority of fruit/vegetable used in production are grown on site) had at one time been exempt from Virginia's alcohol distribution system, but in 2007 were brought to bear, for distribution purposes, under a newly formed non-profit corporation, the Virginia Wine Distribution Company (VWDC).

In 2017, the appetite for a new website to handle the needs of VWDC was whetted with a 40% increase in wine case distribution in just three years – and a 69% increase over that same time in cider production.
A partnership with Virginia Interactive (VI) was the easy choice for what to order in fulfilling this need, and a full redesign of the VWDC website (VWDC.org) was soon crafted. The newly redesigned site's key notes include a more attractive look and feel, a more engaging user experience, and cleaner navigation. It has been optimized for mobile applications, allowing for seamless ease of use across all devices.

“We felt the need to engage better with our wineries, cideries, and retail buyers. We are proud of the new design and extremely glad that it is improving interaction with our target audience.” says Robin Hill of VWDC. “Virginia Interactive exceeded our expectations and we could not be more pleased with our partnership.”

In addition to the website redesign, VWDC has partnered with VI on crafting a robust and flexible online marketplace that will roll out in December of this year. The application includes winery inventory, retailer ordering and payment, order fulfillment, and a VWDC administrative area. Funding for the project was made possible through a flexible model designed to reduced up-front cost via a fixed fee per payment transaction.

VWDC is well stocked to tackle the future demands of users throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia through its new online platform. This is a pairing with Virginia Interactive that really hits the spot for creating interactions that are simpler and more convenient for all citizens.

Awards

2017

MARCOM Awards

Virginia Wine Distribution Company Website Redesign - Gold Winner

2018

AVA Digital Awards

Virginia Wine Distribution Company, Redesign: Gold Winner
Virginia Wine Distribution Company, Website: Gold Winner

Summit Emerging Media Awards

Virginia Wine Distribution Company, B2B Website: Leader Award
Virginia Wine Distribution Company, Website Redesign: Innovator Award

Horizon Interactive Awards

Virginia Wine Distribution Company, Corporate & B2B; Bronze Award
Virginia Wine Distribution Company, Government Agency; Silver Award

Hermes Creative Awards

Virginia Wine Distribution Company; B2B ; Gold Award

American Business (Stevie) Awardss

Virginia Wine Distribution Company Website Redesign - Business/Government - Bronze Award

Communicator Awards

Virginia Wine Distribution Company Website Redesign - General: Government Websites - Distinction

Summit Creative Awards

Virginia Wine Distribution Company Website Redesign - Bronze Award

DotComm Awards

Virginia Wine Distribution Company Website Redesign - Website | Government - Gold Award