XChateau Wine Podcast Robert Vernick, Peter Yeung

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
There are lots of different soils, and each location on a hill is differentSangiovese - only appellation in Italy with only one varietal, >150 clones (Biondi Santi uses 46 clones)1967 - 78 producers; today >250Quality 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
Created by the Biondi-Santi family in 1967Limited yields (Brunello - 8 tons/ha; Rosso - 9 tons/ha)Strict aging requirements - barrel min 12 months (Rosso), 24 months (Brunello, Riserva); bottle min 4 months (Rosso), 24 months (Brunello, Riserva); Brunello min 5 years totalSamples tasted by the Commission panelAppellation expanded ~20 years ago, now frozen at 2,100 ha2023 - Rosso appellation expanded (550 → 900ha)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
The biggest is the US, developed by producer BanfiOther vital markets: Switzerland, the UK (higher-end wines), Hong Kong, ItalySales Channels
Rosso - more casual restaurants, wine bars, BTGBrunello - 50/50 on and off-premiseRiserva - mostly high-end retail as it is for collectorsFuture of Brunello - hopes the focus is on value and quality and not higher volume

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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)
Started w/ 1ha farm in Fosso di Lupo (Frappato, Nero d’Avola)Cultivates a pluricultural farm for biodiversity - vineyards, orange, pear, wheat, vegetable garden2006 - built a small winery2013 - moved to another farm in BombolieriTerroir - 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 presentation of winesKevin McKenna tried the wines and got Jules Dressner to try them, where they immediately asked if they could import themStill working together, they are “very pure people”One of the 1st Italian producers that Louis/Dressner represented1st 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
Natural wine bars (e.g. - Terroir Wine Bar)Leading restaurants (A16, Bar Agricole)LA (Domaine LA) and NY followedSommeliers promoted the wine and created strong relationshipsTraction 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

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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
Alessia is part of the 26th generation, the 27th generation also in the companyFather was part of the important 25th generation - in the 60s/70s changed towards a quality mindset vs. quantity focus for most of Italy, e.g., launched Tignanello (1st Super Tuscan)“Blending tradition and innovation”Family members are not obliged to join the company but grow up around the wineryPrimum Familiae Vini (“PFV”)
Founded in 1993 by Joseph Drouhin and Miguel Torres wineriesCurrent members include Vega Sicilia, Pol Roger, Chateau Mouton12 members, family-owned, old world (the exception was Opus One w/ Mondavis and Mouton Rothschild)When a family sells, a new winery is invited, often from a missing region (e.g., Jaboulet replaced by Beaucastel to keep a Rhone producer), look for high quality, shared values, and families get along (including children)Exchange one case of wine with each other every ChristmasFamily businesses are important to: 
Transmit values from generation to generation (e.g., for Antinori - passion, integrity, obsession for quality)Can make decisions for future generations (long-term mindset)Two committees in the PFV - marketing & technical
Meet 3-4x / year virtually or in personMeet at least 2x/year (1 annual meeting - 2024 in Oregon hosted by Drouhins)Annual Meeting
Up to 100 people, several generations per familyBusiness meetings, lunches, dinnersEach year, a different family hosts an event and then becomes President of PFV for the following yearTopics - technical (Torres often has good topics), issues in family businesses, sales, legal issues, future PFV planningMostly, internal PFV presentersPromotion/marketing events
2024 - after Oregon hosted a press tasting in NapaUsually, press, charity, or walk-around tastingsPFV Family Prize - “the most beautiful company of the year”
Family-owned businesses, not only wine, must have 3 generations working in the businessReceive financial and market support/cross-promotion1st year was a Belgian violin companyGiven every two yearsDo an event together with the press to present the awardPFV is funded by an annual fee from members
Collector Cases
Haute Couture case - 1 back vintage, iconic wine from each winery, only for charity, includes the PFV Passport, which is an invitation to visit each winery with lunch or dinner with a family member (many wineries closed to the public)Limited Edition case - 1 recent vintage wine for each winery can buy for €25kAdvice for other family wine businesses - be very passionate about the work, be curious and passionate

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With 100+ years of history, many accolades, and distinctive mountain-grown sparkling wines, Ferrari Trento is still often confused with the car maker Ferrari. Matteo Lunelli, President and CEO, explains how Ferrari Trento leverages partnerships, including Formula 1, The Emmys, and others, to tell its story and grow its audience globally.  
Detailed Show Notes: 
Ferrari Trento overview
Founded in 1902 by Giulio Ferrari1952 - Bruno Lunelli (Matteo’s grandfather) acquired the wineryTrento DOC in NE Italy, in the middle of the Alps, famous for the Dolomite mountainsA leading brand for luxury sparkling wine in ItalyMethodo Classico - 2nd fermentation in the bottleMainly Chardonnay, Pinot NoirMountain sparkling wine - gets sunlight, but big diurnal shift to keep acidityPioneer of Trento DOC, started denomination, now 60 wineriesWon Sparkling Producer of the Year several timesAll estate vineyards are certified organic, winery carbon neutralIl Ferrari (masculine, the wine) vs La Ferrari (feminine, the car); separate companies, no familial relation
Formula 1 (“F1”) partnership - “Official Toast of F1”
Started as a dream, Matteo passionate about F1A team member who used to work at Heineken, which sponsored F1, started the conversation in 2019Share common values of search for excellence, tradition, and innovationStarted in April 2021Jeroboam used to celebrate wins on the podium, served in Paddock Club (hospitality)F1 exploded with Drive to Survive movie on NetflixNew races started in Miami and Las VegasFormerly used Champagne, 1st Italian wine used to celebrateROI is measured by growth in international sales (US sales 3x, TX 10x, Las Vegas huge growth since 2020), increased attention from key international accountsKey benefits of F1 partnership: 
Visibility - social media key, particularly pics with drivers showing bottles during the celebration (easier to do for sparkling wine)Paddock Club - >5,000 guests in Las Vegas, serves fine dining during race weekends, high-end clientele experience Ferrari Trento, fine dining, and F1Create customer experiences - invite some customers to F1Race weekend activations - organize and partner with events around the race weekend, replaced prior market workBest article - Financial Times “Why there will always be a Ferrari on the podium of F1”F1 label series - limited, special editions
Big interest in Jeroboams, celebrate like F1 championsF1 Editions - dedicated to some of the iconic Grand Prix, the shape of the racetrack on the label, very successful in race markets (e.g., Suzuka in Japan had a long time to buy wine)Creates a collectible wineEmmy Awards sponsorship
Ended w/ Covid, sponsored for ~5 yearsServed at Governor’s Ball just after the show, ~5k guests, black tie in LAHelped in the CA market and positioned Ferrari as a lifestyle brandTimed well w/the rise of importance of TV (e.g., Netflix/streaming movement)Only 1x/year vs 20 races/year w/ F11st non-Champagne organized blind tastings w/ prior sponsorsCreating value w/ partnerships requires activation and communication; the rule of thumb is to invest at least 1x sponsorship fee in activations
Mass market partnerships like F1 benefit Non-Vintage more than vintage/reserve wines
Vintage/reserve wines sold mostly to collectors, highly limited supply (only 60k bottles of Giulio Ferrari/year), and need different communication channels Get access to library episodes
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With 88% of their wine exported, 93% of which is white, white wine is a big deal for New Zealand. Charlotte Read, General Manager of Brand for New Zealand Winegrowers, explains how they have been focused on promoting white wine globally. This includes campaigning for a white wine emoji, focusing on the the month of May with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay days, and focusing on their motto - “NZ wine, all together unique.”
Detailed Show Notes: 
Charlotte’s background - dairy industry, lived in Asia and the UK, in wine for the last 20 years
NZ Winegrowers
Est 2002,1,400 members (50% wineries, 50% growers)Only unified winemaking and grape-growing organizationFunded by compulsory leviesMission: to enhance the reputation of NZ wine5 key workstreams: Brand, Environment, Efficacy, Research, PeopleTagline - “NZ wine, all together unique”
Supports the 10 wine regions
NZ exports 88% of their wine to 100 countries
Top markets - US (~40% of exports), UK, Australia
Focus markets - Canada, China
Focused on white wine (93% of exports) for May - 3 events, Sauvignon Blanc Day, Pinot Gris Day, and Chardonnay Day
White wine emoji - leading a campaign over the last few years to have this implemented
Kendall Jackson previously campaigned for itChanged the glass shape to focus on white winesGotten great pressReached >20M people in 2022, 79M in 2023NZ has significant wine diversity - >50 grape varieties planted, SB #1, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir (largest red, 3% of exports)
NZ wine style - purity of fruit, backbone of acidity
Marketing metrics used - estimated advertising value, reach and engagement, social media engagement, toolkit downloads
Lighter Wine Research Project - 7 years, $16M project w/ 18 wineries and government, led to the early launch of no and low alcohol wines (e.g., Giesen 0%, Kim Crawford Illuminate)
Overall, wine imports to the US are down, but NZ has outpaced the market; premium price ($15+) grew 15% in 2023
Targeting a group of “Generation Treaters” (mostly Millennials) - 1/10 of drinkers, but ⅕ of spend
Can cross-promote white wines - 63% of SB drinkers drink Pinot Gris, 67% of SB drinkers drink Chardonnay
NZ as innovators - moved to screw caps early (early 2000s), fast adopter of concrete eggs, experimenting with green tea as a preservative, no alcohol wine residual alcohol used for gin
Highest impact marketing - influencing the influencer (e.g., a WSET partner, work with Sommelier associations)
Major events
Has a booth at ProWein and Vinexpo Hong KongHosts International Sauvignon Blanc Conference every 4 years (2027)Hosts Pinot Noir Conference in between (Feb 2025)Sommit - summit for sommeliers, a master class settingTrends to watch
Sustainability (NZ has 96% of vineyards certified sustainable)Packaging innovationGrowing wine tourism Get access to library episodes
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With insurance costs skyrocketing, having a good understanding of the types and amount of coverage needed for wineries and vineyards is becoming essential. As a broker for Country Financial, as well as the host of the Wine Crush Podcast, Heidi Moore describes what is necessary vs. optional for winery insurance and the changes happening in the industry. 
Detailed Show Notes: 
Insurance trends - very volatile now, Covid supply chain issues, wildfires / other natural disasters
Rates are soaring
FL/CA - natural disasters happening more, impacting insurance
If >5 mi from a fire station, insurance premiums can be double
Winery insurance is a niche market, so it is better to have expertise
Leakage & contamination are a big issue - often wineries do not have enough coverageGeneral liability and liquor liability are base levels of coverageRest is optional - a winery should look at what will break the business if it happensPremiums based on gross sales, inventory, and assets (e.g., buildings, barrels)Range of costs - small wineries ($1,500-2,000/year), larger wineries ($50-60k/year)CA - many companies have stopped writing business
Sometimes, there is state coverage for catastrophe-only coverage
Insurers often value inventory based on “final destination” (e.g., DTC vs. wholesale)
A wine library with increasing value should be looked at annually to see if coverage needs to be adjusted
Vineyard insurance is different from winery
Farm policy for an agricultural commodity (e.g., for runaway tractors)Crop insurance, which is federally subsidized, covers annual crop value and covers against smoke taint, fire, etc…; often can insure at different value levels of the cropCan buy specific coverage for vines and equipment in vineyardsClimate change mostly impacts crop insurance vs farm policyBase level of insurance needed for winery w/ vineyard
Winery policy - covers tasting room, production, buildings, the commercial businessFarm policy - covers vineyard, buildings, farming operation, home autosDepending on assets - umbrella policy to cover assets (e.g., drunk driving accidents are expensive)When to stop buying insurance?  Need a good agent who is your advocate
Value of a broker vs. direct from the insurer - can provide different options of insurance, the downside is they do not know policies as deeply
Wine Crush Podcast
Share stories of winemakers, encourage people who do not drink wine regularly to try itMostly OR wineries, expanding to WA, IDKey trends for wine insurance - circling in on natural disasters and how they affect policies

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