Auzerais Bellamy

Today, I made our first step toward getting Currently carried by 23 locations of Whole Foods Market in Florida. The process is a bit convoluted (as I'm learning many things are in wine...), but here's generally what's going to happen: -We're already an approved vendor and need to update our new Currently Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc into the Amazon vendor portal, which I did today -This process is now vendor-led, instead of distributor led, which ensures the accuracy of the information (since I won't mess it up but distributors might) -Next steps will be to schedule meetings in October with each store manager, who my Florida distributor has relationships with and update them on our new packaging, design and brand. -Because our story has continuity around environmental cause and goes farther now with being 2x lower carbon footprint and Certified Sustainable grapes, I'm hoping that will be a differentiator -There are in-store display opportunities, and I'm going to work on having our wine setup next to the oysters and seafood. Any WFM general manager selling suggestions are welcome-- I'm new to this! #wine #founderjourney #wholefoodsmarket

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When you select a wine, do you care about the winery's power? It's an interesting brand positioning strategy by Viña Santa Carolina - Carolina Wine Brands. On a bottle of inexpensive wine, there's a gold stick that says: "World's Most Powerful Wine Brands 2022." Personally, that doesn't make an impact. I don't care about power, I care about taste and quality. It's why I'm swayed by stickers on bottle featuring the scores of reviewers. If it's above a 90, it has to be good wine, right? A key part of positioning is making it relevant to prospects and customers. Does it matter to them? Will it have an impact personally or professionally? A powerful wine brand matters to some target audience but I'm not sure it works on a wine bottle. #wine #brandpositioning #marketing #branding

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Tequila!   Many large players such as White Claw, and The Boston Beer Company (maker of Truly) are expanding their offerings and releasing tequila-flavored ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails as consumers are increasingly turning to tequila offerings in the beverage alcohol sector.   I had the opportunity to share my insights and thoughts on this surging trend with The Food Institute. In the article, I emphasized how innovations in ready-to-drink (RTD) formats, including tequila-based seltzers and margaritas, are meeting consumer demand for novel flavors. Additionally, I pointed out that tequila production has remained stable despite global supply chain disruptions and highlighted the increasing consumer preference for high-quality artisanal spirits.   Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gB9f-3Ci   #Tequila #BeverageIndustry #MarketTrends #ConsumerInsights #RTDCocktails

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#NewYorkClimateWeek has been an interesting experience now having worked in the restaurant industry for ~6 months (and going). (But I've been in this game for more than 10 years: while in college and as a busboy twice. This is just my first full-time stint.) The restaurant industry is good at attempting to be sustainable, yet failing dramatically. Reducing food waste, cutting energy and water, incorporating reusables -- we care because it's the financially right thing to do. But we're so focused on getting by day to day when labor is so tight and margins are so thin that, ironically, we forget that sustainability could substantially cut costs. I went in open-minded. I didn’t expect to see many like me, if at all. I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t. Restaurant workers do not think about climate change much. Shredding cabbage just right, keeping it at temp (i.e. below 40 degrees Fahrenheit) during prepping, getting the dishes washed and sanitized for the next task -- that's the mindset. Nonetheless, I did meet one chef, though she is leaving the industry after 12 years. Nor did I expect frank, honest conversations we need to have before we talk about food waste, electrification, water use, HVAC, and so on. How can we talk about reusable cups, silverware, and plates if we don’t have a dishwasher that is willing to add climate change to their responsibilities? They’re already getting dirty and wet as f*ck each evening while working alone. Now climate change is part of the game? Negotiating using their jargon as a prerequisite is necessary. That’s one of many issues #ClimateWeek needs to sort through towards the restaurant industry. There’s a genuine disconnect towards what being in the kitchen actually looks like. And that’s why Climate Week needs to look elsewhere for guidance. Another Round Another Rally certainly supports restaurants that are already sustainability minded. Elsewhere are companies that make operations more efficient without adding (dare I say it?) the strain of being sustainable: inventory management (ClearCOGS), food prep (Leanpath), HVAC (David Energy), waste management (Glass Half Full, Recycle Track Systems), ERP (Crunchtime), reusables (DeliverZero, Cup Zero, reDish), dish sanitizing (Auto-Chlor Services, LLC), food safety (Ecolab). If Climate Week wants restaurant owners’ attention—in the kitchen, dishroom, social media, etc.—they should have spoken every day this week about the challenges keeping owners up at night and on site 7 days a week, 14 hours a day. Otherwise, restaurants will continue to contribute to the 40% of food loss and waste of ~60 million tons discarded annually by Americans [1].

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Calling RI food entrepreneurs. Do you have a product and are ready to scale but need help? Complete our survey and we'll connect you with the best mentor(s) to meet your business needs. Tap into the amazing Branchfood network of experts and angel investors. https://lnkd.in/edWM3f9E #foodentrepreneurs #foodstartups

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