Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/62409
WINEMAKING bottlings, small bottlings of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Barbera and several other red varieties, a Livermore Chardonnay, a tank- fermented Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend and a Cabernet Sauvignon Port. Under the La Rochelle label are several vineyard-designated Pinots, a second tier of appellation-wide Pinots, a Pinot Blanc and a Pinot Gris, a rosé and a small amount of sparkling wine; La Rochelle will also be home to the newly expanded line of vineyard-designated Chardonnays. This long list of wines is made possible by a focus on direct-to-consumer sales as well as working in a winery environment where it's possible to try a small batch of almost anything. Supporting services The relatively small Steven Kent and La Rochelle labels are able to take advantage of the extensive laboratory and analytical capacities of the much larger Wente operation. The main Wente lab, located within the small-lot facility, has a four-person staff, plenty of exper- tise in wet chemistry and an array of advanced, automated testing equipment—including a Metrohm 798 Titrino Titrator, a Chemwell autoanalyzer, an Anton Paar Alcolyzer for alcohol measurement and an Anton Paar DMA density meter. The lab gives Mirassou and Stutz quick turnaround and, more important for Stutz, "informa- tion that is real. Bad information is worse than none." Rather than buying their own bottling line, Steven Kent and La Rochelle use Wente's in-house designed equipment. In order to put a few of their white and pink bottlings under Stelvin screwcap, Mirassou and Wente jointly purchased a module, the Bertolaso model VB40, that fits into the existing Wente line. The great majority of wines are bottled with natural corks from Ganau; bottles come from Encore Glass and Saverglass. Label design is done by The Agency Orange, which currently is re- doing the Steven Kent labels; capsules come from Ramondin. Case goods are stored in several places: some at a Wente warehouse and some in San Jose; from there California Wine Transport trucks a portion down to Southern California for storage at Pacific Wine. The two labels have direct distribution in California, including significant restaurant sales, especially for the basic Livermore Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($40 retail) as a by-the-glass offering. They also have distribution in Ohio, Illinois and Florida. They also produce a house brand—Steven Kent Ritz-Carlton Cuvee— which makes its way into the chain's hotels. But the main channel for both brands is direct-to-consumer, accounting for 75% to 80% of the sales of the higher end wines. Wine clubs are a major focus; the two Steven Kent clubs, one for Bordeaux grapes and one for Rhone and Italian wines, have 2,000 members, and the La Rochelle single-vineyard Pinot program has 400-500 members. Considering that many of the wines are produced in 125-case lots, the wine clubs automatically absorb a good deal of wine. Wines are also sold on the web and through the separate Steven Kent and La Rochelle tasting rooms, a few yards apart from each other on the Wente property, which are both a notch fancier than the Livermore norm. The three websites—Steven Kent, La Rochelle, Lineage—are being re-designed by Agency Orange. Wine club and web sales are processed and shipped in-house by Steven Kent/La Rochelle staff. Shipping compliance is handled by Colleen O'Neal, a former Wente compliance specialist, rather than automated software. Inventory control utilizes AMS software. The 50 wines from the three brands cover a wide price range, from white blends and rosé at or under $20 to the Livermore In our North American offices located in Napa, California, we have an established and experienced commercial, customer service and technical support team. Your brand deserves the best. Experience a true global leader. ROLL ON TE™ visible protection DIVINUM™ classic screwcap WAK™ traditional look For wine producers, creating a brand identity that is unique and unmistakable is essential in formulating a winning marketing policy: packaging is part of this strategy. The Group covers major wine labels, from international brands to the most prestigious local products. Guala Closures Group is able to offer a customized approach to produce closures in an infinite range of colors, sizes, shapes and materials to satisfy the most complex requirements, with the most advanced techniques of silkscreen, hotfoil, offset, lithography and embossing. Guala Closures Group is the worldwide leader in screwcap manufacturing with more than 10 billion closures per year. The group offers the largest range of aluminum closures to the wine industry, delivering "on your doorstep" thanks to its presence in four continents with 26 production facilities, Guala Closures is the indisputable global leader of closures for the wine and spirits industry. 1500 Third Street Napa, CA 94559 Phone 707.603.2845 info@gualaclosuresNA.com QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #1005 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2012 57