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Consistency and Uniqueness of Style an Interview with Violet Grgich, Co-Proprietor and Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Grgich Hills Estate

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Consistency and Uniqueness of Style an Interview with Violet Grgich, Co-Proprietor and Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Grgich Hills Estate Consistency and Uniqueness of Style An Interview with Violet Grgich, Co-Proprietor and Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Grgich Hills Estate EDITORS’ NOTE Violet Grgich grew up accompanying her father in the vineyards and cellar, doing everything from bottling line work to laboratory analysis and work in the tasting room. Grgich earned a BA in music from the University of California, Davis while taking classes in biology, chemistry, and enology. After graduation, she returned home to Grgich Hills to continue her edu- cation in the wine business, learning about daily operations of the win- Violet Grgich ery. She received her Master of Music it as simple, handcrafted, and natural our winery building very much defi nes us. in harpsichord at Indiana University and then as possible. we realize that wine is an art, and our tasting room is not a big fancy place; it’s ac- joined the winery full-time in 1988. technology is simply a tool. we try to get the tually part of the cellar. visitors see aged plywood best barrels, press, crusher, and racking system, on the walls, because we invest our money in COMPANY BRIEF Formerly Grgich Hills Cellar, but our focus is on handcrafting. making the best wines possible. we have recently Grgich Hills Estate (www. grgich.com) was Is it challenging to differentiate in a upgraded it by putting in a wine-tasting bar, but founded in 1977 by Mike Grgich and Austin market with so many competitors? we’re not here to show off. we’re very much Hills of the Hills Bros. Coffee family. Located in we are incredibly lucky that my father about being natural, simple, and down to earth. Napa Valley, California, all Grgich vineyards are started this business in 1977 with the reputation Is winemaking an industry that of- certifi ed organic, and the winery’s 366 acres are as the winemaker who won the paris tasting fers signifi cant growth opportunities for farmed using biodynamic techniques. Producing of 1976. that story is only getting bigger; there women? 70,000 cases per year, Grgich Hills Estate mar- are several movies in production now about absolutely. i’m an only child, and my dad kets fumé blanc, chardonnay, zinfandel, merlot, that very tasting. so we were able to establish a naturally assumed i could do everything, as did i. cabernet sauvignon, and dessert wine. brand identity and awareness a long time ago, my father has always looked at people in terms of and no matter how many new wineries there their strengths and qualities, regardless of whether Your price points are very reasonable for are, people still know us for our consistency they are male or female. recently, there has been such high-quality wines. Who is your target and uniqueness of style. also, we are the larg- an upsurge of women in leadership positions, as consumer? est biodynamic producer in the united states, well as cult winemakers who are women. our target is anybody who enjoys fi ne wine. which differentiates us from our competitors. Your son was born in 2005. Do you i’m very proud that both wine connoisseurs and What does biodynamic mean exactly? want him to enter the business? those who know nothing about wine fi nd our biodynamic farming uses practices that he’s an individual and has the right to do wines delicious. by keeping our prices fairly were prevalent several hundred years ago. it what he wants with his life. i’m not forcing him reasonable, we’ve been able to reach a larger means being as natural as possible, creating a to do anything, but i show him how much fun audience, while maintaining our reputation for sustainable environment where everything lives it is. he has been traveling with me since he offering the very highest quality of wines. in harmony. we help the vines become naturally was six weeks old, and he’s already a veteran How do you distribute your wines? immune to pests and diseases. we’ve found that at wine tasting. his favorite food is grapes, so we like to focus on our tasting room, and our grapes have become much healthier and he’s defi nitely on the road. we go outward from there. the more people happier and produce much more balanced and Working for a family business, can you we can get to the winery the better. california intense varietal character. we also feel they will ever get away from your job? is our number one state, and we distribute di- live a lot longer, and the older a vine becomes, i remember being on my honeymoon, look- rectly to stores and restaurants there. we love the better the quality it has. ing around for a place to sell wine in norway. our direct customers. we sell to all 50 states, and Does the Internet drives sales for the my family has certainly gotten used to it; it’s part we also have some export distribution, which winery? of our lives. however, i’m much better at fi nding has increased over the past few years. because we like to reach people as directly as possi- time for my family than i used to be. everything is global now and people travel so ble. we have a monthly e-mail blast that we send Do you have a favorite wine? frequently, it’s important to have a presence in to people who sign up for our mailing list. we it’s like having children – they’re all won- the best accounts in the best export markets. tell them what’s going on in our vineyards and derful. we don’t make very many wines, but the How does technology affect the way in the cellar. it gives them a much closer look at ones we do make fi t all ranges and styles, so wine is made? what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. there’s always a right wine from grgich hills.• technology is certainly affecting how wine What experience do you offer for visi- is made, but our goal has always been to keep tors to the winery? A cabernet sauvignon from Grgich Hills volume 31, number 4 posted with permission. copyright © 2008 leaders magazine, inc. leaders 207.
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