
Andrew Chalk
Since my report on the sale of Llano Estacado I have had a chance to talk to several people, on and off the record, about it.
The most important was Bret Perrenoud, the newly-hired General Manager. I can’t disclose all the details but some key ones are printable.
It turns out that it is on his shoulders that the actual execution of the New Plan will fall. The other guys are the money. Perrenoud is an equity holder, so he has his nuts on the line for Llano. Attention to his co-owned place Airis ‘Ele Vineyards will fall on the co-owners.
STRATEGY
He plans to buy more Texas fruit and sell the wine at competitive prices by going direct. A combination of wine club and owned tasting rooms.
Tasting Rooms
Lubbock: In the heart of the hot entertainment district “Cactus Alley”;
The Hill Country: The group has already purchased 25 acres on US-290;
Fredericksburg: Substantial space on or near Main Street.
The winery: Apparently, winemaker Jason Centanni has something of a skunkworks of unreleased and experimental wines. These, and aesthetic changes, will figure to attract people to the location just outside Lubbock;
Other locations are in the more conceptual stages at the moment.
Grapes
He was clear, in the four-letter-word sense, regarding the type of Texas fruit he was interested in. It has to be top-notch. High-yield grapes will not be welcome.
The commitment to the new tasting facilities is reassuring. The strategy is also one that will get a lot of support from hard-hit growers in the state. It is high-wire, hoping to pay the ‘Texas premium’ for grapes but lower distribution costs to arrive at a price that is attractive to the customer. He will have a lot of support from the industry. We will follow with interest and best wishes.
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