Posted on February 5, 2013 by Bill Skrapits
Let Your Sales Forecast Be Your Guide
What is the difference between these two perspectives?
1. Winery owner produces a wine(s) and needs to sell it to fulfill the sales goal.
2. Winery owner has a sales goal and needs a wine(s) to fulfill that goal.
At first glance, you…
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Posted on February 28, 2013 by Bill Skrapits
Colorado Wine, Winters and the West
I recently attended the third annual VinCO Conference, Colorado’s annual wine conference January 15-17. It’s held in Grand Junction, where the majority of Colorado’s grapes are grown. A massive cold snap hit during the conference stirring a few concerns about the vineyards among local conference…
Posted on March 20, 2013 by Bill Skrapits
When NOT to Blend
Recently I was working with a winery who had a wonderful 2012 harvest of Vermentino. My standard procedure for presenting wines to the winery owner is to make at least two different blends and use a sample of the single varietal wine for comparison.
I set…
Posted on May 6, 2013 by Bill Skrapits
Wineries and Breweries: Work Together To Change Laws
As in many states, the 3-Tier System in Texas has always been a nightmare.
It took wineries over a decade to persuade the legislature to allow for retail sales at their wineries. Finally, in 2001, after seeing the financial potential of the burgeoning…
Posted on June 5, 2013 by Bill Skrapits
Secrets of a Successful Tasting Room – Highlights from SVB 2013 Survey
Last week Silicon Valley Bank’s wine division founder, Rob McMillan, along with Cyril Penn of Wine Business Monthly, Brian Baker of Chateau Montelena and Ahin Thomas of the Vintners’ Alliance, conducted a live videocast: Secrets of a Successful Tasting Room- 2013 Survey…
Posted on July 29, 2013 by Bill Skrapits
Viticulture & Enology Internships
Premier Wine Blends recently announced Internship opportunities through Grayson College’s TV Munson Viticulture and Enology Center in Denison, Texas. “Hands-on grape growing and winemaking is the only way to truly learn the art and science of viticulture and enology.” – Justin Shreiner, Director, Grayson’s Viticulture and Enology Program.…
Posted on August 14, 2013 by Bill Skrapits
What’s the Value of a Viticulturist?
Who better to ask than Fritz Westover, career learner, educator and leader in viticulture education. Graduating from Penn State with a degree in horticulture and an MS in Plant Pathology, he was soon Virginia Tech’s Viticulture Research-Extension Associate. Fritz later moved on to serve as…
Posted on April 16, 2014 by Bill Skrapits
Colorado Wine: It’s a Journey, Not a Destination
Another great VinCO Conference in Colorado this year. The Colorado VinCO conference is one of the best in the nation – period.
One of the reasons it’s outstanding is because the conference actually exists for the industry. The main purpose for CAVE’s existence (Colorado Association…
Posted on June 1, 2011 by Bill Skrapits
It may seem like the buds just burst, but harvest will be sneaking up on us soon. In preparation for the exciting and hectic season, let’s look at what you can do now to be ahead of the game.
Prior and during harvest, in addition to an influx of customers,…
Posted on June 9, 2011 by Bill Skrapits
Next stop on my Southwest Winery Tour was Arizona, the Grand Canyon State. With its mountains and deserts, Arizona’s wine industry faces interesting climate challenges. Most vineyards are located around Wilcox in the southeast corner of the state, with a few scattered around Flagstaff. With the high altitudes (Elevation: Wilcox…