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COVER STORY Tres Agaves: Organic and On-Trend "Tres Agaves is a family business, born at the dining room table and made by a fifth-generation tequila producing family, says Barry " Augus, President of the brand which originally launched in 2010 and came under the Trinchero umbrella in 2012. "The Trinchero vision and mission is very consistent with ours: Great quality wines—and now tequilas!—at a value price. " Tres Agaves and Trinchero also share a commitment to innovation: The brand, which offers three tequila expressions, also sells the only USDA certified organic Margarita mix in the market, as part of an allorganic mixer line that puts an emphasis on quality and consistency for high-volume accounts. "We definitely stand out in the tequila marketplace, especially with our mixers. Our agave nectar gives the home operator and the professional bartender endless options when it comes to swapping for simple syrup. " When considering partnering with Trinchero, Augus was confident, despite being in the first round of spirits in the supplier's portfolio: "Trinchero has such an incredible reputation, and I knew they wouldn't jump into this lightly. We knew they were going to do it right—and that was a bet I was happy to take. " Barry Augus, President of Tres Agaves, with his line of tequilas and mixers. Photographed during Tales of the Cocktail, where Trinchero and Tres Agaves both made a splash. Trinchero continues. Chimes in Bob Torkelson, President and COO: "The addition of spirits was a strategic move to expand the company's reach within the beverage alcohol industry, with the end goal of becoming a respected player in both wine and spirits." Stepping Into Spirits With an established record of success in developing, launching and growing innovative wine brands for decades, following the same formula in the spirit realm sets Trinchero up for continued success, despite the differences between Merlot and mixology. "Our strong sales and marketing teams are some of the best in the business," says Torkelson, "so we were confident that despite the challenges, a spirits division was the natural next step for the company." More than just the next step, Trinchero's expansion into spirits was a result of the demands of an everchanging industry. "As cocktail culture and the demand for quality spirits continues to grow, in the competitive environment, it is relevant to our distributors, account partners and consumers," says Torkelson. While cocktails and Cabernet may seem disparate on paper, Trinchero's management team has worked to translate its extensive experience in wine sales to spirits. Torkelson explains that bringing the already wine-savvy sales force up to spirit speed has been of the utmost importance. "Training has played a major role to ensure the sales team has a solid knowledge of these products, and the brand owners are very active in the marketplace, working with our internal team to better educate and pass on the passion that they themselves have for these brands." Continuing relationships with premium accounts to which Trinchero is already selling wine is also at the forefront: "Our relationships with the trade, both buyers and retailers, are long-standing, and there are constant opportunities to present our spirits to key influencers and the people making the final buying decisions." Partners in Spirit The Trinchero legacy of partnering with producers who share its core values also lives on in the newlylaunched spirit segment. "As we have with our wine portfolio, we choose the spirits that we believe consumers want, and ensure the best quality/price ratio," says Torkelson. This guideline led Trinchero to two tequilas, Cruz and Tres Agaves, both products that had already garnered a reputation of quality that mirrors Trinchero's legacy of excellence. But as a family-owned company, as Trinchero made moves to incorporate spirits, there were other factors to consider. "Both Cruz and Tres Agaves carry the 'DNA' we were looking to include in our portfolio: exceptionalquality, family-owned, premium, handcrafted products that over-deliver on price and appeal," says Torkelson. "There is a story to tell with our spirits 56 / the tasting panel / september 2013 TP0913_034-62.indd 56 8/22/13 9:21 PM