Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/7240
68 / the tasting panel / march 2010 lenging past two years, and I've had to change my role to fit the climate." Known in the industry as a pioneer, Clendenen claims, "I've worn lots of hats, and now I wear the crown of National Sales Manager." In his new role, Clendenen is not just the celebrity face of the winery, but the corporate face as well. "When I visit accounts, many buyers are stunned to hear that I have the ears of the heads of Southern." As a winery owner, Clendenen is an asset to the distributor in work- ing with the buyers, who are often pleased to see the face of the label in person. "We don't have to demand our way on to the wine lists; we make personal contact." Au Bon Climat and Qupé, a Central Coast wine brand on which Clen- denen partners with Bob Lindquist, are represented by Southern in Hawaii ("I have the best relationship with Warren Shon," says Clendenen), Nevada, New York and Florida. Caymus Vineyards Caymus Vineyards was founded in 1972 by Charlie Wagner, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner and their son Chuck Wagner on the family's Rutherford property. The Wagners produced their first Cabernet Sauvi- gnon from the 1972 vintage, and the winery has made Napa Valley Caber- net Sauvignon every year since. The Caymus label now focuses entirely on this variety. "I met Jim Allen, who was then at Southern Wine & Spirits in Los Angeles, about 15 years ago," recalls Chuck Wagner. "As a small winery, I believed that Southern was too large for us. I thought it would be like deal- ing with a huge bank and we would just be a number, without personal attention . . . that was until my dad and I sat down with them and real- ized they were sincere and genuine people. To this day, we are overjoyed with our relationship." Over the past four decades the family has established four unique wines from strategic locations from California. Wagner insists that SWS helped build their image and their volume. "They put their nose to the grind- stone, and that's the way we operate. No need for a Masters degree or a Ph.D.; if you do it well, you got the job. The guys that lead at Southern came up through the ranks: Brad [Vassar], Ted [Simpkins], Jim [Allen] . . . and the list goes on." With a plea to restaurant owners, Wagner believes that there exists a disconnect at the on-premise level. "Sommeliers want to show off their knowledge by compiling the most eclectic—and often most misunder- stood—wine lists possible." Instead, Wagner encourages restaurant own- ers or GMs to become involved, for the sake of the bottom line, if nothing else. "Wouldn't you rather sport a list with products that move? Sixty per- cent of wines sitting in storage does no one any good." Schrader Cellars There's no doubt that buyers, just like many consumers, root for the little guy—it's an American ideal. But that doesn't mean that a large family-owned business like SWS can't do the same. "My relationship with SWS started over 20 years ago with Jimmy Manc- bach, who was the fine wine expert in Florida," says Napa Valley vintner Fred Schrader. "We called him The Ferret because he had a talent for finding up-and-coming small West Coast producers and getting them into the Southern portfolio. I was one of those producers." In 1992, Schrader co-founded the SPECIAL REPORT Joseph Wagner, Chuck Wagner and Charlie Wagner, owners and winemakers of Caymus Vineyards, Conundrum, Belle Glos and Mer Soleil.