ArtsFoodBusinessMarketing

XChateau Wine Podcast

Robert Vernick, Peter Yeung

A podcast delivering wine perspectives ex-chateau. Insights, analysis, and perspectives on news and trends in the wine industry beyond winemaking, such as marketing, finance, and consumer trends. From noted wine blogger Robert Vernick (@wineterroir) and leading wine business consultant and author of Luxury Wine Marketing Peter Yeung (@winebizguy), this podcast navigates the business of wine with unique perspectives and insights.

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English

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#228
September 29 · 37 min
Living with purpose w/ Hayes & Susana Drumwright, Vida Valiente
With the goal of living a purposeful life, Vida Valiente was founded in Napa as a combination luxury winery and charity. The foundation is focused on providing last dollar scholarships and mentorship to 1st generation college students. The winery is establishing a newly planted vineyard as the next “grand cru” site in Napa. Hayes and Susana Drumwright combine these two elements into a pathway to connect people who have succeeded with grit to the next generation through wine and impactful experiences. Detailed Show Notes: Susana’s background: career in tech, now full-time with the foundation and winery Hayes’ background: had cancer early, many early failures, then sold a tech company and founded Memento Mori Winery in 2010, Vida Valiente in 2019, and just bought Edge Hill Winery in 2026; just published The Empty Center Vida Valiente (“VV”) overview Planted vines to create a “grand cru” wine vs Memento Mori leveraged existing “grand cru” sites Has had 5 100 point wines in the last 3 years Produced ~3,000 cases in 2025, goal is ~4,500 cases Donates $100/btl of every bottle of “The Movement,” the signature blend sold Has a guaranteed allocation group “Los Padrinos” (“the godparents”) Foundation founded to uplift 1st generation college students at Stanford Board member, Memento Mori founder, and friend Adriel Lares went to Stanford 191 students in the program now, admit 50 students/year of ~100 applicants Give each student $5k/year for last dollar scholarships, provide mentorship, and leadership offsites Has raised ~$6.5M to date, ~$500k from “The Movement” (goal is $100k/year); goal is $3-4M/year Wants to raise ~$2M/year from corporate donors Costs ~$1.2M/year to run, could be $2.5M if all applicants accepted Many VV customers have done great things and feel alignment with students Susana and Hayes are foundation’s only employees Napa in Cabo charity event, held by Vida Valiente 3 days at the Montage in Los Cabos Features 10 Napa wineries, e.g. - Scarecrow, Lokoya, Eisele Raised $6M, $2.3M in 2025 1st night meet & greet, 2nd night charity gala, 3rd night to support other wineries (sold $760k of wine for other wineries) Exploring a “Napa in Napa” event VV marketing Not as much crossover from Memento Mori as originally thought Napa Valley referrals important Hospitality a big driver, including client dinners and impactful experiences Arc of 3 Napa projects Memento Mori - “remember to live” Vida Valiente - “live a purposeful life” Ultra Mortem (at Edge Hill site) - “beyond death, do something worth remembering” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#227
September 15 · 42 min
The macroeconomics of shipping and wine w/ Basile Aloy, Avignonesi
A 7th generation shipper and 2nd generation winegrower, Basile Aloy of Avignonesi in Tuscany, has a unique perspective on the geopolitical and macroeconomic events happening today and how they impact the cost of wine. Oil prices, war, tariffs, and climate change all come into play in this wide ranging conversation that showcases how much some of these macro events impact the world of wine. Detailed Show Notes: Basile’s background: Chairman of Avignonesi, wine distribution in Italy & US, 7th generation shipping family, CEO of shipping businesses EBE & Victrix, studied winemaking in Bordeaux Runs a fleet of dry bulk carriers in shipping, does not ship wine Iran war has increased the cost of cargo, a 40 ft container for wine went from $1,600 to $2,700 (~70% increase), however, per bottle (~18k bottles/container) that goes from $0.09 to $0.15/bottle (not a huge impact) Many ships have been re-routed around South Africa instead of crossing the Suez Canal, they don’t send ships through Hormuz, which has caused congestion for trucking in the Middle East There has been less fuel on the market, causing some wait times to re-fuel ships Tariffs have had a bigger impact on wine costs, earlier in 2026, Italy paid 15% tariffs on wine to the US, mid-2026 it is now down to 10%, which has outweighed the freight increase Food costs are rising, ~30% of global fertilizers come from the Middle East, diesel costs are up; food price increases are coming Domesticating production can be challenging, but it is happening in some places, both Canada and China are leaning in; Avignonesi saw China as a big growth market, but has fallen dramatically, partially due to high quality wines made in China Both shipping and wine are very capital intensive, but ships can be purchased on the secondary market, where prices swing dramatically (from $25M to $75M in 5 years); wine cycles are much longer, which can create longer downturns like we’re experiencing today Avignonesi overview 170 ha vineyards Focused on Sangiovese and some international varieties, as well as Vin Santo ~50-60% exported Italian market is semi-export, as tourists drive a decent amount of consumption (e.g. - during Covid, Italian sales were down ~20-30%) Basile’s family took over Avignonesi in 2009, have a vision to be more transparent with customers, healthy (move towards organic and biodynamic viticulture), and a desire to take care of the environment, broadly speaking (become a B Corp, provide English classes to the community) Avignonesi requested permission from regulators to put “Nobile” bigger than “Montepulciano” for their Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Wine is more brand driven vs shipping, need to be careful about discounting and its impact on the brand Shipping can be more sustainable than trucking wine; glass weight of wine has a huge impact on sustainability (~750g of wine in a bottle vs ~400-800g of glass; Avignonesi chose light weight bottles) Europe is like Disneyland, “growers of memories,” which builds a connection to their wines, particularly the premium wines The future of Avignonesi: starting a re-branding exercise, planted a “3rd millennium” vineyard to address viticulture issues with climate change (1st harvest 2027) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#226
September 1 · 50 min
The Tipping Point for the Wine Industry w/ Andrea Robinson MS, The Swirled Cup
Though the seeds were already sown for quality wines in California, the famous Judgement of Paris Tasting in 1976 set the wine world ablaze and created new energy not just in America, but across the world for fine wine production and appreciation. Andrea Robinson MS has developed The Swirled Cup, a TV series that explores how the world changed with the Judgement of Paris as its “tipping point.” She covers areas such as winemaking, hospitality, and wine culture in the evolution of the wine market. Detailed Show Notes: Andrea’s background: investment banker turned Master Sommelier, Wine Director at Windows of the World in NYC, writing, TV Shows (Quench - Food Network, Pairings w/ Andrea & Simply Wine - Fine Living Network) The Swirled Cup, a location based, documentary series Came out of “Judgement of Napa” tasting that was supposed to happen in 2020 w/ Steven Spurrier Spurrier believed Judgement of Paris legacy is increased wine quality and collaboration globally, that is levelled the playing field for other wine regions Show focuses on the evolution of the wine business, catalyzed by the Judgement of Paris 3 episodes on Delta Airlines flights now (through end of Sept 2026) 3 more episodes in production Will be streaming in 2027 (streamer to be announced) Short film screening version submitted to film festivals Major themes coming out of The Swirled Cup include, Momentum for other wine regions outside of California Wine country travel and hospitality Collaboration between wineries Sustainability Prohibition kept reputation of CA wine in “suspended animation,” took away the economic incentive to invest in production Tim Mondavi noted there were ~100 wineries in Napa in the late 1800s Cresta Blanca Winery (Livermore, California) won the Grand Prize at the 1889 Paris Exhibition Georges de Latour brought in André Tchelistcheff post-prohibition to bring back winemaking expertise “Mount Crushmore” of American Wine: André Tchelistcheff, Robert Mondavi, Steven Spurrier, Patricia Gallagher Built a culture of quality for American wine “We’re only as good as our weakest link,” collaboration was key; Tchelistcheff had monthly technical lunches, Mondavi mentored a generation of vintners Patricia Gallagher was the major force behind the Judgement of Paris, was really excited about post-Prohibition quality of CA wines, wanted to do a July 4th tasting Spurrier had the guts to do the tasting, do it blind, and threw in French wines to ensure a fair comparison Mondavi accelerated wine tourism (used to be for trade only), showcased the wine lifestyle with food w/ his wife Margrit; would travel and order his wines and other benchmarks at restaurants to compare → good strategy still today for secondary markets; did partnerships globally (France, Italy, Chile) which opened the world’s eyes to America as a great wine market Wine culture has evolved with more competition (e.g. - cannabis, alternatives) Entry points for learning high as on-premise very expensive as costs to run restaurants high Covid upended social experiences, but provides a potential to overlay wine on top of new experiences (e.g. - book clubs, crochet get togethers) Hospitality has become very luxury and bespoke experience driven, need more accessible options as entry points for wine drinkers Replicating Judgement of Paris today still viable as comparing wines to benchmarks has value, with democratized media, expanding to collectors are well as trade could be useful; trade and media tend to like more restrained styles vs collectors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#225
August 18 · 49 min
Reconnecting with ancient terroir w/ Irakli Gilauri, Gilauri Wine
As the birthplace of wine and the vinifera grape species, Georgia (the country), has wine deeply embedded in its culture. Yet, having survived conquest by three empires, fine wines are not the current norm in Georgia, where the Russian Communists focused on quantity over quality. Irakli Gilauri is launching Gilauri Wines to change that and to give wine collectors all over the world a chance to taste and connect with the best of the Ancient Terroir that is his home country of Georgia. Detailed Show Notes: Irakli’s background: public company CEO (Bank of Georgia, Georgia Capital), wine collector for 20 years, took UC Davis winemaking courses Mission: to make a fine wine from Georgia that showcases the original terroir of wine Georgia (the country) wine history The birthplace of wine, 8,000 years ago Where vitis vinifera originated (the broader South Caucasus region) Located between the Caucasus Mountains, Black Sea and Caspian Sea; between Russia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan One of the only biodiversity hotspots with a mid-temperate climate Main wine region Kakheti (Eastern Georgia), ~85% of grapes grown there, similar to Napa as it sits between 2 mountain ranges Main grape is Saperavi, closest to vitis silvestris, one of the original vinifera grape varieties Wine is embedded deep in Georgian culture, people believe grapes and wine allowed it to survive 3 empires (Persian, Ottoman, and Russian) and keep their language, script, and faith The “oldest wine cellar in the world” ~40k old bottles, from the early 1840s, including First Growth Bordeauxs Collection of the Russian Romanovs (originally housed in St Petersburg) During WWII, Stalin moved the cellar into three places, including one in Tbilisi Georgian government is authenticating the wines and will auction some off Gilauri Wines Started w/ 10 grape varieties (incl Saperavi, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) in 5 locations, needed to conduct research on mapping terroir to deliver top quality because the Communists only cared about quantity Started in 2022, but first vintage will be 2024, 2022 and 2023 wines will not be released as the quality was not high enough Has the potential to produce 75k bottles, but 1st vintage will only be 1,800 bottles (1,200 Saperavi, 600 Chardonnay), with the rest bulked out Winegrowing is very different from the Georgian norm; focused on quality (e.g. - mixed Guyot pruning with only 1 cane, cover crops, green harvesting, 500L barrel fermentation, cold maceration for aromas (which cannot be done in traditional qvevri) Saperavi clonal material from Italy, Georgian nurseries have too much virus DTC focused brand; in order to share with fellow wine lovers, not enough for retail US, UK, EU, Switzerland available In US, also producing a Vine Hill Ranch Napa Cabernet with Nigel Kinsman at Wheeler Farms, and can use that license to import and sell Georgian wines DTC; Napa Cab as the sister wine to Georgian Saperavi Has conducted blind tastings of top New World and Old World wines to compare with Gilauri’s “Ancient World” wine Allocations of 1st Georgian wines Dec 2026, 1st Napa wines Spring 2027 Vanessa Conlin MW coming on to help promote the wines in the US Join the allocation list at Gilauri.com Wine, food, & travel go together SommTV producing a cooking show for Georgian cuisine, which is a mix of Asian, European, and Middle Eastern influences Will have a free private concierge to organize wine trips to Georgia Trying to get access to “Stalin Cellar” for list members Loyal clients will also have access to 4 bedroom house in Georgia Expected pricing: <$200 for the Saperavi, <$100 for the Chardonnay; want more people to taste the wines over time Wine and public companies have similar business models, both require roadshows to sell wine or the stock; have brokers or distributors to market to investors or accounts; and you have analysts or critics who rate the company/product Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#224
August 4 · 36 min
Making history relevant for the modern consumer w/ Aly Wente, Wente Family Vineyards
With 143 years of history, Wente Family Vineyards is the US’s longest continuously family owned and operated winery, even producing wine through Prohibition. Aly Wente, Chief Revenue Officer, discusses how Wente leverages its rich history to re-launch historic brands, connect with younger consumers, and embed the messaging in social media and hospitality to differentiate itself. Detailed Show Notes: Aly’s background covered in prior episodes, but she is now in charge of all revenue vs marketing and hospitality previously Wente Family Vineyards is the longest continuously family owned and operated winery in the US Based in Livermore, which competed w/ Napa in the late 1800s for quality wine, but benefited from a railroad that went into San Francisco Known for Chardonnay, originally planted in 1908, cultivated the “Wente Clone,” which underpins ~75% of California Chardonnay 1st to varietally label wine post Prohibition to use transparency to promote the quality and authenticity of the wine Sauvignon Blanc Clone 1 is also a “Wente Clone” and is what much of New Zealand SB is based on, originally from Chateau d’Yquem from cuttings brought back by Charles Wetmore, CA’s 1st Agricultural Commissioner Wente acts as a historian of CA wine, e.g. - its SB is named Louis Mel after one of the original farmers of SB in CA The re-launched Cresta Blanca brand has deep ties to history Was Charles Wetmore’s original winery and ties to his vision for quality 1st CA wine to win on the global stage, winning the 1889 Grand Prix in Paris, 87 years before the Judgement of Paris and put CA wine on the map (pre-Prohibition) The wine label was inspired by an original late 1800s barrel wood carving of a wine goddess Changed branding from Wente Vineyards to Wente Family Vineyards to highlight the family element, with 5 generations of knowledge passed down from one generation to the next Younger consumers don’t always start with history, but they are eager to learn They look for value, authenticity (Wente uses the family to do that), transparency (Wente is working on a new project to highlight this more), and sustainability (may be table stakes vs a purchase driver) Anything but Chardonnay (“ABC”) movement has been picking up steam, especially with younger consumers. Wente working on counter positioning to make it cool again, led by Aly and her sister Niki including a social video spoofing a Hilary Duff quote that “only old men drink Chardonnay” Organic social media is the #1 priority, Wente has undergone a big evolution with social Aly and Niki use @wine_sisterss to test social content and themes outside of the core @wente account Hired 2 social media interns - did a contest for the internship, social growing significantly Using history in hospitality - always testing and learning Launched “5 Generations of Wente” tasting to tell the story with each glass Redid wines in the tasting room to tie back to history of Wente and Livermore Cresta Blanca cave tours start with a museum of old winery items through historic caves Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#223
July 21 · 48 min
Creating Information from Data through Enolytics w/ Jesse Lange & Mark Evans
Sometimes data can be overwhelming. Being able to transform that data into actionable information can deliver high ROI. Jesse Lange, Managing Director of Lange Estate Winery, and Mark Evans, President of Triumph Advisors, discuss how Enolytics helps them make strategic decisions through actionable information in every part of their businesses, from DTC and wholesale into operational planning. Thanks to Enolytics for sponsoring this episode. Detailed Show Notes: Jesse’s background: 2nd generation winegrower in Willamette Valley, focus on winemaking and grape growing Mark’s background: helped build Jackson Family’s fine wine division, ran wineries for ~20 years, now fractional CEO for 2 wineries (higher end, DTC focus) Often there’s too much data (facts) and not enough information (which is actionable) Gut instinct not always the best tool, having data is critical Enolytics having both DTC and wholesale data can be used for production planning, revenue projections, planning market trips, seeing which varietals/SKUs doing well in each region The data enables building 10 year revenue projections by channel at the driver level (e-commerce, hospitality, membership, wholesale) Key metrics to look at: membership retention rate, customer lifetime value by acquisition source, purchase velocity Drilling down on wholesale data allows targeting the right markets Mark requires clients to use Enolytics (or another data platform) to partner with them Enolytics helps move from reactive to proactive, e.g. - Mark often converts tasting room staff from part-time to full-time and has them implement outreach programs to at-risk members determined by Enolytics in their downtime Can be used like a CRM tool, even where Salesforce was unsuccessful Can see some impact of critic scores through the data, but influence has been waning since ~2005, younger generations not really looking at scores One key insight is understanding member referral, correlating customer acquisition data to new club members Enolytics is high ROI: can often do 2-3 programs that deliver $5-10k/each that micro-targets people and doesn’t overwhelm the customer base Advice for other wineries: looking at peer wineries is critical, need to train people on the data tools, and ensuring the data mapping from e-commerce to Enolytics is accurate is essential Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#222
July 7 · 40 min
The Economics of Old Vines w/ Andy Robinson, Seghesio
It appears on some wine labels, winemakers speak lovingly about them, and there are organizations focused on them. “Old Vines” is a loosely defined term that is often associated with quality in the wine industry. Seghesio, a historic Californian winery, has a strong focus on old vines with its focus on Zinfandel and Italian varietals. Andy Robinson, Seghesio’s winemaker, lays out the economics of growing and selling old vine wines. Detailed Show Notes: Andy’s background: grew up in the Finger Lakes (NY), studied Chemistry, worked at Charles Krug Seghesio overview Founded 1895 by Piedmont immigrant Eduardo Seghesio Alexander Valley & Russian River (Sonoma) ~120k cases / year; 160 acres planted Mostly Zinfandel (oldest 1895 at Home Ranch) and Italian varieties (Sangiovese, oldest from 1910) Defines old vines as 50+ years vs Old Vine Conference defines as 35+ years, conventional vineyards normally have 20-25 year lifespan Must be an excellent vine (both in yield and quality) to become an old vine Benefits of old vines Often head trained, umbrella shape gives natural shading, don’t need trellis supports, requires less maintenance late in the season; overall about the same cost as trellised (head trained harder to mechanize) More flavor compounds (a Spanish company researched this) More textural and complex flavors Costs of old vines Expect lower yields (sets less fruit) Big cuts from pruning can have bigger impact on vines Need to have a focus for old vines to be successful, which is why there are many single vineyard old vines; consistent ownership important for this People are often willing to pay more for old vine wines, wine needs to be good For deciding when to replant old vines: wines not fantastic anymore, yields drop <1 ton/acre, people not willing to pay enough to keep it More diversity of varietals coming with old vines as late ‘70s plantings hit 50 years, historically mostly Zinfandel Old vine organizations Old Vine Conference (started ~2020, Sarah Abbott in London): very international Historic Vineyard Society (started ~2010, Morgan Twain Peterson, Mike Officer, others): non-profit to catalogue old vine sites Core benefit of organizations is engaging wine writers and getting more publicity for old vines Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#221
June 23 · 46 min
Bringing Indian food to wine w/ Shekar Sathyanarayana, Nalla
When Shekar Sathyanarayana, founder of Nalla, began visiting wineries in Santa Barbara and talked about Indian food, winemakers loved the food, but had never paired it with wine. Now, Nalla has brought Indian food and wine pairing to over 100 events hosted at wineries and other venues and Shekar shares what he has learned about match Indian food and wine. Detailed Show Notes: Shekar’s background: 1st generation South Indian, grew up in Kansas, was a talent agent and lawyer Nalla founding Started as Indian food gatherings (2016) to explore different Indian cuisines Shekar knew nothing about wine, started driving to Santa Barbara wine country and learning Wineries said they’d never paired wine and Indian cuisine before Nalla experiences, officially launched 2023 Where South Asian cuisines and wine industry meet, includes culture (live music, dance, decor - e.g. - Thali plates, plates with small bowls in them) Done 100+ events at wineries and 3rd party venues 1st winery partner was Brecon Estate in Paso Robles, learned Albarino and samosas work well together Does 4 entrees, each from a different region, coursed w/ 2 wine glasses side by side, and data captured on preferences ~25-50 guests at each event Large market opportunity: 2.1B South Asians globally, ~6M in the US; highest household disposable income (~$100k for South Asian, ~$150k for Indians); very food forward and know little about wine Indian wine ~200 wineries in India Grow varieties to sell (e.g. - rose), haven’t figured out what grows best yet 2 harvests / year Focus is educating people about wine, not yet integrated w/ food 4 components to “spicy” food Capsaicin - the heat in chilis, gives a burning sensation; can be offset by milk/dairy which has casein, a protein that binds to capsaicin Aromatics (e.g. - coriander, cumin, cinnamon, clove, cardamon) - no heat, but lots of smell and taste Sichuan pepper - gives a tingle, drying, numbing sensation (not common in Indian food) Piperine - key compound in black pepper, common in South Indian cuisine; can often flatten wines Indian food & wine pairing - match aromatics w/ wine, heat comes second Capsaicin and alcohol make the heat worse, try to stay <14% abv with spicy Younger, tannic reds often fight Indian cuisine White wines pair well w/ aromatics When pairing with multiple dishes simultaneously, go back to aromatics, stick w/ whites (e.g. - Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, maybe Chardonnay) When there’s more weight, dairy, can pair with some reds, particularly lighter (Grenache, GSM, Pinots) Creamy tomato based sauce, which alleviates some heat, can go w/ higher alcohol reds Aged reds can pair well, as tannins are more resolved Regional Indian cuisine - 28 states in India, each region has its own cuisine North Indian known for meats (goat, lamb, chicken), dishes have more weight South Indian mostly vegetarian (lentils, daal, dosa, sambar), heavier on spices, more heat; sparkling wines work well Coastal (Kerala, Goa) more fish and seafood ~50% of India is vegetarian Bengali has heavy mustard paste, Sauv Blanc and Riesling work well Andhra uses both red and green chilis, makes it hard to pair w/ wine Top 5 Indian dish pairings Chicken Tikka Masala, created by British, not traditional Indian; pairs w/ off dry Riesling, light Pinot, oaked Chards Butter Chicken, chicken cooked in tandoor, more diary and cream, milder spices; Viognier pairs well Samosas, breaded fried potatoes often w/ chutney (mint-cilantro, tamarind), sparkling pairs well (Cava, Prosecco) Biryani, a very emotional dish for Indians, saffron rice, chunks of meat or vegetarian, highest degree of aromatic complexity; Rose pairs well Saag Paneer, spinach and cheese, cream, ginger, and garlic; Sauvignon Blanc, herbaceousness pairs well, acid helps Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#220
June 9 · 44 min
The relationship business w/ Chris Baker, Brassfield Estate
After retiring twice, Chris Baker, President of Brassfield Estate, was lured back in by a unique opportunity to build one of the world’s largest monopoles in the High Valley AVA of Lake County, California. Its unique volcanic terroir is now being scaled nationally with a 10 year contract and national alignment with Southern Glazers. Chris describes the best practices in working with distributors and partnering together to create a successful brand, built on trusted relationships. Detailed Show Notes: Chris’ background: hospitality, distribution, ran wineries, has tried to retire twice and come back due to his love of wine Brassfield overview High Valley AVA, in Lake County CA 100% estate grown and produced 5,000 acre property, 500 acres planted, up to 2,000 plantable 65k sf cave, only 15% utilized Grows 17 varietals (10 in distribution), best known from Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir Retail price points - $16-17 whites, $25-30 reds National partnership with Southern Glazers Was in 14 states, now in 45 Perks to being nationally aligned - a little more attention, assigned trade development manager Have a 10 year contract (normal is 2-3 years) w/ automatic renewal Southern chose Brassfield because of its scalability (potential to be biggest monopole in the world) and they didn’t have a national product for Lake County Sales team being built out 9 division managers, 1 national accounts on-premise Picked up experienced people (e.g. - from Vintage, others) who know a lot of accounts and not afraid to put a bag on their shoulders Team needs to know distributors feet on the street all the way to state leaders KPIs to drive velocity (getting several products in the right accounts, volume goal, rate of sales, accounts sold goal, 50/50 on- and off-premise split) Small, medium wineries need to do more DTC, social media in new distribution environment Need to identify brand’s uniqueness Distributors and accounts want to know what brand will do to create pull Focus on top moving accounts: top 250 restaurants, top retailers, share accounts b/w distributor and winery, need to understand what brands are important for the distributors (to not cannibalize sales) “We’re in the relationship business” National account restaurants - often have 3rd party agencies (e.g. - Patrick Henry, IMI) to work through, hard to get direct contact, can meet some people at Vibe conference, trade conferences, Aspen Food & Wine Need to learn about customers and get to know each other Best practice: being present, everyone is trying to get mindshare of distributors, can’t only go once every 6 months, need frequent communications, involvement, and call on accounts direct w/ or w/o distributor Distributors have big notebooks of incentives (some suppliers have big ones), they cherry pick what they think will be easiest to accomplish The top down approach can work, if distributor leads push down priorities to team Creating consumer awareness (marketing, social, PR) can get attention w/o incentive programs, Brassfield hired a PR agency in NY and a marketing company in Napa Biggest success stories: Lazy Dog - national account w/ Eruption Red Blend, participates in their annual summit Sugarfish Sushi - Sauvignon Blanc is in all 17-18 locations Annual Volcano Camp (started 2025) Brassfield responsible for High Valley AVA Partnered w/ SommJournal to bring somms from around the country Dug soil pits Investment in education builds brand ambassadors, believes it is high ROI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#219
May 26 · 34 min
Implementing a luxury strategy w/ Matt Crafton, Chateau Montelena
As one of the winners of the infamous 1976 Judgement of Paris, Chateau Montelena has a rich history to be proud of. To optimize that legacy, Montelena’s President and Winemaker Matt Crafton has been embarking on more of a luxury strategy for the brand, reducing grocery and chain presence and working towards pricing growth over volume. With the 50th anniversary of the Judgement in Paris and the wine market in extreme flux, Montelena is doubling down on the values that made it victorious. Detailed Show Notes: Matt’s background: wine production for 23 years, Economics degree, started at Montelena in 2008 Chateau Montelena overview Founded 1882 in Calistoga, Napa Shut down during Prohibition, resurrected in 1972 by Barrett family Famous for 1973 Chardonnay which won the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting (50th anniversary in 2026) Mostly produces Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay Produces ~35k cases/year Majority of $ DTC, volume is wholesale Export not big, focus of growth last 2-3 years A full-time sales team not viable, so moved to partnership with Wilson Daniels as national sales agent beginning Jan 2026 Has a Director of National Sales Distributes to all 50 states Traditionally skewed off-premise, moving more to on-premise; old agency went a lot of chain retail KPIs from 30-40% on-premise to 60-70% on-premise; get out of grocery and be allocated in chain retail Wants to use wholesale to build status, get in the right accounts (not necessarily 3 Michelin star restaurants - they don’t move many bottles) Found retail accounts not holding price which would make restaurants and DTC members not buy the wines Judgement of Paris story usage Use social media to get the story to end consumers David over Goliath story resonates with people Need to discuss how Montelena still upkeeps the principles and values that led to the win Keeping the story fresh requires mapping today’s actions (e.g. - large replant underway) to the original values (e.g. - curiosity, taking risk) Wine critic influence has waned over last 15-20 years, but scores still have a big impact to certain types of buyers Important to understand the ripple effects of wholesale decisions Tools to navigate wholesale - pricing, mapping market allocations to market potential Managing distributors - need to build direct relationships, get people out to the winery to see and feel the brand Relationships critical to navigating a challenging wine market Goal is to grow through price, not volume Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#281
May 12 · 1 hr 14 min
Navigating the choppy media waters w/ Jason Wise, SOMM TV
Nearly two decades after filming Somm, Jason Wise, Chief Creative Officer of Somm TV and Director of the Somm movies, has a deep view of wine in the media. Jason shares his perspective on what types of media moves the needle, how to get involved as a brand, the ever changing landscape of media itself. Detailed Show Notes: Update from the last 4 years: filming tons of food & wine content around the world, a couple theatrical releases Somm TV: video streaming services, partners w/ wineries and wine regions, Jason founded it to not have to ask permission to film stories A lot of people find Somm TV from YouTube Wine industry evolution (2010-2026): a lot more grapes and too much wine; beginner wine content no longer needed; market needs to sort a few things out; tariffs had huge impact on American wineries (some wineries were 20% Canada) Wine helps create more connection and conversation Media filming rights have changed a lot, used to have a pay a place to film, now they are happy to be a part of it Sideways worked because it was unexpected and was done on its own terms Streaming wars haven’t helped media gain influence, only a few shows that have had an impact (e.g. - Game of Thrones, White Lotus); there’s so much content, it’s hard to break through, now niche is king Niche segments sometimes just talk to their niche, don’t bring in new audiences Documentaries tell stores people didn’t know existed Netflix used to license shows, now they want to own everything, leads to less originality, just make what’s worked before YouTube feeds media, creators build a following, then produce more standard media Wine industry’s role in the media Nobody wants to watch commercials Hard to push media to do what you want it to do Wine should be the drink to push in PR (e.g. - Chateau Angelus in James Bond films has had an impact) Wine cameos in movies can build awareness Winery engagement with media Influencers are like “maintenance,” believes their influence is waning Get the product in TV shows / movies Need the “magic” in the bottle, be known for something (e.g. - Taylor Swift and Sancerre, fans figured it out) Celebrity helps bring a platform if the product had good product-market fit (e.g. - Aveline and Cameron Diaz) Media effectiveness goes in cycle, what works changes over time and circles back; need to try 10 things for 1 to work Believes regional marketing is critical Podcasts are part of people’s everyday routine and movies stick with you, TV is like the “bulk wine” of media Wineries should put budget towards media, spread the money around Many wineries have exited sponsorships and are losing consumer awareness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#217
April 28 · 48 min
A discourse in the communications of wine w/ Karen MacNeil, The Wine Bible & Come Over October
As the wine world stumbles through difficult times (in early 2026), Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible and co-founder of Come Over October, believes part of the disconnect stems from time. The fastness of the modern, social media fueled world and the slowness of wine. Her solution is to focus the narrative of wine with well-being and wine’s long-standing role as a beverage that brings people together. Detailed Show Notes: Karen’s background: author of The Wine Bible, writer, speaker, teacher Worried that a change in culture, to a faster one with social media (took off in 2012 when Facebook hit 1B active users and >50% of the population had smart phones), has left wine, a slower product, behind White wine’s appeal may be partly that it implies fastness Wine is slower to create (can take 3-5 years) and to consume (high acid, tannins for reds) Larger selection of beverages may also be competing for wine’s share, including functional beverages that are marketed as “mindful” Wrote an article, “Is wine really in the alcohol business?” on how wine is more than alcohol, but threaded in the culture of food, history, religion, and art Believes wine should promote the notion of wellbeing vs health, which includes better relationships from sharing wine with people Started Come Over October w/ Gino Colangelo and Kimberly Charles, PR professionals 2025: reached 2.9B media impressions, had 1,400 retail store promotions, raised $250k Sister campaign is Share and Pair Sundays - to go beyond October, involve food, and help engage more restaurants All campaigns need a time, a reason, and a behavior Seneca Lake Wine Trail doing Share and Pair Sundays Texas Wine Country doing “Come Over October Y’all” Most impactful event was an interview with Pink and sports figures, showing wine connects people across industries The wine industry will need to invest to get more people involved, the “Got Milk” campaign spent $23M in the first year Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#216
April 14 · 38 min
Getting more sales analytics manpower with AI w/ Jeremy Hart, Somm.ai
The on-premise side of wine analytics has traditionally been a black hole, not covered by other data services. Somm.ai changed that when they launched in 2021, now covering ~100k on-premise accounts in the US alone. The richness of data allows Somm.ai to help their clients benchmark, prospect for new accounts, and so much more. Jeremy Hart, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Somm.ai, explains how it is more manpower vs a platform to accelerate on-premise sales. Detailed Show Notes: Jeremy’s background: restaurants, wholesale, importing TX became a major wine market during ‘08 Global Financial Crisis; it took the allocations from NY and CA Somm.ai founding: end of 2019 was originally an app for people to find restaurants with wines they wanted to drink; during the pandemic (2020) pivoted to turning restaurant wine lists into retail shops (sold ~$700k of wine); did some smart menus; 2021 launched current iteration of on-premise sales analytics Categorizes restaurants, bars, & hotels in US (100k accounts), Canada, Europe (6 countries, Germany largest w/ 3k accounts), Singapore; data updated every 2 weeks Jackson Family is longest client - w/ NBA partnership, Somm.ai developed target lists around NBA stadiums to sell into ~70 clients of all sizes (many large suppliers, e.g. - Terlato, Vintus, Concha y Toro, wholesalers, importers) General use cases include: Benchmarking vs peers (accounts, placements) Prospecting and lead generation (can see accounts that other distributors cover) Identify brand extensions Help with pricing Identifying sales pitches for national accounts ROI Some clients have moved up a lot in benchmarking ranks Save money on travel, focused on the right markets Can save manpower Pricing ~$30-70k/year avg, includes unlimited training and unlimited seats, US and Canada (other geographies are an upcharge) Product roadmap - expanding to more geographies, which can be temporary exclusivity for early partners Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#215
March 31 · 1 hr 15 min
How Young Consumers Embrace Fine Wine w/ Pauline Vicard, ARENI
It was long assumed that a love of wine runs in the family. Not so, according to new research conducted by ARENI Global on how young consumers get into fine wine. Pauline Vicard, Executive Director of ARENI, gets into the findings of their new study titled “The New Fine Wine Consumer - How People Under 40 Embrace Fine Wine.” From the shrinking middle class to the motivations of wine collectors to what drives women to embrace fine wine, the research and this conversation are chalk full of insights into how wine can attract the next generation of wine lovers. Detailed Show Notes: Fine wine trends (March 2026) A trend towards more collaboration and consolidation Entering the age of precision distribution, after precision winemaking and viticulture Shrinking middle class is shrinking the middle sector of wine Some retailers in the UK doing well by changing delivery policy (e.g. - free next day delivery at 1 bottle, new events relevant for new consumers) New ARENI Study: The New Fine Wine Consumer - How People Under 40 Embrace Fine Wine Studied several major markets: Paris, London, NYC, Singapore, Shanghai, & Hong Kong Research process: expert led roundtables, questionnaires, & interviews / focus groups with consumers and trade Did focus groups in Paris & London of wine student groups (e.g. - LSE, Kings College); LSE’s group is 600 members and do 50 events/year with a £400 budget and 50 students attending each one Study key insights Pool of fine wine drinkers is shrinking; demographics driven (less young people, wealth concentrating) Routes that create fine wine consumers (e.g. - tech and banking) are replacing internships w/ AI Results very similar across markets (a surprise) It’s friends, not family that drive wine interest Complexity of what’s not understood and the pursuit of knowledge being worthy and fun drives wine interest Visibility and ease of access to wine are important Restaurants are still important, but the high cost is an issue Collectors are different from buyers Collectors have a reward system (e.g. - dopamine) from the chase Everyone has a genetic disposition to collect, but activated in 30-35% of the US population Collecting makes people overbuy, which requires a secondary market Reducing prices after en primeur can erode the trust in the reason to collect The French have a negative association with being a collector Young people often spend ~10-15 hrs/week searching and researching wine when they are collectors Differences are bigger between genders than nationality; wine collectors defined when 26-35, when women often start a family or build their career and don’t have the time to collect Only men reported a benefit from wine knowledge at work Events are a good way to test if people can be engaged with the brand Collectors learn about producers not regions (Asia different because certifications are important); want to know which producers, why they are important, and where they can be purchased To trade up in wine, their community needs to trade up with them Need to sell a community to drink with, not just the wines Women historically have less propensity to become collectors Often have less access to money and drink 3-4x less than men Similar at the beginning (44% of <25 year olds engaged in wine, goes down to 7% around 40); it’s not an interest problem, it’s a conversion problem Women overindex in education, events, and the importance of community They never ask for a female only space, they don’t mind age or gender, but need to share interests (e.g. - similar spending power and interests) Successful events have thoughtful placement to create connections b/w people, including to be seen by interesting people; requires knowing all the people who come Next for ARENI: restaurants business models and consumer expectations for fine wine and an update on US distribution Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#214
March 17 · 33 min
Exporting Brand Israel w/ Josh Greenstein, IWPA
Even though it has been making wine for nearly 5 millenia, Israel is a wine region still finding its way in modern times. Josh Greenstein, Director of the Israeli Wine Producers Association (“IWPA”), is on a mission to promote “Brand Israel,” which is all about new discoveries. From winemaker stories to creating new grape varieties to mimic the descriptions in The Bible, Israel is making its mark on the global wine scene. Detailed Show Notes: Josh’s background: 5th generation in the wine business, including NY liquor stores and distribution Israeli Wine Producers Association overview ~40 wineries (of 450 total) are members Mission is to promote “Brand Israel” Founded by the Herzog family, of importer Royal Wine Corp Funded by the wineries and Royal Wine Corp Israeli wine overview Making wine for ~5,000 years Wines were exported to the Romans Growing Israeli food scene has helped Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, many others including ancient grapes and new grapes, e.g. - Argaman, a genetically engineered crossing of Carignan and Souzao, designed to have a “crimson” color as referenced in The Bible Climate: lots of micro-climates, Mediterranean climate, lots of farming Soil types: varied, including volcanic, terra rosa, limestone Tends to be tech forward in farming and winemaking practices Wine consumption in Israel Growing, consume most of domestically produced wine Big use for religious purposes Created wine tourism industry to grow wine knowledge in the country US is #1 export market by far, majority in the NE (top markets - NY, NJ, Miami (fastest growing), LA, Chicago, TX); followed by Canada, Europe, South America Total Wine has an Israeli wine section different from Kosher section “Brand Israel” About discovery, stories of the wineries and something different Good QPR Connects to multiple religions (e.g. - Easter is a large wine consumption event and Easter is about Israel) People often respond saying “Israel makes wine?” (e.g. - at South Beach Food & Wine) All wines in the group are kosher, but kosher is not the focus, just a beneficial attribute Judaism has lots of holiday and events with wine integrated (e.g. - Shabbat) Majority of Israeli wine sales in the US are off-premise, trying to push more on-premise Israeli politics can go both ways, some people don’t buy and others want to support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#213
March 3 · 1 hr 2 min
Finding shared vision & passion w/ Erni Loosen, Loosen Bros
Driven by passion, Erni Loosen, Managing Director of Loosen Bros, has spun up countless joint ventures in his career. All with no business plan or goal of making money, but a greater purpose of driving a Renaissance for Riesling and out of passion for Riesling and Pinot Noir. Erni goes into the qualities that make for good partnerships and some pitfalls to avoid. Detailed Show Notes: Erni’s background: Managing Director Loosen Bros, Dr Loosen Estate in Mosel; took over in 1987 Loosen Bros overview & history ~200 years in the family Only Riesling in the Mosel (Dr Loosen) 1996 bought Villa Wolf in Pfalz 1999 JV w/ Chateau Ste Michelle (Eroica), largest Riesling producer in US 2003 founded Loosen Bros USA in Portland OR as an import company for Loosen wines, then imported other people’s wines; desired to have more flexibility (e.g. - deciding on lower margins due to tariffs) 2005 Appassionata (OR Pinot Noir) 2009 purchased 40 acres in Willamette Valley, planted vineyards, and built winery 2015 JV w/ Telmo Rodriguez (a big Riesling fan) in Rioja w/ Lanzaga 2017 1st vintage of JV w/ Peter Barry in Clare Valley Australia to see if Oz Rieslings were always limey; tried 3,000L barrels - Wolta Wolta 2019 took full ownership of J Christopher in OR Burgundy purchased part of Vieux Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet to start Perron de Mypont and started a negoce 2023 founded Dr Loosen Int’l China A great wine starts w/ an idea in your head For successful JVs, need the right partners with real passion and the same vision Need to see the spirit from the beginning Has never had a business plan JVs are not one way, but learnings on both sides (e.g. - Erni learned how to delay ripening in WA) Erni’s goal for JV’s was not making money, but trying to create a Renaissance for Riesling, which used to be the most expensive wine in the world ~1900, but got a low quality image w/ Blue Nun and Liebfraumilch Most partnerships structured as 50/50 and handshake deals (except Eroica is 40% Loosen, 60% Chateau Ste Michelle, which is also the only contract) Key challenge of JVs are when two visions don’t fit, had one that went bankrupt Would love to do an Alsatian Riesling at some point Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#212
February 17 · 44 min
Texture and Complexity for Asian Food & Wine w/ Sunny Liao & Philippe Venghiattis, Vinus Club
If as many Asians drank wine as the average American, we’d have ~100,000 more wine drinkers. And if Asian restaurants had wine lists at the average rate, we’d have ~5,000 more restaurants with wine lists. This is one of the foundations of the Asian Wine Association of America (“AWAA”), whose mission includes bringing wine to Asian cultures, of which food is central. Part of bridging this divide is exploring Asian food and wine pairing. One of AWAA’s board members, Sunny Liao, Co-founder and CEO, and Philippe Venghiattis, Cellar Master of Vinus Club, delve into their extensive experience pairing wine with Asian foods. Detailed Show Notes: Sunny’s background: exposed to wine from 6, wine educator with Lady Penguin in China, Wine MBA, wine consultant for restaurants, board member of AWAA Philippe’s background: exposed to wine from 3, worked in wine auctions, then went to UC Davis and is a vineyard manager and winemaker as well as operations for Vinus Club Vinus Club is a wine club focused on introducing wine to Asian consumers, including a wine dinner series Asian food: texture is a big focus, meals often have a diverse assortment of food at once, often need more than 1 wine to pair Wine w/ at least 5-6 years of age are more accessible to a wider array of flavors and spice vs the pure fruit of young wines, more complexity helps for pairing Spicy foods work well w/ wines w/ a denser mid-palate that buffer the alcohol Philippe’s first challenge with Asian food and wine was at UC Davis with spicy hot pot Eastern palates tend to be more sensitive to acid and more into texture (e.g. - the texture of Petite Sirah attractive to Eastern palates) Pairing suggestions Aged Alsatian whites (15-20 years old) work well, they have texture, complexity, and mid-palate to buffer the spice Smargad Riesling w/ a few years of age pairs well w/ Singaporean food Braised duck and Barolo Flor de Muga Blanco’s aging process adds texture Orange and volcanic wines work for younger wines Champagne w/ a large amount of reserve wine Jura wines a natural fit for a lot of categories Nicolas Joly’s Coulee de Serrant w/ ~15 years of age often pairs well, but also shows a lot of variation Hardest pairings: Korean food; often has a hint of sweetness, hard to balance w/ wine Indian cuisine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#211
February 3 · 38 min
Modernizing Wine Collecting Productivity w/ Eric LeVine, CellarTracker
With ~1M registered users, CellarTracker (“CT”) is one of the core consumer apps for wine lovers. When Eric LeVine, Founder & CEO of CT, was last on XChateau in late 2021, they had just taken on investment to expand the business. Eric gives us a rundown of what has happened since, like launching a new mobile app and adding AI features, as well as what is coming down the pipe. Detailed Show Notes: CT now at 1M registered users, with monthly active users +40-50% since 2021 Team has grown from ~10 employees during Covid to ~25 Launched new mobile app 1.5 years ago (2023) ~10k reviews in Apple App Store / Google Play with a 4.9* rating More modern, visual For subscribers: enhanced drinking windows, tasting notes, AI features (chatbot for wines you like, pairings, etc…) 3x users registering on monthly basis vs 2021 Continue to support old app to be more customer centric and work out bugs in the new app Improved data analytics; overhauled drinking windows, valuation of wines, “what’s poppin” identifying when people are opening wines Winery analytics: trialed with a couple wineries No obvious product market fit Wineries interested in what other wineries were in cellars with theirs One CA winery had 40% of their mailing list on CT Historically did no marketing Doing more social media, email engagement Some paid search, App Store optimization is the biggest driver Get feedback on what improve with Frill, users can vote on improvements needed and pair it with product usage and usage flows New features on the horizon Starting in-app notifications Developing research tool to identify what wines to buy and how much to pay (aggregates price data from reports and ~50% of users report price paid) Making AI embedded natively in the application Add via receipt feature automatically adds (using AI) wines to cellar if you email add@cellartracker.com Product pricing Was early adopter of “freemium” model People were confused by historic “voluntary payment,” only 1/1000 users could say what features are paid Added more value to paying users (e.g. - drinking windows, AI features; including some things that used to be free), doubled user pay rate Suggesting what to pay is more hidden now Can get an annual subscription on website, monthly on Apple App Store w/ 2 week free trial (Apple takes a cut and must cancel through Apple) Consumer trends People looking for values (e.g. - they ask “what’s a cheaper version of x?”) and diversity of wines Not seeing a lot of changes in user patterns (e.g. - consumption) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#210
January 20 · 54 min
Leading with Vision w/ Arnaud Weyrich & Xavier Barlier, Roederer Estate
After 40 years, Roederer Estate, the Californian arm of Champagne Louis Roederer has really started to hit its stride. Arnaud Weyrich, SVP and Winemaker of Roederer Estate and Xavier Barlier, CMO of MMD USA, discuss its history, trajectory, and how Roederer Estate continues to create more reasons to believe in the brand and the wines. This belief is grounded in a vision to make wines that look and taste like Champagne, but with Californian roots. Detailed Show Notes: Arnaud’s background: interned at Roederer Estate (“RE”) in 1993, returned to winemaking team in 2000 Xavier’s background: Moet Hennessy, Renault, Disney, then Roederer Marketing & Communications Roederer Estate in context Louis Roederer founded in 1776, began exporting to US in 1860-70’s 1980s - acquired Anderson Valley vineyards and built Roederer Estate winery Maison Marques & Domaines (“MMD”) founded 1987 for launch of 1st vintage of RE and distribution of Louis Roederer RE founded because during 1980s, not enough Champagne made to supply growing US market and land was cheaper than France; could also do the estate model, which was difficult in Champagne Anderson Valley had the right weather, track record of other quality, local wines (Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer), and inexpensive land (was known for apple orchards) RE production 1st harvest 1985 (80s challenged by legal problems for wine w/ sulfite content) Late 80s-early 90s - 40-45k cases Mid-90’s-2000 - ~80k cases (bolstered by French paradox, internet boom, young chefs, and “sommelier” becoming an English word) 2025 - ~100k cases Limited by estate model, remote part of CA (tries to attract talent by providing subsidized housing for 90% of staff, invested $3M over last 10 years) CA sparkling history Pioneers supported each other (e.g. - Schramsberg, Domaine Carneros, Iron Horse) Downturn in market (1987 stock market crash, 1989 phylloxera hit vineyards) Market reaction positive, particularly after Schramberg wine served by President Nixon in China at the 1972 “Toast to Peace” RE launch pricing Champagne was priced <$10/bottle in 1980’s, created glass ceiling for CA sparkling RE priced $2-5 below Champagne RE always wanted to look and taste like Champagne (used same varieties, techniques, including reserve wine) Accolades helped establish a “reason to believe” for consumers RE awarded Wine Spectator Top 100 12x since 1998 (#5 in 2019, #20 in 2024) Roederer philosophy to do “as little marketing as possible” 2 types of marketing: 1) consumer focused, doing focus groups and market studies; 2) invisible marketing (e.g. - Steve Jobs), start w/ vision and dream (i.e. - be storytellers) RE is more product driven, not market driven; winemaking makes the wine, marketing tells the story Keeping the brand fresh after 40 years Continue adding reasons to believe for RE As more is learnt about estate, launching new wines - Rose, L’ermitage (vintage, 1989), L’ermitage Rose (1999), Single Vineyards (2020) Single vineyards stem from 600 acres / 100 lots of wine every year; like grower wines in Champagne; wine geeks and sommeliers love it; intimate launch (mostly DTC, some on-premise to create buzz and interest) Create a community (e.g. - Arnaud often in market for tastings), turn consumers into clients and then into fans that tell the brand story to others Price of NV Brut has increased from ~$23 to $30 from 2016-2025 Be honest, transparent w/ wholesalers (e.g. - labor cost, cost of farming, materials), and give time for changes to work through 3-tier system Need accolades and marketing to support the idea that the wine is worth the price (“price fluctuates, value endures”) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#209
January 6 · 54 min
Managing Allocated Offerings w/ Peter Yeung & Byron Hoffman / Tyson Caly, Offset
Guest hosts and a host as the guest in this episode. Byron Hoffman and Tyson Caly, co-CEOs of Offset, a leading e-commerce platform for allocated offerings, interview host Peter Yeung about his new course, Allocated Wine Offerings: Best Practices. They get into the content of the course and also a wide range of topics related to allocated offerings. Detailed Show Notes: Co-hosts: Byron Hoffman, Tyson Caly, Co-CEOs of Offset, a wine e-commerce platform and brand studio Peter’s background: helped managed wineries (Realm Cellars, Kosta Browne, CIRQ Estate) which used Offset’s e-commerce platform, including managing the allocation systems and then consulting for other wineries; McKinsey; co-author of Luxury Wine Marketing, which has high-level strategy around allocations Allocated Wine Offering course More operational strategy for allocations Goes through the entire offering process Includes some benchmarks of key metrics Are allocations still relevant? Yes, for 1) scarcity or desired perceived scarcity and 2) large number of SKUs (hard to do a wine club) Allocated Offering definition: allocation (limit to purchase) + offering (distinct time frame to buy) One of the oldest allocated offerings - Vega Sicilia Other industries that use allocations: watches, cars, sneakers Uniqueness of wine allocations: price per bottle relatively low, number of bottles relatively high compared to other luxury goods, regulation of alcohol → has made wine allocation systems more advanced Timing of offerings clustered at key times (“spring” and “fall”), alternatives tend not to work as well Best practice examples: timing of offerings, wish setting strategy Supply-demand balance makes a difference in what strategies to use Allocation methods: Offering types: first come, first serve; guaranteed allocation; order request; wine clubs; hybrids Allocation types: group based or individual Napa winery started first come, first serve and group based; winery got several 100 point scores, e-commerce system crashed, created buzz and scarcity, and customer service issues amongst old customers; system evolved to guaranteed allocation with individual allocations; led to 40% more customers buying Most important factor in allocations: creating value in allocations (waitlist, secondary market premium, loss of value if they don’t buy) Hybrid models: e.g. - Shafer sold high production wines in online store/club, Hillside Select was allocated; adding multiple models increases operational complexity AI automation for allocations: could do targeted marketing, might be able to create allocations, likely won’t create allocation rules Setting allocations is quick for first come first serve / group based allocations, more complex individual / guaranteed allocations take longer, but can be accelerated with templates and formulas Predicting and identifying potential good customers challenging because wine interest is not easy to determine and not correlated with wealth RFM (recency, frequency, monetary) a way to prioritize customers Leveraging unique experiences to wine buying and building community can drive performance Managing waitlists (e.g. - Sine Qua Non sent a postcard / letter / email every offering to let people know they couldn’t buy wine; intro offerings can engage people right away; drip campaigns also work) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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