XChateau Wine Podcast

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”

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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