tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post8453041839648588264..comments2024-03-18T04:47:16.199-07:00Comments on The Gray Report: Dear wineries: Big wine & spirits distributors hate youW. Blake Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-89236977822637332422015-03-16T23:47:35.157-07:002015-03-16T23:47:35.157-07:00UPDATE # 2:
"Booze Salesmen Suspended Over L...UPDATE # 2:<br /><br />"Booze Salesmen Suspended Over Lewd Strip Club Pics"<br /><br />Link: http://pagesix.com/2015/03/03/booze-salesmen-suspended-over-lewd-strip-club-pics/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09537737782259421612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-64284591823338815272015-03-14T23:33:37.298-07:002015-03-14T23:33:37.298-07:00“West Coast Wineries Are Up for Sale — Quietly”
[...“West Coast Wineries Are Up for Sale — Quietly”<br /><br />[Summary: A wave of recent deals show investors see opportunities in wine, while owners see an exit strategy.]<br /><br />Link: http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/49221#.UoI_yAMMzG8<br /><br />SELECTIVE EXCERPTS:<br /><br />“… While small wineries can succeed by selling most of their inventory direct to consumers and large Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09537737782259421612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-66471640203186971152015-03-14T18:59:11.570-07:002015-03-14T18:59:11.570-07:00Actually, the big distributors don't hate you....Actually, the big distributors don't hate you. They just love the most lucrative, easiest to sell products, whatever those products may be! And payment comes in many forms besides salary; bonuses, overseas trips, baseball tickets, weekends at the winery's guesthouse etc. Can we really blame salespeople for being driven by quotas imposed on them by management? Can we really blame them for Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11275307673073733877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-84841019439910267662015-03-09T02:56:45.666-07:002015-03-09T02:56:45.666-07:00The bottom line for any winery is to understand th...The bottom line for any winery is to understand the industry and the best way to market. Many 'boutique' wineries seem to have the attitude "make it and they will come" and then wonder why they can't sell their wine. The big supermarket chains and the distributors who serve them want turnover. Everything else is secondary. The successful small wineries focus on niche wine Nick Katinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11000841291360673866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-21473814943276796202015-03-06T14:10:17.712-08:002015-03-06T14:10:17.712-08:00Bella Vino: I completely agree with your conclusio...Bella Vino: I completely agree with your conclusion, but don't think it's politically possible.<br /><br />There's nothing wrong with a national distribution system popping up in a capitalist country. But that's not what happened with wine, spirits & beer. Legislators put it in in the 1930s to restrict access to alcohol when that seemed politically important. Only in states W. Blake Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-68016398591521967112015-03-06T13:47:36.562-08:002015-03-06T13:47:36.562-08:00Hi Blake...The national picture indicates that you...Hi Blake...The national picture indicates that you are spot on in your assessment, especially where large Distributers have a monopoly on the market, like Las Vegas, or where a majority of residents are less than savvy (Houston, Kansas City, Miami for example) but, there are Distributers and then there are Brokers. Brokers work on an entirely different infrastructure, and they are the ones thatBella Vinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15873284256905836995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-64303307316031132832015-03-05T16:16:14.809-08:002015-03-05T16:16:14.809-08:00@Bon Vln
No, not all distributors are horrible. I ...@Bon Vln<br />No, not all distributors are horrible. I know of a couple of (relatively small) distributors/importers that have some great wine, and often from smaller or even tiny wine makers, both locally (Central Coast, CA) and internationally. Of course, you also need to find the wine stores or higher end markets (such as my local Whole Foods, although not necessarily all of them) who make an Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09911398647505242281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-20064565129471073732015-03-05T13:11:33.990-08:002015-03-05T13:11:33.990-08:00I loved the headline for this. Your story is spot ...I loved the headline for this. Your story is spot on. <br /><br />Distributors focus on the brands that generate the most revenue for them (sales manager priorities), the brands they like (sales people choose), the people they like, and the squeaky wheels. I don't think they hate any small suppliers, but they don't have any incentive to focus on them unless they are talking to buyers thatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-84017419458208745352015-03-05T12:56:03.671-08:002015-03-05T12:56:03.671-08:00Your ignorance is epic.....all distributors are th...Your ignorance is epic.....all distributors are the same and evil and hate everyone; just as all restaurants are evil McDonald's and all car dealers are rip-off Chevy dealers. <br />Distributors bring more wine to more people than you can possibly imagine from your little ivory tower......Bon VInhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15797972145405059782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-69351620518509963902015-03-05T10:38:08.517-08:002015-03-05T10:38:08.517-08:00Great Post. Unfortunately, so true these days.Great Post. Unfortunately, so true these days.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07548020074998413261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-63729802722157680572015-03-05T09:46:00.564-08:002015-03-05T09:46:00.564-08:00Yes!!Yes!!Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16666030273896376610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-46788348334399381352015-03-05T08:38:33.187-08:002015-03-05T08:38:33.187-08:00It's very different from other products becaus...It's very different from other products because in many states the three-tier distribution system is legally grandfathered in, meaning all wines must go through this middle tier run by people who hate wine.<br /><br />You can't say that about food, clothes or movies. You can just buy whatever you want on Amazon. But you knew that.W. Blake Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-30707480207372163992015-03-05T08:31:34.877-08:002015-03-05T08:31:34.877-08:00How is this different from any other product? If y...How is this different from any other product? If you live in a small town (or even in some big towns), you don't get the best selection of wines, of foods, of clothes, of movies. You can make an effort and go elsewhere for it or order online.Larry the Wine Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06712771568318259978noreply@blogger.com