In regards to small businesses (my husband and I own a wine bar in Savannah, GA) I think we have really deep committed relationships with our distributors and importers. By maintaining a healthy relationship with them we’ve been able to (for the most part) get the wine we are interested in and be at the top of the list for allocations. I think a lot of the wine we will see larger stores pick up will be bottles at a lower wholesale cost and with more quantity.
I was someone who was always weary of natural wine in a larger market like whole foods but the accessibility point you made is so true! Just like we want better quality foods available for our communities the same should be for wine. Will be sharing this with our team and friends to think on!
So interesting & I largely agree! But in the DC metro area it’s been interesting to see the opposite come true. I work for an essentially natural wine distributor and we do sell to Whole Foods (This interest in local and natural wines started in 2019 for the mid Atlantic.) But recently those numbers are way way way down, and meanwhile the shelves now have Kendall Jackson on them. Never seen that mainstream a wine in Whole Foods till this summer. Two steps forward… two steps back?
I’ve seen Stella Rosa there as well🥴. Pre-Amazon, Whole Foods was a bit more curated/expensive. But now that they are ‘mainstream’, I guess they have to fill it with mainstream products for the masses, while also trying to hold on to their crunchy granola shoppers. It’s like putting m&ms next to artisanal chocolate, the stores have to offer both.
I think it goes back to intentional education around wine though--exposing consumers to the good stuff (and WHY it matters) so that they demand better options and can dictate the market around wine. Purchasing power controls all!
I own a 2500 case winery in willamette valley. my Distributor
in VA told me that WF is delisting all wines that cannot supply all 503 stores nationwide. They are cutting out us small natural wine producers. Very unfortunate decision! I'm not sure what WF is trying to accomplish with their bone head move. seems contrary to their mission. LDM
Great article!
In regards to small businesses (my husband and I own a wine bar in Savannah, GA) I think we have really deep committed relationships with our distributors and importers. By maintaining a healthy relationship with them we’ve been able to (for the most part) get the wine we are interested in and be at the top of the list for allocations. I think a lot of the wine we will see larger stores pick up will be bottles at a lower wholesale cost and with more quantity.
I was someone who was always weary of natural wine in a larger market like whole foods but the accessibility point you made is so true! Just like we want better quality foods available for our communities the same should be for wine. Will be sharing this with our team and friends to think on!
So interesting & I largely agree! But in the DC metro area it’s been interesting to see the opposite come true. I work for an essentially natural wine distributor and we do sell to Whole Foods (This interest in local and natural wines started in 2019 for the mid Atlantic.) But recently those numbers are way way way down, and meanwhile the shelves now have Kendall Jackson on them. Never seen that mainstream a wine in Whole Foods till this summer. Two steps forward… two steps back?
I’ve seen Stella Rosa there as well🥴. Pre-Amazon, Whole Foods was a bit more curated/expensive. But now that they are ‘mainstream’, I guess they have to fill it with mainstream products for the masses, while also trying to hold on to their crunchy granola shoppers. It’s like putting m&ms next to artisanal chocolate, the stores have to offer both.
I think it goes back to intentional education around wine though--exposing consumers to the good stuff (and WHY it matters) so that they demand better options and can dictate the market around wine. Purchasing power controls all!
I own a 2500 case winery in willamette valley. my Distributor
in VA told me that WF is delisting all wines that cannot supply all 503 stores nationwide. They are cutting out us small natural wine producers. Very unfortunate decision! I'm not sure what WF is trying to accomplish with their bone head move. seems contrary to their mission. LDM