In a Crisis, Think Before You Speak (December 2004)

By Michael Fineman, President, Fineman PR

If you receive a call from a reporter covering the wine business – even (or especially) if it is from a wine industry insider you know well – it would be wise to listen carefully, ask lots of questions and hold off on any immediate response.

Whether it's Mike Wallace calling about wine industry marketing practices or Wine Spectator calling about TCA, you should always get
all the facts before speaking on the record, no matter how intimidating or friendly the reporter may seem.

We all know of several situations in the recent past in which winery executives have engaged reporters in phone discussions that appear to be casual conversations – only to see those discussions quoted fairly or unfairly, in part or in whole. Your innocent, spontaneous candor and/or your emotional response to a surprising charge is fair game for the media, whether or not you realize it or whether or not you think it's fair.

Just ask Diageo, Chateau Montelena, Hanzell or Sabaté, for example, if their communications orientation hasn't changed as a result of media calls they received within the past couple of years.