How to Sell Wine in Boston, More Grapes Than Drinkers, Gallo Tries Single Serve, a Cheese Filled “Half a Glass”, Wendy’s Does Tendy’s and More! In This Edition of Woody’s Whine!
“l like the “Whine” because it’s about good food and drink and has interesting tidbits.” MarMar
By Woody Mosgers
Writing from the edge of the Russian River in Sonoma County
Selling Wine in Boston – It Takes a Few Emails
The Pedroncelli Winery up on Dry Creek Road in Sonoma County was established 98 years ago and has been operated by four generations of the Pedroncelli family since then. We’ve been fans and wine club members for nine of those years as we enjoy their low-key style and honest wine making.
photo by Amber Burke
During a recent visit I shared a moment with Julie Pedroncelli St. John, third generation President & CEO of Pedroncelli Winery she casually mentioned having just returned from presenting their wines in Boston. As part of a later interview, I posed this thought:
“How does a businesswoman who runs a winery on Dry Creek Road in Sonoma County California sell wine in Boston?”
“It’s takes a few emails”, she laughs, and we’re a legacy brand and have been with Classic Wine Imports for forty years so maybe it gave me a slight amount of edge,” she laughs again.
“I was in Boston for a friend’s wedding,” Pedroncelli St. John shared, “and I thought I’d take the opportunity to reach out to our wholesaler and to our sales agency for the Boston market. They responded by creating this wonderful day as I got to go along with the portfolio and accounts managers to key accounts and I was able to present to six accounts in the time span of about five hours.”
“We did another great day in Providence Rhode Island visiting more accounts,” Pedroncelli St. John continued, “and I got to talk with and share samples with people that I’ve known for five or ten years and to meet new people. These were opportunities to not only tell my story but to reinforce our story with the people who are representing us.”
“I’m waiting for my sales reports to see how we did but I can tell you that our Bushnell Single Vineyard Zinfandel wowed a couple of the accounts so much that they took the last six cases the distributor had in stock, and they had to reorder,” laughs Pedroncelli St. John.
I asked her about developments that have been taking place at the winery as it’s has been impossible not to notice during the past year or so, that some fairly big changes had taken place with new labels and graphics and discovering Pedroncelli bottles on wine lists where none had ever been before.
“This was a fully intentioned growth plan for the next five years to refocus the image of the winery, all done with the agreement of the entire family that’s not just going to make our wines better it’s going to make it a better experience when you visit,” stated Pedroncelli St. John.
We’ve refreshed the hospitality area and invested in the cellar, providing our winemaker with new equipment that she’s needed for quite some time, she shared.
“We’re a Dry Creek winery and we grow Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Cabernet so we took Chardonnay and Pinot Noir out of the lineup (not a bad idea) to focus on what we do best and I will mention that we just won double golds for both our Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc.”
What’s your first take on the crush? “We’ve tasted several wines out of tank (where the juice is stored after crushing) and so far, it’s a really nice…really nice vintage”, pausing to let her comment linger. “Our winemaker, Montse Reece (an award winner on her own) was quite happy with the nice even growing season. “It looks like the quality for this vintage is outstanding!”
50,000 cases of Pedroncelli wines are distributed across the country, and I know for a fact that it’s carried by the Binny’s chain in Chicago and throughout Illinois.
Too Many Grapes Not Enough Drinkers
The list of problems is long in California, the cradle of American wine. Vineyards have an oversupply of grapes. People are drinking less, especially young drinkers and tariffs have caused the biggest foreign market for U.S. wine, Canada, to dry up overnight and there’s way too much wine from previous years that still hasn’t been sold.
The Kendall Jackson is lowering some prices in an effort to appeal to consumers feeling the pinch after years of inflation said Shilah Salmon, Senior VP of marketing at Jackson family wines: “We see this magic line of $19.99. When you start to get over that it’s a hard line for a lot of people, especially at the grocery store” where nearly half of the U.S.’s wine is purchased.
The Wall Street Journal decided to take a short dive into the above issues by interviewing two winery owners and wine makes who vineyards are about five miles apart in the Russian River Valley, just to our west. I found it odd that since Sonoma County is comprised of almost 1,800 square miles with hundreds of wineries they picked neighbors to interview who both had the same story.
John Balletto, owner of the Balletto Vineyards (of course I know him) says he’ll lose roughly 3 million dollars in sales this year.
“This is the first time in 25 years that we have 30% of our grapes unsold”, said Balletto, who says he will use his excess grapes to make so-called bulk wine in hopes of selling it to retailers that will market it under their own brands such as Trader Joe’s, Aldi and Target.
Canada responded to Trump’s threat of tariffs by pulling American wine and other alcohol off their shelves to the tune of a 98% drop in exports from nearly $111 million to just under $4 million this year.
Steve Dutton of Dutton Ranch (know him too) offers that one fifth of his ranches’ grapes are unsold, equating to a $2 million to $3 million dollar loss in sales. He’s even gone so far as to list grapes for sale on Facebook marketplace, and sold some at a discount to friends.
“We’re trying whatever we can to do,” Dutton said. “For us, it’s a long-term commitment, says Balletto, we have to be consumer-centric.”
It took me two weeks to get Mr. Balletto, whom I’ve interviewed in the past, on the phone to ask about the Wall Street interview and I could immediately hear his stress when he said “I’ve got a lot of problems right now, I’ll call you back.”
Well he sounded better when he did recently call back but had no real insight as to why he and Dutton were chosen. “There was a recent story in the New York Times about our baseball field (whole nother story) but the reporter never mentioned it,” he offered “and I know they talked to eight or ten other wineries.”
Balletto did confirm that the situation is pretty bad with lots of juice still in tanks from last year and now there’s more with no place to go and fewer buyers but says, his winery is better off than most as they make all of their own wine.
Wall Street Journal
California Wine Production Plummets
The Wine Institute released its 2024 production figures late in September. The numbers are stark and deepen the strain on an industry already on its heels. California output plunged 17.1% to 508.2 million gallons, the lowest since 1999. U.S. production fell 15% to 647.7 million gallons, the lowest since 2004. California’s share of national output dropped to 78.5%, down from more than 90% in the early 2000s. Since peaking in 2017, California production has declined 31% and U.S. output 27%.
Growers in Survival Mode
Some growers are now unable to sell fruit, with vineyards once valued at $4,000 a ton are unwanted at $1,000 or even offered for free, according to a longtime Napa Valley winemaker. They are cutting production, eliminating SKUs and slowing purchases. “Our margins are too thin, demand too weak and inventories already heavy,” one winemaker said.
One longtime Napa Valley farmer related that, “We were asked by a major winery not to pick. They said they’d pay part of the contract but to just drop the fruit.”
Napa’s Economic Baseline
In Napa County, where wine accounts for more than 70% of GDP, the ripple effects will be devastating; Napa Valley produces only about 4% of California’s wine by volume, yet it commands a disproportionate share of the state’s retail value. That small slice supports more than 18,000 local jobs, $1.4 billion in wages and $5.4 billion in annual economic activity, according to a 2022 Wine Institute study. These figures reflect the local footprint of wine in Napa’s economy — not retail sales — and show how deeply the county depends on wine for employment and income.
Gallo Introduces Single Serve 200 mL Tetra Packs
Gallo Chief Commercial Officer Britt West thinks some of the industry’s recent struggles shouldn’t be that surprising and that some of it is the industries own doing – a failure to meet consumers the way they live now.
Gallo’s new launch, a first-to-market 200mL Tetra wine package (a nice pour of 6.5 oz’s.) is portable and affordable. It’s about encouraging trial and new usage occasions – expanding wine’s reach beyond traditional settings in places where glass can’t go —festivals, outdoor events, sporting venues, and casual gatherings.
The new packaging is launching across several Gallo brands and varietals, with the goal of expanding distribution and with more brands in 2026+ beyond:
- Barefoot – National release in select retailers and dining chains
- Clos du Bois – Limited release in Florida and New York in select on-premise accounts
- Gallo Family Vineyards – Nationwide in 4-packs
- Mark West – Limited release in select on-premise accounts, expanding in 2026
A two-dollar single-serve takes the risk out of trying wine, making it comparable price wise with beer and spirits.
Suggested pricing on the Barefoot is: $1.99/single or $7.49/4-pack SRP and for Gallo Family Vineyards, $6.99/4-pack SRP.
West cited a shift in how consumers want to enjoy wine and said tetra is a catalyst for new occasions, new consumers, and new opportunities at retail and on-premise.
Mark West and Clos Du Bois will be offered in 200 ml Tetra on-premise. “These are well known brands, so you get the Seal of Quality Assurance while simultaneously getting a single serve,” West said.
“If we’re really going to be serious about turning around wine and being friendly to the consumer, we got to be able to go to those occasions where people are open to consuming wine.”
“As a company, we believe it’s up to the wine industry to go out and save itself and this is one of our efforts to do that.”
Wine Business
Half a Glass
The Cheese Report
The Average America Consumes an Astronomical Amount of Cheese
Inspect a list of classic American foods — pizza, cheeseburger, grilled cheese, casseroles — and the inclusion of cheese most likely unites them all.
Indeed, inspect the statistics regarding the amount of cheese consumed in the U.S., and the numbers back up such an observation. According to Statista, the average American ate some 42.3 pounds of cheese in 2023 (I bet I’m right up there) — a figure that’s steadily risen year-by-year; it was 32.1 pounds in 2000. A 2024 study conducted by the USDA reveals that each day, 68% of Americans will eat a piece of cheese, usually alongside some type of bread.
Undeniably, American cuisine and cheese carry a special bond, but that’s not to say there aren’t other regions with abundant consumption. At the top of the charts is Switzerland, where annual cheese eating comprises some 51.8 pounds a year.
Food Republic
String Cheese Tasting
In the “If you care column” the tasting host gathered up ten contenders and tasted them side by side with her kids, a 5-year-old boy and a 2-5 year old girl, “The ultimate string cheese authorities”. They were judged on flavor, texture, stringiness (the peel is half the fun after all!) and overall snackability.
String cheese is the most playful member of the mozzarella family as it can be stretched and pulled thanks to the way it’s heated and kneaded during production.“Ideally, string cheese should only contain milk, cultures, enzymes and salt. Fewer ingredients usually mean a less processed product.”
The three winners
3. Organic Valley Stringles Organic String Cheese
The Organic Valley version was creamy and flavorful with a soft, chewy texture and perfect peel. It felt like a higher-quality take on the classic, and if buying organic is important to you, you might want to add this one to your cart. 5-year old said, “This one tastes great!”
2. Lucerne Dairy Farms String Cheese
This cheese was soft and delicious with great flavor and chew. It was also one of the most kid-approved cheeses of the group; “chewy cheese” said one of the kids.
1. Galbani String Cheese
This was the gold standard. With its authentic mozzarella flavor, creamy texture and perfect stringiness, Galbani nailed everything you want in a string cheese. With the perfect balance of all the things you like in a cheese stick, we all agreed “This is the winner.”
The “WW” tasting panel uses and likes the Galbani cheese products “cause” we can’t get Caputo products anymore and I was happy to be able find their string cheese locally. The flavor profile was not untasty but we really didn’t think there was anything all that special about its flavor – maybe I should talk to the five year old.
Wonder if Greg Baise would like it? He’s still a kid at heart.
Parade
Wendy’s Serving New Chicken Tendy’s Plus Six New Sauces
“Wendy’s new Tendy’s are bold, juicy and crispy, paired with a lineup of new sauces that deliver a uniquely Wendy’s experience for fans in every bite,” said Becky Davis, Vice President of Global Culinary Innovation.
Built for Dipping – Each three or four-piece order comes with two dipping sauces. Additional dip cups are available for a small charge.
- Wendy’s Signature – A creamy sauce with hints of black pepper, hot sauce and tons of savory goodness.
- Sweet Chili – Sweet and subtly spicy sauce including notes of Sriracha, garlic and ginger.
- Scorchin’ Hot – Creamy hot sauce with a heat that builds.
- Creamy Ranch – Extra creamy and extra rich. The GOAT for all dipping needs.
- Honey BBQ – Sweet, a little bit smoky.
- Honey Mustard – Sweet honey and lightly tangy mustard flavor.
Wendy’s
Bet Greg Baise would like the Creamy Ranch
The Tasting Panel Review
First bite comments, “The chicken is really good”, “They don’t really need the sauces, nice piece of chicken,” “Yummm!”
The tasting panel was impressed with four big, thick pieces of real chicken per order, perfectly cooked and surprisingly good with a nice crunch. We haven’t tasted fast food chicken this good since we sampled KFC’s offering a year or so ago; nothing from McDonald’s comes close.
Wendy’s says that Tendy’s are built for dipping and the tasting panel certainly agrees although our sauce “winner’ is a tie; “The “Signature” sauce is “The ultimate Tendys companion” and the TP totally agrees, the creamy sauce had a nice pepper background, yet the “Creamy Ranch” was also nearly perfect with the tenders; can’t go wrong with either. The creamy sauces worked really well with the chicken coating.
We found the Sweet Chili too sweet, the honey BBQ had too much corn syrup flavor, Scorchin’ Hot was a decent blend but the Honey Mustard lacked much of either flavor.
Cost for eight tenders, a really large drink, tasty fries and two extra sauces was $22.04 (we are at the end of the earth).
Other Thoughts at the End
“In 2000 I was at a Latour tasting at Christie’s (famous auction house) and they opened a bottle of Latour 1865, (famous French red wine) the year the Civil War ended…” It remains the best wine I’ve ever tasted.”
Bill Koch, noted collector who recently sold 7,800 bottles from his 20,000 bottle cellar for $28.8 million at auction.
My grandpa always wanted to reinforce the Old World style of consumption, it’s like, “Hey, listen, if you’re going to drink, drink to enjoy. You drink it because you like it and it tastes good and the occasion calls for it. There should always be some sort of food involved, because it just enhances the enjoyment.”
New York Mets five-time All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso recalls wine and food opinions of his grandpa.
Adults 60 and older comprise nearly 30% of Sonoma County’s population, (I know a couple) making it the second oldest county in the Bay Area, according to U.S. Census data released earlier this year. The data also showed that the rate at which Sonoma County is aging exceeds that of the state and nation.
Not A good stat for the wine industry
That’s My Whine and I could me wrong…
My recipes for Chef José Andrés’ Microwaved Omelet and my Thanksgiving Turkey Dressing are in fact right here. Enjoy!
Woody Mosgers, cooks, custom caters, writes, drinks, matches wine and food and offers wine country tour information and planning in Santa Rosa Sonoma, CA.
Woodywine@aol.com