Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/670021
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m M a y - J u n e 2 016 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 7 7 our sales force and marketing divi- sion are now WSET Level 2 certi- fied," says Franzia, who also holds the certification. WSET certification has also bolstered the performance for Bronco's distribution division, Classic Wines, which has a sales team that works with a large inter- national portfolio that requires an sion as a Wine & Spirits Education Trust Approved Program Provider (APP). "Certification has become a baseline standard for the indus- try, and being able to offer it to our partners and vendors represents an important value-add," says Joey Franzia. As one of the nation's larg- est wine producers, Bronco joins Constellation, Gallo and Jackson Family Wines, all of which have robust internal education divisions. ONE BILLION CASE GOAL B r o n c o m a r k e d a n i m p r e s - sive milestone when Fred Franzia announced from the podium at Uni- fied that the company had reached sales of 1 billion bottles of its flag- ship brand, Charles Shaw. As the largest vineyard holder in California — the company owns 40,000 acres of vines — Franzia remains stead- fastly committed to San Joaquin Valley, "I won't plant grapes any- where but here," was his definitive reply when asked if he was among the San Joaquin-based growers expanding by acquiring coastal win- eries. "The truth is that we should be planting better-quality grapes and growing them more efficiently to attack the 40% of the market now being supplied by imports," he says. He points to vine pulling in the valley as the need to replace older, low-yielding vineyards, not as a function of oversupply. "San Joaquin Valley has the infrastruc- ture to grow, process and supply the billions of gallons of high-qual- ity wines that will be necessary to supply the demand side," says Franzia. His long-term prediction for the sales of wine priced below $10 a bottle: By 2040, the Califor- nia wine industry will be selling more than 1 billion cases of table wine annually. Deborah Parker Wong is the Northern California editor for The Tasting Panel magazine, and a long- time contributor to Vineyard & Win- ery Management. She earned her WSET Diploma in 2009. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com understanding of winegrowing and winemaking practices from dozens of regions worldwide. Recognizing the vital role that continuing education plays in a rapidly evolving industry, Bronco, which had previously outsourced its WSET training, is now moving to establish an internal training divi-