Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/230154
INNOVATION VS. SUSTAINABILITY One of the main issues with pop wines, according to Spadarotto of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, is that the brands are not sustainable. "I've had the benefit of working for some of the bigger companies, like Diageo, that are very active in what they refer to as 'innovation,' he said. "Not to throw Diageo under the bus – (it's) an excellent brand-building company – but as a long-term winery manager, I always think of it as a question of sustainability. Are those brands and marketing strategies really sustainable and do (the producers) even care? I think the short answer is no, they don't really care." Because large companies are so heavily judged on year-over-year volume growth, there's constant pressure to roll out and grow new brands. "I have never felt that that Steve Spadarotto of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars believes that sustainable brands are healthier for the wine industry than flash-in-the-pan "hot brands." is a healthy way to run a wine business," Spadarotto said. "I think that's why the family-owned companies that aren't so concerned with volume growth tend to stay at this for generations." He credits the 40-plus-year longevity of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars – owned by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and the Antinori family – to the parent companies' focus on quality over volume. "I think if you do that and you're not perplexed with trying to produce the next million-case brand, you can have a 40- or 50-plus-year lifespan for your brand. "It's the exact antithesis of what you see with some of these cutesy innovation brands that are churned out on an annual basis," he continued. "If they're lucky, they have a two-year lifespan and they die off." This focus on disposable brands has Spadarotto concerned that California's brand image could suffer. Introducing our New Process Technologies Group Building on our Commitment to Provide the Wine Industry with the Best in Class Service and Innovative Equipment Solutions. PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES GROUP ENOLOGY - Yeast Yeast Nutrients Malolatic Bacteria Enzymes Enological Tannins Fining - Cleaners - Cellar Chemicals - Filtration Supplies VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION www.americantartaric.com 38 V I N E YA R D & WINE RY MANAGEM ENT | Jan - Feb 2014 - Rotary Vacuum Filtration - Cross-flow Filtration - Filtration Consulting - Equipment Service and PM Replacement Membranes Continuous Presses Crushers Destemmer Pneumatic Presses Vacuum Presses Centrifuges Flotation High Solids Cross Flow Filter Pressure Leaf Rotary Vacuum Sheet Filters And More WEST COAST SALES 1230 Shiloh Road Windsor, CA 95492 Tel 707.836.6840 Fax 707.836.6843 1625 Commerce Way Paso Robles, CA 93446 Tel 805.237.1223 www.americantartaric.com w w w. v wm m e d i a . c o m