The Tasting Panel magazine

June 2015

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june 2015  /  the tasting panel  /  63 D onny Sebastiani's most vivid memory of the 2002 World Series is not the bitter taste of defeat because the team he was rooting for—the San Francisco Giants—lost; rather, it is the sweet taste of a happy memory, one he could swirl in a glass. The team may have lost, but the 1975 Château Haut-Brion he was drinking, by Sebastiani's own admission, helped to "soften the blow." Think of that—your favorite ball club loses the World Series, but the memory of the experience is sweetened because of a wine. Sebastiani, a fourth-generation Sonoma Valley winemaker and President and CEO of Don Sebastiani & Sons, has spent a great deal of time and energy in recent years thinking about wine from an experiential point of view. That thinking has translated into a new chapter in the family's business model, with the introduction of two new portfolios: New House Vintners and Foundation Wine Collection. The former will focus more on the company's boutique wines that highlight a sense of place and have the ability not only to tell a story, but to help create a story, much like that Haut-Brion; the latter will focus on more ubiquitous distribution. "New House Vintners will be vertically integrated with its own winemaking, marketing, sales team and its own distribution network," explained Sebastiani while speaking with THE TASTING PANEL from his family's Watmaugh Ranch in Sonoma County. "It's very easy for people to change the 'who,' 'what' and 'where,'—sell a different thing, go to a different place—but the 'how' and 'why' are like a third dimension," explains Sebastiani. "I asked my team to consider how and why we are making and marketing and selling our wines. How are we presented in the marketplace? These wines have a unique story and we need to go out and tell our story that differenti- ates ourselves from others." Rollout of the New House Vintners portfolio is slated to hit the Southeastern U.S. first, especially in Florida, and will also see changes in Texas. Some markets will see no change, and some will see a complete change in their portfolio offerings. This collection will include Don & Sons Sonoma Signature Series Pinot Noir, Sivas-Sonoma, The Crusher (Clarksburg), Il Donato (Italy), Gunsight Rock (Paso Robles), Simple Life (Clarksburg) and Americano, along with new 2014 releases Delish Sauvignon Blanc, Queens Peak Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon and Custard Sonoma Valley Chardonnay—all coming to market in 2015. Gloria Mercado-Martín will lead the winemaking team for New House Vintners. New House Vintners will come out swinging with nine regional wine managers on the ground in various markets— ambassadors who will share the playing field with those from Foundation Wine Collection. "My team at New House Vintners will have different approaches—how programs are written, how our salesforce is organized—just like a boutique distributor in any given state will look very different in structure from a large one. With New House Vintners, it's all about understanding the wines already at the restaurant." To emphasize his point, Sebastiani gave the example of their Custard Sonoma Valley Chardonnay existing at an account where "[the sales people are] adept at selling a lot of wine—but not necessarily good at brand building. Those accounts are maybe more convenience-driven, or may have a limited selection, no sommelier or wine steward to sell the story. Now, from a sales perspective, it might be highly successful, but it might not be the right account for some of our wines," he said. To give a sense of how New House Vintners and Foundation Wine Collection operate in the marketplace, Deborah Parker Wong, our Northern California editor, and writer Scott Greenberg spent a day in the life with a sales rep from each division. Don & Sons Sonoma Signature Series Pinot Noir, The Crusher and Delish Sauvignon Blanc, a new 2014 release. PHOTO: KEVIN ALLEN

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