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This time I am not gonna write about a winery or a wine, this time I am gonna write about a person: Jean-Charles Boisset! For someone he is the one who is revolutioning the wine industry in California: great personality and wonderful ideas, he is able to capture everyone’s attention it does not matter how good his wines are and so on.

Jean-Charles owns a group of 7 wineries only in CA, some in France, and even 1 in Italy… some of his wines are not my favorite ones, but this is not the point… Jean-Charles has so wonderful ideas that anyone is not able to replace him. I have visited 2 of the most popular wineries he owns here in CA, one is in Napa (Raymond) and the other one is in Sonoma (Buena Vista). 2 very interesting experiences!

1.BUENA VISTA (see the website here)

Buena vista is one of the first Californian winery which keeps an “old style” somehow. You can learn about the history of the winery (see pic).

buena vista entrance

buena vista entrance

You have to live your car far away from the entrance because you have to walk to the entrance and in those 20 meters you learn about the history of the winery thanks to the signs which accompany you.

Many activities and idea are available: striking spaces for private or public events (Shakespeare performances open to the public for example); private tour to make your own wine is available: you have 3-4 grapes’ juices available and you can mix them as much as you like, when you find your own balance you can bottle it and chose your label bringing it at home, is not it fun?

Different room with different style are available, including the exclusive room in the cave for the tasting of their champagne and so on: press release in the restroom, flyers with the upcoming projects are available together with the classical ones telling about the history.

2.RAYMOND in Napa (see the website here)

Raymond has a more modern style: the theatre of nature (see pic)

sustainability

sustainability

is the path who waits for you as soon as you arrived to make a tour: sustanaibility is the first message (see pic); you can use also the QR code to get more info by your smart phone. Finally dogs and cats are allowed to enter, which is not popular here in USA. Wonderful and personalized welcoming (see pic), great tour and mktg ideas again.

For example, the education again: Paths to learn aromas and tastes are foreseen (see pic).

2 different tasting rooms, the classical “American” one with the bar a more original room located right inside the stainless still tanks (following the French and I would say the Italian style of having the tasting inside the cellar, often we do not have tasting rooms). The laboratory where you can blend your own wine as well as a room with the map of the territory where the vineyard are located and for each of them a sample of the soil.

The most popular and impressive attraction is the  Red Room (see pic) for private events, to be rent.

red room

red room

But let’s learn more through an Interview I have done: “IF WE STOP LEARNING WE STOP EXISTING”

This is the intro when I ask “What CA can still learn from EU and viceversa”, he state “Ca has done a lot but this is only the beginning”

And he adds: the role of the communication is crucial, the most important messages are: our history and terroir. For my ideas I took inspiration from everything single thing around me in the wordl, the secret is the innovation: do something new and innovate. But above all: we do not have to make wine accessible to people, we have to create the way to make people access the wine more often and more easly”.

 

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