What is your earliest memory of being part of a wine industry family?

The winery was my playground when I was a kid. We had case conveyors used to move cases from one area to another, and I would get into a wooden grape box and ride the conveyors. It was a blast, but I suppose a bit of a nuisance to my parents. I have vivid memories of the old bottling line with each family member doing a different task. My dad at the hand-bottler, my brother working the hand-corker, my mother putting on the labels by hand, and my sister and I putting on the capsules. It was all part of growing up in a winery.

From the days of White Zinfandel from Sutter Home to today’s Estate-grown reserve wines, how do you continue to innovate and discover opportunities to expand your markets?

We are always looking at the market and studying wine consumer trends. Our philosophy has always been to identify what the customer wants and then try to give it to them. We saw an opportunity in single service wine and we responded as the first winery to offer 187ml bottles. We saw the opportunity in red blends and have enjoyed great success with extensions such as Ménage a Trois Silk and our Taken Napa Valley Red Wine. Our eyes are always searching, and our staff is always encouraged to express their ideas.

After a long day at the office, what is your favorite thing to do to relax and recharge?

These days I don’t have many long days at the office. I turned over the day-to-day operations to Bob Torkelson (President/COO) years ago and being semi-retired allows for me to set my hours which is a luxury. I get my greatest relaxation by exercising. Either a workout at the gym, a bike ride, playing golf, or simply going for a long walk.

What is the best-kept secret of Trinchero Family Estates?

I’m very proud of the family cellar that is in the caves at Trinchero Napa Valley. There’s an old family recipe for vermouth that decorates the walls and harkens back to my father’s history as a bartender in New York City in the 40’s. The cellar boasts hundreds of bottles from our shared family collection, including some very rare port and other gems, gifts, acquired in our travels over the years.

You’ve expanded to Lodi, have vineyards in Napa and Amador County. What is your long-term vision for your brands?

We decided some time ago that we needed to have products that appeal to a wide variety of wine consumers. We needed to have a presence in each varietal, region, and price point so that we could offer any wine consumer something from TFE. Each brand that we have has its own identity with an appeal to consumers looking for that type of wine. Our vision is to continue developing our brands’ presence in the marketplace and doing so while ensuring that every brand in the TFE portfolio is one that consumers feel they can trust. My parents were passionate about creating wines of quality and over-delivering for the price – that remains a core value today.

As a 2nd generation winemaker, what are some of the most important things shared with you by those who started it first?

Probably the two most important things that my father passed on to me was a strong work ethic and his business philosophy of, “never take a step longer than your stride.” By following that philosophy, we have been able to grow and prosper without suffering the fate of many family wineries that had to sell or go public because they overextended their ability to pay their debts. There’s a ton of romance in the wine business but at the end of the day, it’s still a business. You can easily get caught up in the romance and not make smart business decisions. We’ve been careful about growth and maintaining a company that works hard and remains loyal to its businesses and consumers.