Fine Wine Confidential Podcast
The Fine Wine Confidential Podcast tells the story of how the modern-day Virginia wine industry has progressed during the past forty-five years and is now achieving Thomas Jefferson's aspiration to produce world-class wine. Fred Reno interviews many of the Old Dominion's prominent winery owners, winemakers and viticulturists. In their own words, you the listener, will learn why Virginia is the most exciting wine-growing State in the country today.
The Fine Wine Confidential Podcast having chronicled the beginnings of the Virginia modern-day growth is now focused on the wines produced from the Norton grape as Virginia is its ancestral home. Look for All About Virginia Norton.
Fine Wine Confidential Podcast
EPISODE #2 What My Book is About
Episode 2 provides a brief overview of what my book is about and my goal in writing it.
To sum it up quickly, let me say that I have been fortunate to have had many unique and challenging experiences in my 46-year wine career, and I want to share these with anyone who is interested and curious about what really happens behind the scenes in the wine industry from growing grapes, producing wine and then the obstacles that wine producers face in marketing, selling and the distribution of their wine through the bryzanine archacia distribution system that was set up in the aftermath of the repeal of Prohibition.
The Wine Industry is a patchwork of laws that make it like selling wine in 50 different countries. There is nothing uniform about it. You will be left shaking your head once you have read my book and question why anyone would want to be in this industry. Unless of course you are one of the protected class, read Liquor & Wine Distributor.
Thanks for being a listener to the Fine Wine Confidential Podcast. For more information go to www.finewineconfidential.com
Episode#2: What My Book is About
SPEAKER
Fred Reno
Well, hi there, folks. Fred Reno, your Fine Wine Confidential Book Podcast host here, with another episode of my series of audio excerpts from my upcoming book of the same title. In this episode, number two, I will share with you a brief introduction of what my book is about.
My goal in writing this book was not only to chronicle what I have learned during 46 years in the wine business, but to share those experiences that I've learned along the way, my hope is that you, the reader, can take away something that you find helpful in your daily life, whether you're in the wine industry or not, but I guarantee you will be entertaining.
The lived experiences I paint a picture of will show my belief in the incredible history of wine and the amazing benefits it has passed down through the ages, and more specifically, during the past 50 years of modern-day American wine growing. However, what I will not do is glorify the wine industry. The industry today is comprised of three distinct segments, shaped as a result of the failed experiment of Prohibition. In its aftermath, it has been regulated by law, which is referred to as a Three-Tier system. I will explain this in greater detail, demonstrate how these segments fit together, and, in doing so, provide you with a deeper understanding of what happens behind the scenes in the wine industry.
One of the biggest surprises for me was the hidden world I encountered, which I intend to expose. As a result of prohibition, the distribution of wine and other alcoholic beverages was handed over to organized crime in this country. I outline how they still control it today, along with the masked arm of the politicians and the supporting role they play in how you are given, or more often denied, access to the wine of your choice. I grouped these together in a Chapter, titled "Politics, Bureaucracy, and Organized Crime." There are many more hidden mysteries and egregious practices occurring behind the scenes in the wine industry that ultimately harm you, the consumer, and your choice, as well as the price you pay for a bottle of wine. One of these I can point to is the enormous amount of money that the wholesale distribution tier donated to the political elections and actions during 2023 and 2024. Wine and liquor wholesalers contributed over $17 million to state-level candidates alone, in addition to the fact that, in 1995, there were 1,800 wineries and over 3,000 wine distributors in the country. However, by 2023, not even 30 years later, the number had flipped with 11,600 wineries in comparison to 1800 while 1074 wine distributors, the result of this unprecedented consolidation which the US government has allowed over the past 30 years, has left the market with two liquor wholesale distributors controlling over 50% of the alcoholic beverages sold in the general market each year. Can you say Monopoly? I've learned many lessons, which I will elaborate on in the book. However, I want to point out that it's essential to note that the founders behind most wineries and wine brands are not necessarily the skilled businesspeople they'd like you to believe they are. If they achieve success, it's often due to factors beyond their control, such as timing and their staff making up for their misdirection. Stay tuned. Take a listen and more to come.