by Robert Vernick, Peter Yeung
A podcast delivering wine perspectives ex-chateau. Insights, analysis, and perspectives on news and trends in the wine industry beyond winemaking, such as marketing, finance, and consumer trends. From noted wine blogger Robert Vernick (@wineterroir) and leading wine business consultant and author of Luxury Wine Marketing Peter Yeung (@winebizguy), this podcast navigates the business of wine with unique perspectives and insights. <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/7472761">Get access to library episodes</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
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Publishing Since
5/18/2020
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April 17, 2025
<p>With over 1,000 kosher wines from across all major winegrowing regions, <a href="https://royalwine.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Royal Wine</a> is the largest importer (and producer and distributor) of kosher wine in the world. Gabe Geller, Director of PR & Wine Education, discusses the market for kosher wine, how and where it is made, and how Orthodox Jews hear about them.</p><br><p><strong>Detailed Show Notes: </strong></p><p>Gabe’s background, at Royal Wine >9 years, wine industry for 16 years (retail, consulting, marketing)</p><p>Royal Wine - world’s leading importer, producer, distributor of kosher wine</p><ul><li>In US, carries >1,000 kosher wines from every major wine producing region</li><li>Owns Kedem, Herzog, and other brands</li></ul><p>Can’t taste kosher wine, similar to other wines</p><ul><li>Produced only by Sabbath observant Jews</li><li>No non-kosher ingredients or processing agents (e.g. - fining agents)</li><li>Has kosher certification on the bottle</li><li>Mevushal (“boiled”) - for some kosher wines, uses flash pasteurization which is also used by some non-kosher wineries; tend to taste more approachable initially, but ages longer</li></ul><p>Israel #1 producer of kosher wine (~5M cases), USA (~350k cases; mostly Herzog), France (~350k cases across many wineries)</p><p>Kosher wine market</p><ul><li>Observant Jews drink kosher wine year-round</li><li>Jews use wine in almost every religious ceremony, considered the “holy beverage”</li><li>Passover 1st night dinner (Seder), every adult is required to drink 4 cups of wine (can by any kosher wine or grape juice), each cup symbolizes 1 way God saved Jews from slavery</li><li>Jews who don’t do kosher normally will for Seder</li><li>40% of kosher wine in the US is purchased for Passover (used to be 60%, declining as more quality kosher wines available, so more is being bought year-round)</li><li>Top markets - Israel, US (NY/NJ #1, FL, CA - CA Jews drink less wine than East Coast Jews), France</li></ul><p>In top kosher markets, large retailers (e.g. - Total Wine) will have a kosher selection, some kosher wine stores, and online retailers (e.g. - Wine.com) also carry kosher</p><p>Of the 15.7M Jewish people (2023), only a small portion keep kosher</p><p>Some kosher wines sold to the general market (e.g. - Bartenura Moscato #1 imported Moscato the past 15 years, most don’t know it’s kosher; Jeunesse semi-dry wines have a distinct consumer appeal)</p><p>Israeli politics / Gaza war have lead to people buying more to support Israel</p><p>Marketing to the Orthodox community</p><ul><li>Identify sects with stricter mevushal rules (e.g. - 101F vs 105F) and promote specific brands that meet those</li><li>Print advertising big (English, Yiddish), many do not use as much internet, none on Sabbath, take in news via print</li><li>Whatsapp #1 social media for Orthodox Jews (or Telegram)</li></ul><p><br></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/7472761">Get access to library episodes</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
April 2, 2025
<p>Though one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the world, Israel is still exploring its potential after Muslim rule after World War I. Victor Schoenfeld, Head Winemaker, and Walter Whyte, VP of Sales for Yarden Imports, explain how Golan Heights Winery has set the bar for the quality of Israeli wine and spreads its wines globally, both within the Jewish community and beyond. </p><br><p><strong>Detailed Show Notes: </strong></p><p>Victor Schoenfeld - CA native, went to UC Davis, recruited to Golan Heights Winery in 1991</p><p>Walter Whyte - managed officers’ clubs in the military and learned about wine</p><p>Golan Heights Winery (“GH”) background</p><ul><li>Founded 1983 to export wine of high quality</li><li>26% exported today (production to increase 30%, primarily for export)</li><li>NE Israel, Syrian border, 33rd parallel (like San Diego)</li><li>Volcanic plateau, Mediterranean climate, high elevation (1,200-4,000 ft)</li><li>19 varietals, known for traditional method sparkling, Yarden Cabernet</li><li>Zelma Long, former consultant</li><li>Price points range from $15 (Mt Hermon) - Yarden Cab ($50) - $80+ - $1,000 (Cru Elite)</li><li>Manage 40% of vineyards (to increase), rest on long-term contracts</li><li>500 vineyard blocks, harvested & vinified separately</li><li>Has two propagation vineyards and a nursery</li></ul><p>Israeli wine history</p><ul><li>Journal of Science (2023) - identified two winegrape domestication events 11,000 years ago - Caucasus (Georgia) and Western Asia (Israel)</li><li>Discovered ~30 ancient wine artifacts</li><li>Golan Heights is the coolest climate region in Israel</li><li>Muslim rule 738 - WWI - old varieties died out</li></ul><p>Israeli war impacts</p><ul><li>Minimal grape growing impacts (1 missile fell on vineyard), but emotionally challenging</li><li>Support in the US for Israeli wine, reduction in sales in Europe after Oct 7, 2023 events</li></ul><p>Israeli wine market</p><ul><li>GH demand > supply in Israel</li><li>Per capita consumption is low; a large segment does not drink due to religion</li><li>The food scene has exploded in the last 20 years, but many restaurants do not serve Israeli wine</li><li>Top 5 markets - US, Canada, Europe, Far East (Japan)</li><li>Top US markets - NY, NJ, CT, FL, TX, IL, CA</li><li>Historically, wines went to religious markets, expanding into secular</li><li>internationally marketed as high quality, not as kosher; Angelo Gaja distributes in Italy</li></ul><p>Differentiating GH</p><ul><li>“Oldest new world winery in existence”</li><li>Marketing messages: World-class wine, kosher, then from Israel</li><li>High elevation, volcanic soils on 33rd parallel (Etna is 37th)</li></ul><p>Marketing</p><ul><li>Grass roots, get people to taste the wine</li><li>Active in Jewish organizations, ads in Jewish publications, tasting events sponsored by Jewish groups</li><li>Strong presence in Kosher wine stores</li></ul><p>All GH wines are kosher</p><ul><li>2 types - Mevushal (cooked/pasteurized) - required for some, esp Kosher restaurants (catering, weddings, bar mitzvahs); Non-mevushal</li><li>Many wineries do both</li><li>Everything used in winemaking needs to be certified kosher (e.g., yeast)</li><li>Can’t use things like isinglass</li><li>GH's whole facility is kosher</li><li>“Could double business if made mevushal,” but will not to maintain quality</li></ul><p>Food and wine pairing is not typical. Traditional Middle Eastern cuisine, “mezze,” has a lot of different flavors at once</p><p>Passover dinner is coursed, and every adult must drink four glasses of wine (or grape juice)</p><p>Yarden Cru Elite - $2,000 per pair</p><ul><li>265 pairs related, including NFT, sold directly from winery</li><li>Celebrate the 40th anniversary with collectors</li><li>Cabernet Sauvignon, single vineyard, single block, two single barrels</li><li>Launched at an Israeli restaurant in Singapore</li></ul><p><br></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/7472761">Get access to library episodes</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
March 20, 2025
<p>Tracking vine trunk movements down to the 0.5-micron level, <a href="https://www.phytech.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Phytech</a> is leveraging technology to optimize vine irrigation. Cody Ashurst, Director of Vineyards, and Lex Palmer, Marketing Manager, discuss how their solution optimizes and automates irrigation today and how it can be extended to optimize fertilization, harvest dates, and much more. </p><br><p><strong>Detailed Show Notes: </strong></p><p>Phytech - a global SaaS company that optimizes agricultural irrigation</p><ul><li>Technology includes dendrometers, irrigation pressure switches, soil moisture probes, and frost & weather stations</li><li>Crops include nuts (biggest), citrus, pears, getting into row crops</li><li>Vineyard solution primarily West Coast / CA, pursuing Portugal, Spain, Italy, Chile, Mexico, Texas</li></ul><p>Dendrometer - digital devices mounted onto vine or tree, measures expansion and contraction of plant trunks at the 0.5-micron level (70 microns = 1 human hair)</p><p>Vineyard solution includes a dendrometer, soil probe, website, and mobile app with wireless comms and data loggers connected via cellular, satellite, or wifi</p><ul><li>The solution can be adjusted based on the type of farming (e.g., quality or quantity), rootstocks, clones, soil types</li><li>Tracks trunk size and soil moisture to signal irrigation needs</li><li>Optional: pump/value control for irrigation</li><li>Can schedule up to 2 weeks of irrigation</li><li>Can monitor fertilizer inputs (cost of fertilizer up 600% last 5 years)</li></ul><p>Benefits:</p><ul><li>Don’t promise water savings, but see up to 60% less water use</li><li>Improve quality by knowing when veraison happens and when vines stop growing or are stalling</li><li>Optimize fertilizer, diesel, and electric pump costs</li><li>Reduce labor for irrigation if automated</li><li>The system logs data, enabling knowledge transfer when people leave</li><li>Case study: High-end Napa vintner got WE94 points 1st vintage, then used Phytech in a heat wave year and got WE97 w/ tailored post-veraison irrigation; other growers had a 30% loss, the winery had a 3% loss</li><li>Case study: one ranch was expecting a 50% loss, but down to 3% with irrigation changes</li></ul><p>Pricing - depends on # of sites in a block</p><ul><li>There is a small upfront fee for installation</li><li>Monthly SaaS fee (~$50-80/acre/year), includes maintenance</li><li>Weather station ~$700/year (vs ~$3,500 to buy)</li></ul><p>Case studies (videos on website)</p><ul><li>Ultra premium Napa winery Neotempo</li><li>Larger Mendocino grower Bonterra </li></ul><p>Marketing most through word of mouth/referrals</p><ul><li>Digital media, video testimonials, trade shows & panels</li><li>Video in digital media has been the most valuable</li><li>Connecting 1:1 is very helpful</li><li>Phytech is more holistic than other solutions</li></ul><p>The most significant barrier to adoption is technophobia</p><p>The subscription-based model eliminates “tech graveyard” growers have</p><p>Product roadmap</p><ul><li>Predictive brix/pH model (growers input brix, system tracks weather, vine response) to predict harvest date by block</li><li>GDD (growing degree days) monitoring tracking temperature and humidity in the field at the block level</li><li>AI Advisor to look at past data and current practices and enable recommendations</li></ul><p>Other exciting innovations - Autonomous spraying and tractors (Guss, Monarch), optical arrays for vine health (Scout), microalgae for soil health (MyLand)</p><p><br></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/7472761">Get access to library episodes</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
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