XChateau Wine Podcast

With over 1,000 kosher wines from across all major winegrowing regions, Royal Wine is the largest importer (and producer and distributor) of kosher wine in the world. Gabe Geller, Director of PR & Wine Education, discusses the market for kosher wine, how and where it is made, and how Orthodox Jews hear about them. Detailed Show Notes: Gabe’s background, at Royal Wine >9 years, wine industry for 16 years (retail, consulting, marketing) Royal Wine - world’s leading importer, producer, distributor of kosher wine Can’t taste kosher wine, similar to other wines Israel #1 producer of kosher wine (~5M cases), USA (~350k cases; mostly Herzog), France (~350k cases across many wineries) Kosher wine market In top kosher markets, large retailers (e.g. - Total Wine) will have a kosher selection, some kosher wine stores, and online retailers (e.g. - Wine.com) also carry kosher Of the 15.7M Jewish people (2023), only a small portion keep kosher Some kosher wines sold to the general market (e.g. - Bartenura Moscato #1 imported Moscato the past 15 years, most don’t know it’s kosher; Jeunesse semi-dry wines have a distinct consumer appeal) Israeli politics / Gaza war have lead to people buying more to support Israel Marketing to the Orthodox community Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Though one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the world, Israel is still exploring its potential after Muslim rule after World War I. Victor Schoenfeld, Head Winemaker, and Walter Whyte, VP of Sales for Yarden Imports, explain how Golan Heights Winery has set the bar for the quality of Israeli wine and spreads its wines globally, both within the Jewish community and beyond. Detailed Show Notes: Victor Schoenfeld - CA native, went to UC Davis, recruited to Golan Heights Winery in 1991 Walter Whyte - managed officers’ clubs in the military and learned about wine Golan Heights Winery (“GH”) background Israeli wine history Israeli war impacts Israeli wine market Differentiating GH Marketing All GH wines are kosher Food and wine pairing is not typical. Traditional Middle Eastern cuisine, “mezze,” has a lot of different flavors at once Passover dinner is coursed, and every adult must drink four glasses of wine (or grape juice) Yarden Cru Elite - $2,000 per pair Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tracking vine trunk movements down to the 0.5-micron level, Phytech is leveraging technology to optimize vine irrigation. Cody Ashurst, Director of Vineyards, and Lex Palmer, Marketing Manager, discuss how their solution optimizes and automates irrigation today and how it can be extended to optimize fertilization, harvest dates, and much more. Detailed Show Notes: Phytech - a global SaaS company that optimizes agricultural irrigation Dendrometer - digital devices mounted onto vine or tree, measures expansion and contraction of plant trunks at the 0.5-micron level (70 microns = 1 human hair) Vineyard solution includes a dendrometer, soil probe, website, and mobile app with wireless comms and data loggers connected via cellular, satellite, or wifi Benefits: Pricing - depends on # of sites in a block Case studies (videos on website) Marketing most through word of mouth/referrals The most significant barrier to adoption is technophobia The subscription-based model eliminates “tech graveyard” growers have Product roadmap Other exciting innovations - Autonomous spraying and tractors (Guss, Monarch), optical arrays for vine health (Scout), microalgae for soil health (MyLand) Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After struggling with tracking vineyard data firsthand, Shawn DeMartino, CEO and Founder of Sentinel, decided to create a solution with his partner. Enabling vine by vine mapping and data collection that could stand the test of time enables vineyard managers to increase the lifespan of a vineyard, manage viruses, and effectively create a “medical record” for each individual vine. Detailed Show Notes: Shawn’s background - winemaking, viticulture, now general management Sentinel was a Covid project that became real, software that collects individual vine information over time Mapping the vineyard Work order function Core benefits Pricing ROI example: client roguing 1% of vines/year w/ growing virus problem, Sentinel enabled them to get ahead of the problem in 1 year Marketing mostly organic search Barriers to adoption Other tech Shawn is interested in Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the recent launch of a new $300 retail icon wine, Boulder, Kaiken continues to explore the potential for luxury wines from Argentina. Building on the last 15 years of Kaiken's other icon wine, Mai, Anita Correas, Commercial Director, and Gustavo Hormann, Director of Winemaking, discuss the global market for luxury Argentinian wines, how they approach launching them, and the brand-building impacts for the Kaiken brand. Detailed Show Notes: Kaiken background Recently launched new luxury tier/icon wine - "Boulder" Boulder launch plan Mai - prior icon wine 70% of Argentinean wine is consumed domestically, delaying the need for exports >$100 market for Argentine wine - "not a huge market" Return on Boulder is more than sales, but brand building for Kaiken Focused on relationships with importers Montes relationship Kaiken Ultra ($26) awarded Wine Spectator Top 100 (#30, highest Argentine wine) Good press in 2024 for Kaiken - #1 New World Winery from Sommelier Awards, Boulder rated best Argentinian red blend by Patricio Tapai (wine critic), Estate Malbec was Wine Spectator's best value wine Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With many macro headwinds for the wine world, Gino Colangelo, founder of Colangelo PR, felt the negative and often poorly fact-checked press around alcohol and health posed an existential threat. Teaming with Karen McNeil of The Wine Bible and fellow PR leader Kimberly Charles, they founded Come Over October, a campaign to create a positive narrative around wine. With freely available media assets and over 120 partners, the movement, in its first stretch, has shown the power of focusing on the positive elements of wine. Detailed Show Notes: Macro wine challenges include marijuana, Ozempic, and RTDs, but “no alcohol is healthy” messages from WHO and other gov’t organizations potentially pose an existential threat to the industry Come Over October (“COO”) founding The Wine BibleFundamental principles The goal for success: turning the narrative around wine positive (e.g., more articles on the social benefits of wine) Asked for two things from partners Example activations Campaign success metrics Wine EnthusiastVinepairWine SpectatorNext Campaign - Spring 2025 Health debate 60 MinutesContact info: info@comeoveroctober.com or gcolangelo@colangelopr.com Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a second year of volume declines, 2024 has been challenging for the wine industry. Digging deeper into what trends are shaping the wine industry’s malaise, Cathy and Chris Huyghe, founders of sales analytics software platform Enolytics, have uncovered important insights into the US DTC wine market, including the decline of women and the divide between the affluent and middle class in wine purchasing. Enolytics has also developed a free service for the industry called EnoInsights, which is worth checking out. Detailed Show Notes: Enolytics launched b/c no one in wine knew what to do with their data Partnership with WineDirect 2024 DTC trends Hospitality/visitation declined 7% (# of purchasers) in 2024 (also declined in 2023) Wine club growth -3% (# of members) in last 12 months Website sales have the most significant room for growth, -42% since 2022, still up from pre-pandemic Events - same levels as 2022 Cross-channel marketing can be effective, e.g., using DTC data to sell out a restaurant event Wholesale data partner - VIP - includes “can buy” and “lost” accounts Regional wine marketing boards (VA, Paso Robles) engaging Enolytics to do studies on DTC data - currently doing baseline analysis and onboarding more wineries, sending quarterly reports Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having “taught a computer how to taste” and using that data to help winemakers improve their processes, Tastry has turned to leveraging AI and their consumer preferences and wine chemistry databases to help wineries sell wine. Katerina Axelsson, CEO, and Charles Slocum, Chief Business Officer, discuss Tastry’s Sales Accelerator Ecosystem, which includes the Wine & Consumer Insights Report, which gives wineries, distributors, and retailers tools to help them sell more wine. Tastry has provided an example report for listeners. Detailed Show Notes: Tastry overview - see Ep 157 for a deeper dive Tastry commercialization history Sales Accelerator Ecosystem WCI - 2-page report to help sell wines WCI Components: Top left - bottle shot, label zoom in (helps for retention); name of wine; varietal; appellation; price (what it is actually sold for in the market); wine category (AI curates category to be highest scoring on Tastry score) Category Score - 200 point scale, 100 is average for the category Tastry Notes - AI-generated tasting notes, breaks into average and more experienced drinkers Segmented Consumer Appeal - insights into buyers of wine; if there’s at least an 85% match (roughly equates to Vivino’s 3.9-4.0 score or 88-90 critic score), consumers tend to notice they like the wine and will buy it again Flavor profile (p1) - e.g., fruitiness, oakiness, sweetness P2 - flavor profile (major flavors), retail talking points, food pairings - used as a training tool to help people sell wine Launching a new page for marketing teams to update data Retailer recommender - has shown +3-12% sales in 90 days Tastry Pricing - $1,580/year subscription, $370/wine analyzed How Tastry can help in the current macro environment Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With 600 acres, a polo field, a lake dock, and even a zebra and camel onsite, the Folded Hills Winery and Farmstead in Santa Barbara is able to create unique and memorable experiences. Kim Busch, Founder and Co-Owner, and Kylie Enholm, Director of Operations, discuss how they bring this vision to life through the platform of Rhone varietal wines. From hiring for the “hospitality gene” to having a full-time events manager, Folded Hills is creating memories they hope to get people to tell their friends and add to their wine club program. Detailed Show Notes Folded Hills founding - intended to grow and sell grapes, vineyard manager convinced the Busch’s to start a label, Folded Hills ties into family history Folded Hills overview Visitation Creating memories through events differentiates Folded Hills Prices events to primarily cover expenses (range from $15 - 195 winemaker dinners) The focus is on creating memories vs selling wine to create word-of-mouth buzz Hospitality differentiation through events and experiences Wine club benefits Farmstead - “heart of soul” of brand Santa Barbara wine region differentiation - diversity, 75 varieties grown; unique climate (transverse mountain range) Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the health and wellness and moderation trends booming, the non-alcoholic wine market has been growing quickly off a small base. Launched in 2019, the Giesen 0% range has solidified its position as one of the leaders in the NA wine market. Duncan Shouler, Director of Innovation, explains how the 0% range was developed, the critical elements of non-alcoholic wine, the current market conditions, and what it will take for the non-alcoholic wine market to succeed. Detailed Show Notes: Duncan’s background - was in marine biology and shifted to wine ~20 years ago Giesen - family owned, 40 years old, large winery (crushes ~20k tons/year), a broad range of wines from large scale to single vineyard Started non-alcoholic (“NA”) range 5 years ago (2019) The creation of the NA range came from a fitness challenge in 2019, when he could not drink alcohol for 1 month and discovered there were no good choices in the NA space. Spinning cone technology (good for quality as it uses lower temps than other processes) also became available in NZ at that time NA winemaking process - create regular wine, then remove alcohol; for red wine, you need to balance the tannins (need ripe, soft tannins) More expensive to make - costs 15-20% more NA taste - loses some of alcohol’s texture, body, heat NA wines age similarly to regular wine (except in cans) NA wine markets - still in growth mode, needs higher quality wines to succeed NA wine drinkers - originally abstainers driving growth, now people substituting wine driving growth from moderation trend; broad market from boomers to legal age Gen Z; 35-60 females largest cohort Price points aligned with regular wine ($9 low end, up to $18/bottle, some products ~$55/bottle) Removed alcohol of high quality can be used for other things (e.g., gin, biofuel) NA wines can have up to 0.5% abv, Giesen wines 0.4-0.5% abv Marketing NA wines Nutritional and ingredient labeling - mandatory for regular wine in the EU; NA is a food product and requires it Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having struggled to manage and maintain distribution for her family winery, Cheryl Durzy, CEO of LibDib, decided to start her own distributor. In comes LibDib, a tech-enabled distributor that lets any alcohol producer have distribution in most of the key US markets. Cheryl provides background on the US 3-tier system, the role of a distributor, and how LibDib is helping producers get distribution, enable wine sales, and become a tech platform for other distributors. Detailed Show Notes: US 3-Tier System US distribution heavily consolidated into 3 large ones, lots of smaller specialty distributors vs. many distributors in the 70s/80s Distributor function Getting a distributor LibDib - enables wineries to sell themselves, a tech-enabled distributor LibDib use cases Pros/cons of LibDib Business model RNDC partnership - OnDemand division Trade account benefits LibTech (launched Jan 2024 in TN) LibDib is developing AI tools for suppliers, early 2025 launch Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the pioneer of Vitis Vinifera in the Eastern US, Dr. Konstantin Frank is one of the key leaders of the Fingers Lakes region in New York. Meaghan Frank, a fourth-generation vintner, has been leading the charge to evolve its hospitality program to create brand ambassadors for the winery and the region. Its 1886 Wine Experience has won Best Wine Tour by USA Today in the last two years. Meaghan breaks down their hospitality program and its impact on their business. Detailed Show Notes: Finger Lakes region, NY - 150 wineries (of 400 in NY), NW NY State - 5 hrs from NYC Dr. Konstantin Frank - PhD in Viticulture from Odesa, Ukraine; a grape scientist; fled to NY during WWII Dr. K Frank Winery Hospitality program Three experiences: USA TodayWine club evolution Popular wines Increasing issues around climate change - 2023 had the largest spring frost in history, increasing water issues Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With ~2M monthly sessions on their newly unified commerce and media website, Wine Enthusiast continues to be a beacon for the wine industry. Jacki Strum, President of Wine Enthusiast Media, details their new wine review platform and global wine travel directory, democratizing access to wine and wine experiences globally. These initiatives help bring more people into the world of wine, including the younger generations, a critical part of building a vibrant wine industry. Detailed Show Notes: Covid altered the business model, led to re-structured organization and unified media and commerce divisions on wineenthusiast.com 2022 - WE paused reviews for emerging wine regions to recalibrate systems Existing tasting process New tasting platform (Sept 2024) - anyone can submit a wine for review and all will be reviewed Tasting platform benefits for new and small wineries Media trends New travel division for WE WE revenue mix Getting Gen Z engaged with wine Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During a career sabbatical from wine PR at a yoga teacher retreat, Morgan Perry tried combining wine education and yoga with great success. Her classmates practically forced her to found Vino Vinyasa, which has blossomed into six cities. With a focus on creating great experiences rather than selling wine, Morgan has created a platform where people learn about wine and end up seeking out the wines featured in classes. Detailed Show Notes: Morgan’s background - wine PR, been in wine for ~15 years, became a yoga teacher in 2017 Wine & Yoga synergies Vino Vinyasa Vino Vinyasa programming Business model Students often seek out wines after classes Wine selection for classes Marketing Private events Wellness & wine market Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taking over an iconic estate can be both exciting and terrifying. When EPI purchased the iconic Brunello di Montalcino producer Biondi Santi in 2017, they asked Giampiero Bertolini to take over as CEO. Giampiero was excited to join the “Champions League” of wine but also had to convince the local community that this outside investment would be good. He delves into how Biondi Santi has been pushing toward creating more value for the brand while maintaining its core essence. Detailed Show Notes: Biondi Santi’s history La Storica (wine library) - has all vintages since 1888, releases one old Riserva with a current Riserva each year Path to Iconic Status EPI acquired Biondi Santi in 2017 and installed Giampiero as CEO; the community was skeptical of French owners for an iconic estate had to convince neighbors by being transparent about what they were doing at the estate What they kept the same Keeping the brand fresh ChocolatThe most effective initiative so far - repositioning the brand by increasing price → gave higher credibility and put the brand up another step, old vintages increasing in price on the secondary market, high demand on Liv-ex (one of few growing while price increasing), one of the top 35 wines in the world on Liv-ex Growth for Biondi Santi = value growth; volume is complex to grow Value-driven by increasing distribution globally to rarify the brand further, not just taking price, but increasing value, which is a consequence of many conditions, and not rushing value creation in the market Biondi Santi is now in 2.0 after 1st five years, and the next step is to increase the quality of its presence in the world and be closer to partners and consumers Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part 2 with Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly, she explains how parent company Veronafiere invested in the various Vinitaly products and allowed her to experiment. Stevie also dives into her prolific content strategy, including the Italian Wine Podcast, which has over 2M downloads to date and where she sees value in marketing. Detailed Show Notes: Italian Wine Podcast Funding the Vinitaly complex Veronafiere saw value in investing in Vinitaly products Stevie’s team has a large staff of content producers (video, social media) Marketing products Looking forward - wants to bring more people to Italy and Vinitaly - it is the best way to convert people to Italian wine Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the world's most prominent Italian wine fair, Vinitaly attracts ~4,000 producers and turns the entire city of Verona into Vinitaly. As Managing Director of Vinitaly, Stevie Kim has built a vast, international community around Vinitaly and its many other products surrounding it, becoming a "Vinitaly Marathon." Stevie goes into depth about why each product was started and how it plugs into the entire Vinitaly ecosystem in part 1 of this 2-part series. Detailed Show Notes: Stevie's background: born in Korea, grew up in New York, married an Italian, and moved to Italy; Veronafiere recruited her to lead Vinitaly The Vinitaly "Marathon" (2025 schedule) Also, do events outside of Verona (New York, China, Hong Kong) Vinitaly - established in 1967 in Verona OperaWine Wine SpectatorVIA Italian Wine Unplugged 2.05 Star Wines (fka Vinitaly Int’l Competition) Wine2Wine business forum (Nov - after harvest, before Christmas) Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Written by the Biondi-Santi family in 1967, the appellation rules for Brunello di Montalcino are some of the strictest in Italy. This has led to Brunello vineyard land becoming some of the most expensive in the country and led Brunello on the pathway to becoming one of the world's iconic wine regions. Giampiero Bertolini, CEO of Biondi-Santi, explains the terroir, regulations, and market for Brunello di Montalcino and his belief in pursuing value and quality over quantity. Detailed Show Notes: Giampiero's background - studied economics, worked at Procter & Gamble, entered the wine industry by chance Brunello di Montalcino - hill in Tuscany, b/w coast and Apennine mountains, protected by mountains and with altitude Quality has improved over the last 20 years, with more emphasis on viticulture 1970s - Franco Biondi Santi trialed 40 clones and chose BBS11 for their soil Regulated production system Biondi-Santi has a target style for their wines and matches vineyard lots to create style (~60% Brunello, 25% Rosso, remainder Riserva when made) Some producers make single vineyards now (both Rosso and Brunello), but Biondi-Santi is not focused on that The most expensive vineyard land in Italy ~₠1M/ha, a significant rise in 2015 when the 2010 vintage was released Foreign investors (France, Brazil, Belgium, Swiss) are increasing the value of the land Market for Brunello Sales Channels Future of Brunello - hopes the focus is on value and quality and not higher volume Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making natural wines right out of university, Arianna Occhipinti, founder of Azienda Agricola Occhipinti, has quickly built a strong following globally, particularly in the US. Discovered by Louis/Dressner at a natural wine show around Vinitaly, Occhipinti’s focus on expressing terroir through natural farming and winemaking and doing everything with passion has led to continued success. Detailed Show Notes: She finished university in Milan, started making wine in 2004, and is interested in natural wines that speak of terroir Based in Vittoria, Sicily, she makes wines from reds (Frappato, Nero d’Avola), whites (Albanello, Zibbibo, Grillo) Terroir - limestone (lots of fossils), red sand, 250m above sea level, 8 km from the sea, 8 km from mountains, windy and dry -> lead to low pH wines 1st meeting with Louis/Dressner in 2006 at a Vinitaly adjacent natural wine fair 1st trip to US (“Real Wine Tour”) - Louis/Dressner organized a young group of producers, with a lot of energy that toured the US Traction partly from being an early mover in the natural wine movement At the time, San Francisco (and Paris) were leading the world for natural wines Traction was a combination of wine quality and consistency, restaurant promotion, and good communications Convincing people who know a lot about wine (e.g., sommeliers) helped In the US market ~1x / year Louis/Dressner did a great job of selecting wine producers and having good relations with their clients Advice for others - do everything with passion, potentially spend more time on trips to spend more time with people Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the 26th generation family member to run Marchesi Antinori, Alessia Antinori, VP and Winemaker, knows the benefits of being a family-owned business, particularly around transmitting family values from generation to generation. These insights and values are shared as members of an elite group of family-owned wineries, the Primum Familae Vini. Alessia digs into the structure of the PFV, its purpose, and its activities to promote family businesses globally. Detailed Show Notes: Antinori Family - started in wine in 1385 as wine merchants in Florence and became a producer in the Chianti Classico region Primum Familiae Vini (“PFV”) Family businesses are important to: Two committees in the PFV - marketing & technical Annual Meeting Promotion/marketing events PFV Family Prize - “the most beautiful company of the year” PFV is funded by an annual fee from members Collector Cases Advice for other family wine businesses - be very passionate about the work, be curious and passionate Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.