Overview

As Napa Valley’s first Vietnamese-owned winery, and woman-run by CEO Mailynh Phan, RD Winery proudly embraces its outlier status. Though RD Winery began making wine in 2012, it originally only exported to Vietnam, and first introduced its wine to the U.S. market in 2020. Our partnership began in June 2021 and continued through January 2024.

Goals

• Tell the story of RD winery’s heritage and unique approach to the wine industry.

• Position RD Winery as a true Napa Valley contender by garnering placement for its wines.

• Secure stories about RD Winery CEO Mailynh Phan and her mission to make the wine industry more inclusive.

Because our work together began when RD Winery was new to the U.S. market, and wine is such a saturated industry, our first goal was to introduce the RD Winery brand to a larger audience by telling the story of its Vietnamese heritage, unique wines, the mission of making the wine industry more inclusive of diverse cultural backgrounds, and the many ways in which CEO Mailynh Phan is doing it all. We focused on building brand awareness by elevating the voice of Mailynh and sharing her vision for not just the winery but for the industry as a whole. Our goal was to tell RD’s story to grow brand recognition and affinity for how they do things differently.

Similarly, introducing RD’s wines to top magazine editors and trusted wine columnists was a primary tactic to help gain consumer trust in RD’s wines in and outside of Napa Valley since they are available for purchase on the winery’s website.

Results

In our first year of work together, we secured event-driven coverage locally in Napa, byline opportunities and wine scores in wine industry publications, wine features in consumer publications, and profiles on Mailynh in national lifestyle publications.

In 2022, Mailynh was named a Wine Enthusiast Future 40 tastemaker and one of Imbibe’s top 75 people changing the way we drink. Several national profiles and features reported on RD’s mission to make the wine industry more inclusive, and travel outlets promoted RD as a winery changing the Napa tasting experience. In 2023, RD Winery won the Great Wine Capitals Best of Tourism Award for Arts & Culture because of its commitment to its Vietnamese heritage through programming.

RD’s wines have been featured on “top picks” lists in outlets like Vogue, Martha Stewart, and Brit + Co., which is the result of our goal to earn consumer trust.

In 2023, we focused on sharing RD’s perspective of bringing younger consumers into the wine industry via more diverse and inclusive practices. We earned coverage in the Washington Post, AFAR, SevenFifty Daily, Wine Industry Advisor, and Jancis Robinson.

Product launch

We also explored new partnerships to introduce RD Winery to like-minded brands and creators via RD’s Seasonal Foodie Box. The box expands the perception of what's possible when pairing wine with food by featuring products from brands that are making dynamic flavors more accessible and that are new in the context of wine. Major PR wins include placing a recipe from Mailynh, along with an RD wine pairing, in Food & Wine print, and being included in both Vogue’s and Martha Stewart’s gift guides.

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"Allyson has consistently taken a thoughtful and deliberate approach to handling our press and communications. Her creative strategies have propelled our business’s growth and recognition. She is an asset to any business and a true pleasure to work with." - Mailynh Phan, CEO @ RD Winery