kristin charbo

Here's a great interview with Karissa Kruse's on her vision on Sustainability at Sonoma County Winegrowers. Sonoma County Winegrowers has established itself as a pioneer in sustainable winegrowing, achieving the milestone of becoming 99% certified sustainable in its vineyards in 2019. Under the leadership of Karissa Kruse, the organization has not only embraced sustainability but has also driven innovation through initiatives like the Sonoma County Center for Ag Sustainability and the "Farm of the Future." In this interview, Kruse shares the challenges faced, the innovations introduced, and the impact of these efforts on the local wine-growing community and the environment. Check out the interview when we ask her some questions like: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in reaching this goal, and how did you overcome them? Additionally, how do you measure the impact of your sustainability initiatives on both the environment and the local community? What specific practices have local vineyards implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon, and what results have you seen so far?

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California Sustainable Winegrowing Ambassador Course. Even though it is a short course, it is a valuable resource for getting a general overview of the subject. It also provides some links for those wishing to learn more in-depth. #californianwine #winesoftheworld #sustainability #wsetglobal

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When you have a new arrival or a product launch, lean on impulse buyers. … and maybe throw on a limited-time offer if you really want to seal the deal. New arrivals and product launches are SURPRISINGLY underutilized in the wine industry, imo. I can’t tell you how many wineries I’ve talked with who have new wines or experiences on their website that they have NEVER told their subscribers about. Very few of your customers will visit your website on their own to seek out your wines - send a new arrival or product launch email campaign to get more awareness and ultimately, more ecommerce! Missed our recent video and blog post about this? Watch or read here: https://lnkd.in/gJ5ZDm8b :: :: :: #emailmarketingisourjam #emailmavens #emailmarketingforwineries #sellmorewineonline #productlaunch #newarrival

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The Perception Project: critically rethinking the wine industry. The wine industry needs to stop thinking about Millennials, Gen Z, or any other demographic segments as uniform segments with shared values and aspirations. They are far from amorphous masses, and significant opportunities exist for the wine industry to capitalize on by breaking these groups down into more specific categories based on a range of factors, including preferences, attitudes, behaviors, aspirations, geography, education, lifestyle, and finances. While it's easy to generalize these generations as having similar values or consumption patterns, they are incredibly diverse in their approach to wine. Not all are interested in or aspire to the same experiences. Some may seek to learn more about wine, aspire to expert-defined quality, or take wine education classes—but many others do not share these aspirations. Some segments within these generations may embrace wine discovery, education, and experiences such as wine and food pairing, or seek out specific wine styles like dry or organic wines. Others seek enjoyable, affordable options that fit their lifestyle without needing deeper learning. This variety in consumer motivations underscores the need for the wine industry to avoid treating these generations as a single entity with uniform preferences and to embrace instead segmentation that takes into account the full spectrum of behaviors, from casual drinkers to wine connoisseurs. Vinotype distribution, which accounts for individuals’ physiological and psychological differences in taste preferences, remains relatively stable across generations, meaning the demand for a broad range of wine styles—sweet or dry, bold or light—will persist. Trends such as fashion, the occasional desire to appear sophisticated, or enjoying wine with friends will always influence consumer behavior, but the diversity of preferences will remain constant. The wine industry must learn to embrace, understand, and communicate with all consumers, acknowledging that some will want expert-driven experiences while others will not. The wine industry must abandon the notion of Millennials and Gen Z as uniform segments with shared values and aspirations. Instead, marketing and product strategies should be shaped by accurate data and behavior, focusing on observable patterns of how individuals in these generations discover and engage with wine. This shift requires the industry to be adaptable, to innovate, and to acknowledge that while some consumers might be drawn to wine education, a significant portion of younger consumers will be driven more by enjoyment and convenience than by the desire to follow traditional wine appreciation pathways. Understanding and catering to this diversity of preferences will help brands connect more meaningfully with consumers and remain relevant across generations. #winemarketing #rethinkingthewineindustry #winebusiness #winemarketdata #wineeducation

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A huge thank you to Wine Industry Network for featuring my article on the rising demand for premium and artisanal wines. 🌟 In the article, I delve into the trends and consumer preferences driving this dynamic segment of the wine industry. Check it out to learn more about the trends shaping our industry! #WineIndustry #PremiumWines #ArtisanalWines #WineTrends #winenews #winebusiness

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The cost of a winery visit is more than just the tasting room fee, according to MJ Dale, founder and CEO of Customer Vineyard. It includes expenses like hotel stays, wine purchases, and tips, leading to a significantly higher total cost in most regions. Dale also noted that LinkedIn is where most affluent customers can be found. Looking ahead, Rob McMillan predicts a "market correction in the number of wineries," indicating an improvement in numbers next year. Over the past two years, there has been a decline in wineries, mainly due to hobbyist wineries stepping back rather than consolidation. In 2024, the DTC wine market remains a serious arena, unsuitable for hobbyists. The evolving landscape suggests changes on the horizon, making strategic decisions crucial for wineries in the coming year.

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We chat with Eric Hemer, a Master of Wine and a Master Sommelier, who is the Senior Vice President, Director of Wine Education at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits of America, country's largest wine and spirits distributor. Here are some of the questions our editor Malvika Patel asks him: 1) How has the landscape of wine education evolved since you first began your career, and what trends do you foresee shaping its future? 2) With your involvement in various wine education organizations, which collaboration or project stands out to you as having made a significant impact on students' understanding of wine? 3) As the wine industry embraces more sustainable practices, how are you incorporating discussions about sustainability into your wine education programs? 4) You've been integral to examinations for organizations like the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Institute of Masters of Wine. What advice do you give to aspiring candidates to succeed in these challenging assessments? 5) In your opinion, how does the digital age influence the way wine education is delivered and received, and how have you adapted to these changes? 6) Given your expertise, could you highlight an underrated wine region or variety that you believe deserves more recognition and attention? 7) What role does storytelling play in wine education, and could you share a personal anecdote or historical narrative that you often use to captivate your students? 8) How do you navigate the delicate balance between the rich tradition and history of winemaking and the ever-changing palate preferences and trends of modern consumers? 9) How do you navigate the delicate balance between the rich tradition and history of winemaking and the ever-changing palate preferences and trends of modern consumers? 10) How do you navigate the delicate balance between the rich tradition and history of winemaking and the ever-changing palate preferences and trends of modern consumers? USA Trade Tasting Beverage Trade Network Sommeliers Choice Awards

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I believe this is a trend the wine industry should be more accommodating to—much more so than non-alc. Why? For one, there’s a much larger market for it. Also, it creates more transparency with customers. I think this trend is part of the larger macro trend of calorie awareness and people liking to know what they are putting into their bodies. It’s a disservice to consumers that the wine industry in the US doesn’t have mandates for calorie count on its bottles. At Currently, we have our nutrition panel on the label, allowing us to show our 0g added sugar and 106 calories per serving. We did this because we believe our customer will value this information. The question is, will too many brands claim low-alc as a marketing term but not really be low alc? I mean, 12% isn’t low-alc (which is why we don’t claim that). I’ve already seen this happening, though! #wine #industrytrend #lowalc #caloriecount

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A very well written article and thank you for bringing this to the forefront. Great minds think alike; bringing actions will bring the highest result for the planet. It's not just Roundup that needs to be cut, it's all of them. All synthetic materials are endangering life and the planet one way or another. This would be truly a sustainable for the planet to restore back to organic farming methods back before the ag chemical era. I started with CCOF in 1984. I have never looked back, but moved forward by being the first ROC® in Napa Valley in 2022 and continue to add clients. Even though the consumer demand has been out there for organic products, it has not been at this level. Consumers are reading labels and looking for organic products for many reasons. Farmers are reacting throughout the world to move to be certified organic. Many I have talked to are eventually going to get their ROC®. In Napa and Sonoma, it's very obvious that there's more vineyards and wineries moving away from all synthetic materials that includes herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and fertilizers. They are also working or completing their certifications with CCOF and working towards ROC®. #BiodynamicAgriculture #demeter #ROC #RegenerativeOrganicCertifide #RegenerativeOrganicAlliance#Biodynamic #regenerativeorganicagriculture #InTheRhythmOfChange #100YearsOfBiodynamics

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I came across this article about wine-tasting room etiquette soon after returning from a long weekend trip to Sonoma wine country. It got me thinking about whether I had possibly broken one or multiple rules. More on this in just a minute. It's been a while since I've visited California tasting rooms. In fact, since my last visits, I've planted a vineyard and am more active in making wine from either my own or local grapes. My knowledge of the winemaking process has grown. I quickly realized to get the most out of our CA visit it would be best to focus on small production wineries, and make reservations ahead of time. The type of reservation with a fee (sometimes substantial), with greater learning potential. This would help ensure our interactions would be more genuine, with the opportunity to talk with actual growers and makers. This turned out to be true. So if I broke any etiquette rules, I'd be embarrassed in retrospect! Bottom line, I didn't. I suppose I've been around enough tasting experiences in Colorado and other places over the years that the unwritten rules are baked into my psyche. However, one item did bug me, especially when interacting with winery owners/makers—the sales pitch. Join the club, buy wine. That you join and/or purchase is certainly a sign of respect, honoring both the wine and the maker. I'm sensitive to this sentiment, and for the most part, most of the CA wines we experienced were wonderful. We just weren't in a position to buy wine (with one small exception) due to our limited time in CA, and our budget. We were always respectful of what was being provided and expressed our gratitude for the experiences. And don't forget, we did pay for the experiences!

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Maximizing Sales and Customer Satisfaction with the Best Pinot Noirs of 2024. From a revenue perspective, a strong Pinot Noir selection will boost sales. By offering a range of Pinot price points and styles restaurants will appeal to different customer segments, encouraging both casual and celebratory purchases. We survey the best Pinot Noirs of 2024 for restaurant wine programs. Including a good selection of Pinot Noir on a restaurant's wine list is crucial due to its versatility and appeal across a wide range of diners. We have, therefore, curated eight top Pinot Noirs for 2024 wine lists based on judging at the London Wine Competition. London Competitions

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Met with folks in the wine industry in Napa last week. Shocked to hear prices are down 90% for grapes in 2024 harvest. Some wineries are asking for picking costs ($600/ton) rather than typical $6,500 per ton of Cabernet Sauvignon. And even then, it might not get sold. The industry has reported a lot about the structural issues at hand. But what shocks me is the lack of ingenuity that comes from such an existential market correction. David Salazar said, “you’d think this would be a wake up call to do marketing and sales differently—because clearly they need to gain new customers. But instead it’s an old school mentality—write off the vintage and hope for a better year next year.” The wine industry is so weird/ineffecient because of the knock on effects of post-Prohibition regulation. Not many wineries sell directly to their customers. Instead they sell to the distributors. And the distributors care about different things than the wine consumers themselves. There will be great Napa cab in Costco and Trader Joe’s next year. Maybe an innovative brand will capitalize on the incredible juice, too. #wine #napa #industrytrends

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I am extremely pleased to share with our wine community the second group of Ambassadors for the 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards and Here's how they will help you grow your wine, grape varietal and country category awareness in the USA Market. 1. Zane Holscher: Regional and Category Ambassador for Argentina 2. Daniel Satola: Regional and Category Ambassador for Hungary 3. Jesse Becker MS: Regional and Category Ambassador for Austria and Germany 4. Katja Scharnagl: Regional and Category Ambassador for Austria, Germany, and Slovenia 5. Paul Baldi: Regional and Category Ambassador for the Champagne, France 6. Michael Mighetto Hoefling: Regional and Category Ambassador for Sustainability These Ambassadors are integral in connecting outstanding wine regions to the global market, helping elevate the competition’s winners to new heights. With their deep expertise and passion, these Ambassadors will guide trade professionals and consumers alike in appreciating the diverse wines they represent. The number one reason they are selected is because of the knowledge and passion they share to advocate the regions and categories they represent. In coming months, you will hear from them talking about their category and regions via webinars on Sommeliers Choice Awards platform, you will also get good deeper written articles and most importantly, they will educate the USA drinks trade on how best to sell these wines to their restaurant and bar guests. If you are a wine brand from Argentina, Germany, Hungary, Austria, France, Slovenia and USA, you can also reach them out directly for USA market advice. The aim of the program us to grow awareness of the country category and wine types in the US drinks trade. The ambassadors will also be pushing the winners of each of these countries once the winners are announced and doing a tasting video of the top 5 winners from each country. Don't miss your chance to enter your wines especially if you are from one the these countries and looking to grow awareness in the USA market. You can click on the article below to see details about each ambassadors. Sommeliers Choice Awards Ankita O. Beverage Trade Network Sommelier Business New York Drinks Guide Los Angeles Drinks Guide Chicago Drinks Guide San Francisco Drinks Guide USA Trade Tasting #wine #winebusiness #winery #letsgrowwine

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🌟 Grateful to Share My Experience on QSR Uncut with Danny Klein 🌟 Good Morning, LinkedIn Community! I’m honored to share that I recently had the opportunity to be a guest on the QSR Uncut podcast, hosted by the insightful Danny Klein, Editorial Director of QSR Magazine. A big thank you to Danny and the QSR team for their warm hospitality and engaging discussion! 🎧 You can listen to the episode here: The CEO Transforming Healthy Fast-Casual Dining (https://lnkd.in/e7NPDS35) https://lnkd.in/e5XrM3TQ https://lnkd.in/ehWNW3e4 In our conversation, we touched on several topics, including: - Growth Strategies: My experiences leading WOWorks and our wonderful brands like Saladworks and Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh. - Innovation in Dining: Our efforts to reshape the fast-casual landscape with a focus on healthy options for today’s consumers. - Leadership Insights: Reflections from my time at Schlotzsky's, where I worked on repositioning the brand to drive growth. I was particularly humbled by the episode's headline: “The CEO Transforming Healthy Fast-Casual Dining.” It truly reflects the vision we are striving to achieve together. As we continue to navigate the dynamic food industry, I believe it's vital to share insights and engage in meaningful conversations about health-conscious dining. I welcome your thoughts and encourage you to tune in so we can spark a dialogue on how we can shape the future of dining together. If you find the episode valuable, please consider liking, commenting, and sharing it. Your support is greatly appreciated! #Podcast #HealthyDining #FastCasual #Leadership #Innovation #WOWorks #QSRUncut #DannyKlein #QSRMagazine #FoodIndustry #DiningTrends

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Why are so many people in the wine industry being so darn helpful to me? I'm serious-- and I think I know why. Over the past 3 days, I've had 3 different conversations with people who are genuinely rooting for Currently to succeed. Two of them sell wine of a similar price point and are on the cutting edge of new aluminum packaging. You'd think they would be competitive and hold their cards close to the vest. Nope. Total open books. Spent an hour with me. I used to work in software. I wasn't sharing go-to-market tips with the CMO of Highspot, I'll tell you that. This industry has an incredible pay-it-forward culture. I think this is the reason: the people I speak to, they genuinely love wine. Not necessarily as wine snobs, but as lovers of the category. And they see their mission as bringing a beverage that has been enjoyed for centuries, by rulers (and now by Taylor Swift, our modern day cultural ruler), to the masses. I think in our conversations, we recognize we have this in common: we love wine. And good wine (because wine that isn't good isn't worth drinking imho) pairs best with close friends, family and food. I'm so new to this that I don't yet have that much advice to share. But you bet that when that next upstart entrepreneur reaches out and I see their passion for building a wine brand, I'll go 30 minutes over the scheduled call time. #wineindustry #wineculture #payitforward

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$125,000,000 in DTC revenue this year. Sounds nice, right? But, how? According to financial and operational guru Neha T. Kumar, COO of Full Glass Wine Co., success in the wine industry is about "running a wine business operationally efficiently." She explains "... you make sure that you can get the company to a place where it is profitable.... and this is the thing a lot of people have forgotten over the years - the company needs to make money" Neha is a competitor. Her brands could attract consumers away from yours. How might she do so? She appears to be heavily investing in 1) understanding and targeting each brand's unique consumer demographic, and 2) running capital efficient, profitable business which includes maximizing revenue and being smart with COGS. This is also what InnoVint preaches with our healthy wine business framework (linked in the comments) 🧢 My advice: Put your best operational and finance hat on and play ball like Neha. https://lnkd.in/ekJpgrFX

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