As Ken Freeman says, “the harder I work, the luckier I get.” Still, the Freemans have had a charmed path to building their successful estate winery. From finding a famous tenant yielding cash flow positive business in year one, to picking their favorite wine – Pinot Noir – as the focus of their winery three years before the movie Sideways made the varietal the hot property it still is today, the Freemans have capitalized on their good fortune to create a successful business, Freeman Vineyard and Winery.  Carol, Ken, and Akiko discuss many topics, including the secrets to a successful husband and wife business partnership, and how to enter the Japanese market.

https://www.freemanwinery.com/#en

Questions? Comments? [email protected]

Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/

Music: Nate Collison

Logo Photography: John Corcoran

Pete Przybylinski, Executive Vice President, and Chief Sales Officer of The Duckhorn Portfolio discusses the many lessons he learned about wine sales and sales management during his thirty years at the company. Among the many useful ideas for sales professionals, Pete discusses:

This conversation covers an immense amount about management and wine sales. There’s something in it for everyone.

https://www.duckhornportfolio.com/

Questions? Comments? [email protected]

Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/

Music: Nate Collison

Logo Photography: John Corcoran

What makes wine so different from all other adult beverage is the art. Listen as Arminee Chahbazian, a talented painter and sculpture who also sells French oak wine barrels for Tonnellerie Bel Aire describes both her artistic work and how it resonates with her representation of this important component in fine wine production.  Another lesson here for folks who might not consider the lucrative sales profession, so important to all of the business world: if a fine artist can do it, so can you.

http://www.arminee.com/

https://www.tonnellerie-bel-air.fr/en/

https://sanfranciscoartfair.com/

Questions? Comments? [email protected]

Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/

Music: Nate Collison

Logo Photography: John Corcoran

James Hall, once and current owner of the Patz & Hall wine brand generously shares a lot of inside information about the two M&A processes he went through, the first in 2016 when he and his partners sold their brand to Ste Michelle Wine Estates, and the second when he and new partners bought it back in 2024 from the Private Equity firm that succeeded SMWE as owner.  Anyone who wants to sell a winery or buy a winery will benefit from the details he shares about wine M&A, as well as how to run a successful company and create a business that will be ready for a transaction in that rare event when a buyer comes knocking on the door. 

https://www.patzhall.com/

Questions? Comments? [email protected]

Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/

Music: Nate Collison

Logo Photography: John Corcoran

Karen MacNeil is the award-winning wine writer and author of the book The Wine Bible (now in its third edition). She joins Carol to discuss “Share and Pair Sundays,” a campaign to highlight the social benefits that come from enjoying wine with food and friends. MacNeil explains the genesis of this project as a means of taking on the current anti-alcohol media messaging. She also shares her story of becoming a writer, how to have success as an entrepreneur and gives some great advice for folks considering joining the industry.

https://www.karenmacneil.com/

https://winespeed.com/

https://www.instagram.com/shareandpairsundays/

Questions? Comments? [email protected]

Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/

Music: Nate Collison

Logo Photography: John Corcoran

In this episode host Carol Collison talks with her friend and serial entrepreneur Lesley Berglund, a 4th generation Napa business owner. As a founder of one of the first wine catalogues, Ambrosia, in 1991, Lesley invented the concept of winery wine club, creating programs for her catalogue suppliers.  Her company also pioneered direct wine sales fulfillment.  After selling that company, Lesley immediately launched a new company, WISE (Wine Industry Sales Education) to provide comprehensive training programs for winery direct-to-consumer staff.  Carol and Lesley also discuss the tactics that her clients are using to win business in a changing and more competitive wine sales environment. 

https://wineindustrysaleseducation.com/

Questions? Comments? [email protected]

Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/

Music: Nate Collison

Logo Photography: John Corcoran

In today’s Small Fortune episode Ben Slaughter, founder of Agricultural Property Appraisal Company Arable, joins Carol Collison to discuss the challenges of appraising the market value of wineries in a commercial real estate class where no two assets are exactly alike. Ben and his team use experience and technology to provide market value estimates for a variety of uses: from financing and acquisition to estate planning and litigation. Ben describes his initial assessment of some recorded values on winery properties recently included in the Vintage Wine Estates bankruptcy, and whether and how they might affect market values going forward.

https://www.arableag.com/

https://water.ca.gov/programs/groundwater-management/sgma-groundwater-management

Questions? Comments? [email protected]

Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/

Music: Nate Collison

Logo Photography: John Corcoran

Carol is joined by Steve Fredricks, the President of Turrentine Brokerage, an important international wine, and grape brokerage company, for a conversation about the 2024 California grape harvest. The Preliminary Grape Crush Report, which was published by the USDA on February 10th, revealed a “shockingly” small vintage with total grapes harvested down 23%. With California representing 60% of the total wines sold in the US, this result will have a meaningful impact on the industry. Listen in to hear Steve’s assessment of what those impacts might be.

https://www.turrentinebrokerage.com/

Questions? Comments? [email protected]

Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/

Music: Nate Collison

Logo Photography: John Corcoran

In today’s episode Carol Collison interviews Christine Clair, former Director of the publicly traded Willamette Valley Vineyards, on how she succeeded in moving up the ranks over a 7+ year career at the winery. The conversation is packed with business insights. Highlights of the interview include:

Questions? Comments? [email protected]

Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/

Music: Nate Collison

Logo Photography: John Corcoran

In this second of two episodes on the role of the Sommelier in wine sales, Carol Collison and Lawrence Wine Estates’ Carlton McCoy discuss the story of his success which took him from training in the restaurant business, to becoming a Master Sommelier in his early ‘20’s, to today’s wine industry leader.  Carlton describes the Court of Master Sommeliers as a successful industry training organization and probably the most impactful organization for wine consumption in American history. They wrap up the conversation with a discussion of the outlook for wine sales in 2025.

https://www.mastersommeliers.org/

Kelli A White: Wine Confident:  https://bookshop.org/p/books/wine-confident-there-s-no-wrong-way-to-enjoy-wine-kelli-a-white-ms/21449087?ean=9781917084499

Questions? Comments? [email protected]

Sponsor: Global Wine Partners https://www.globalwinebank.com/

Music: Nate Collison

Logo Photography: John Corcoran