Seismic Shift at Big Basin Vineyards: “At the Time, I Didn’t...
by Laura Ness
Owner/Winegrower Bradley Brown of Big Basin Vineyards has been on a long, tumultuous journey as a self-taught winemaker in the middle of...
Buying Brand Only and Building on an Asset Light Wine Business
News of large mergers or acquisitions in the wine industry seem to arrive at an increasing clip, and those involving large swaths of land...
Are Your Customers Having Fun?
How often do your make your customers smile or laugh? Is it at least once during any interaction? Well almost any interaction, if someone...
New Winery Association Leadership Conference a Success: Must-Go Say Attendees
Stepping up to fill a much-needed niche in the beverage industry, the 2017 US Wine & Beverage Expo (USBevX), held in Washington, D.C. offered something unique; the first-ever Winery Association Leadership Conference (WALC). Built for association directors (at state, regional, and AVA levels), their board members, and key staff, this fledgling conference achieved high marks from all parties, attendees to panelists.
A Foot in Two Industries: How Wine and Weed Cross-Pollinate
Cannabis has long been grown in the shadows, under the canopies of the Emerald Triangle, while wine grapes were grown in the neighboring counties of Sonoma and Napa in the open, under the warm California sun. Now, cannabis, a plant whose flowers can be worth as much as gold, is beginning to emerge from those shadows and venture into the mainstream. The same can be said for business professionals who are also emerging from other industries, like wine, to embrace the opportunities that the cannabis industry presents. I spoke to two women who have a foot in both wine and weed, starting their careers in the wine industry, and more recently stepping into the cannabis industry, while still maintaining their work with wine.
Small Brands Need a Better Fit in the Market
In my role as National Spokesperson for Liberation Distribution I have been making the rounds at industry meetings and events for the last few months....
Customer Service: The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly
After watching a segment on the television about a couple of companies that offer customer service that is above and beyond the norm, earlier...
Gender Inequity Discussed at Wine Women Equal Pay Day Conference in...
On April 4th a local wine industry professional group from Napa and Sonoma, Wine Women, held their first Equal Pay Day mini-expo at Napa Valley Community College.
U.S. Producers Betting on Rosé and Challenging French Dominance
“Is it on? Yes, it’s definitely on. Pink is trending; it’s a heavy trending thing, and I don’t see it going away at all,”...
What About the Wine Label?
I was speaking to a group of wineries and growers recently about sales and marketing of wine and grapes. In the course of the...
The Adult Beverage Version of the Berlin Wall Has Fallen
From 1961 to 1989 the Berlin Wall cut off and divided West Berlin from East Berlin. In November of 1989 it came down and...
California’s Greatest Grape Pruner Shapes Concannon Grounds by Shear Magic
by Laura Ness
With a simple pair of shears and a compassion for saving trees and bushes others thought were simply in the way, the...
Emails to Customers
I was at the USBevX conference and trade show in Washington DC in February. It was a great conference with lots of valuable information...
Selling Wine Through Facebook Requires the Tenacity for Testing of a...
Remember that teacher in high school who relentlessly surprised the class with random, mid-week quizzes? The secret to success of selling wine through Facebook...
New Company Breaks Barriers to Distribution for Small Producers
Consolidation continues to make distributors bigger and fewer while the number of producers grow with new small producers enter the market. The vast majority...
