Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/646485
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m M a r - A p r 2 016 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 1 3 In a rare and much anticipated public address, Bronco CEO Fred Franzia delivered the January 26 keynote speech and, with it, set the stage for the 2016 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento. Franzia paid homage to the found- ing figures of the California wine industry, includ- ing his uncle, Ernest Gallo, with a look back at their history and, with his characteristic candor, tackled some of the trade's most relevant topics. As the nation's largest vineyard owner — Bronco Wine owns in excess of 40,000 acres — he was quick to count grape growers among the most interesting and opinionated people he deals with in the industry. He credited Central Valley growers with teaching him much through the many hours he's spent in their company over the last 50 years. Expressing regard for his peers and fellow industry icons Robert Mondavi and Jess Jackson, Franzia pointed to their simi- lar practice of always tasting blind and their keen ability to critique what they tasted. On the subject of industry growth, Fran- zia was at once optimistic and pragmatic. His conviction that each grower needs to plant the right variety and farm efficiently was a recur- ring theme throughout his address. Tackling the "perceived" problem of over supply, he said, "Forty percent of the wine market isn't being supplied by California. Growers need to increase grape supply from their own vineyards." Given the challenges Napa and Sonoma coun- ties face with vineyard expansion, he cited San Joaquin Valley as the most productive region and the next source for high-quality wine. "San Franzia's Unified Keynote Speaks to Past, Present and Future Joaquin has the infrastructure neces- sary to process the wines and meet the demand side," he said. "The future will be bright and Lodi growers are in there whether they like it or not." Quoting industry source Mel Dick, he noted that U.S. consumption now stands at 327 million cases annually: "If we drank as much as the United Kingdom, that number would dou- ble, but we'd need to drink 1.6 billion cases to match the French," he said. Bronco's 20 million annual case vol- ume contributes significantly to the bottom line, and Franzia believes U.S. consumers can achieve that ambitious goal by 2040. NEWS FLASH Southern Acquires Glazer's Miami-based Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. has acquired Glazer's Inc. of Dallas, Texas. The merger creates the largest North American wine and spirits distribution company, serving supplier and customer partners from coast to coast. The new company, Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, LLC, expects to distribute more than 150 million cases of wine and spirits in the United States annually. Lawmakers Repeal COOL A World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling repeals Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef and pork. Canada, the largest foreign market for American wine, and Mexico had proposed retaliatory tariffs on wine and other American exports, were the COOL requirements not repealed by the U.S. Government. On Dec. 7, the WTO deemed COOL requirements an undue regulatory burden. CAWG Hires Natalie Collins and Tyler Blackney The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) in Sac- ramento, Calif., has hired Natalie Collins as manager of member relations. Tyler Blackney, director of government relations, joined CAWG in September 2015. Previously, Collins organized membership and education events for the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation. Blackney is the former legislative director for California Assembly Member Luis Alejo. Deutsch Family to Relocate White Plains, N.Y.-based Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits has announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Stamford, Conn. The move will nearly double the size of its current headquarters to 43,563 square feet and make room for an estimated 100 new or relocated jobs. Led by the 8.3-million-case Yellow Tail brand, Deutsch has also seen strong growth in Josh Cellars. For more industry news briefs, visit the News Flash page on V&WM's website: http://www.vwmmedia.com/magazine/web-exclusive1.asp. " 1- BY DEBORAH PARKER WONG Bronco CEO Fred Franzia delivers the keynote speech at the 2016 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento.