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Rich Frank, who left Disney to make wine, says secrets to success are a great vineyard, and in entertainment, a great script.
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So I'm -- -- rent and -- -- I've been mentioned we are talking whine because it's Wednesday so it's wine with me Wednesday.
And I'm honored actually and thrilled to have are fabulous guests with us today.
Frank rich and you said to call yourself proprietor.
It's there and -- which the -- well I think.
-- do for it first names it's always and you know I imagine how we got average personality first names but.
This hour mr.
frank you were chairman of Walt Disney's TV and telecommunications vision president -- -- -- studio.
-- president Paramount TV group and now all you're doing is -- self proprietor.
Well I still produce a couple of TV yeah I think about it.
My area.
Favorite avocation.
Is.
Is the wine business and it started about twenty years ago and hospitable and now it's really interesting to me because you as a busy busy busy exact could not get yourself a way -- -- big vacation.
So from LA -- -- only a couple hours is that how you discovered and one out.
That's exactly what it was -- thank you get an extra day off can't spend three days in Napa and not use a lot of time traveling so we used to go up there all the time and eventually.
When you start doing when you go to an area start.
Looking for property and we found a beautiful house in that 1990.
And it had great vineyards and that's sort of started to stoker's.
And so did she know anything about -- and other than probably the fact that you just like to -- prior to that I enjoyed drinking and I collected it a little bit and not much I mean I've learned sort of on the job taken some courses at UC Davis but.
No not the technical side of it is not the growing side of it but just the business and you aren't I learned.
It's interesting I think we know now spoken to a few people who transitioned from the business world to the wine world it there's got to be things that help you.
In the wind will consider as a competitive business yes almost as competitive as TV.
Well there's a lot of similarities in that.
I always laugh about it you know in in the one world -- great grapes and good news just borrow -- from the TV world the movie -- you need a great script.
And when you need a great director any of the -- great wine -- and so.
Things are very very similar in that but running a small business is no different than running a huge business this.
The beauty businesses -- a number of small businesses but together.
And you have a great wine -- anti graft who I know actually works with your friend Steve McPherson who we've talked to here.
Todd now I guess -- on site.
Manager you call.
Is -- it is the manager of production but he's the -- you know he's the one who has.
The -- he knows how it all falls together he's able to blend various -- and winds and and give us a great they're great taste across all of all warranties really got a way to balance wanted to.
-- -- -- is the business side and I think that's where you come in because -- winds are extremely successful for not a very large production and -- up.
A higher price point than most.
We're in the higher price point.
And we've taken our time to get there we started very -- -- 200 cases when we -- -- and in 1990.
And we'll probably a little over 50000 now over in every state and we've never advertised we just slowly let it grow and we know I've never taken any money out of the business here that we've always put it back in to get.
Better barrels to get a better facility to make a better consumer experience -- of the mistakes some vineyard sneak.
I think a lot of people grow too fast because in the wine business.
You're always three years behind him when you get your revenue because -- takes that long to grow it put it in a barrel.
-- patience and yes but it's also cash flow associated you don't focus really on.
The dollar and then and how it's coming out of your pocket you can get -- trouble really quickly.
So you took your time you decided to go high and why high end as opposed to say mass market.
I think we met I enjoyed it better wind and so I I can only.
Security make what I like.
Can only sell what I really believe them.
Like when -- was and we -- I never made -- horror movie because I -- got me scared that it had to watch him.
And is also -- much better profit margin here story you.
And if you're able to establish yourself -- that.
Business than you can -- -- -- well.
-- and that's -- common theme I've heard as well that the higher and have a much better profit margin and as a result you but at the same time it's is it easier to sell.
To -- cases vs -- thousand cases of you -- twinkies and more expensive wine vs 20000 at a cheaper wine.
In the mass market is a very competitive market that under fifteen dollar market -- -- in the -- the ten dollar market.
But you are competing with Chile and Argentina and Italy and in -- -- -- around the world.
The -- market.
Is a very loyal following and that's what we've tried to build would try to build a market where.
We make a certain amount of -- people like it the next few we expand that a little bit and we just slowly grown it out and we have unbelievable loyal followers.
-- you -- and it's it's almost cult like.
You have three and he brought three with us they started and -- about your best seller right now.
Really interest and we didn't make a shortened it for the first four years we're in business because I was a red warnings were there -- I didn't like it.
And then we found land down and -- -- made this one that I -- -- red wine drinkers white wine.
And people would come into the -- room and we say -- -- -- and they say oh I don't drink white wine might say does -- -- to -- try it.
-- -- wow this is good and slowly it just built out there and it's that's become a real following them will probably make.
Over 20000 cases of that this year and again it's because now it's cooler temperatures and -- part where it where you play a few scrapes.
The Napa is only thirty miles long three miles wide but of the south and which borders -- the day from San Francisco.
It's cool we can get a fifteen degree swing in temperature between the day and night.
So it cools off the grapes.
That lets them -- Chardonnay and pinot grow better.
A valley where it's much hotter where you want to grow the red grapes the -- which is what the others that you brought cabaret and zinfandel.
Saying that these -- from your other properties we have vineyards.
What I found an -- was it's better to have the right vineyard for the right great in the right place so.
Supposed to have in one piece of land them maybe 300 acres you're better off having.
Six pieces with fifty acres -- you can put the right grapes on that piece of land and it just grows better.
This is all part of your business I can think that you make Smart decisions I think sometimes.
-- struggle and they don't because there is no business knowledge in the background before I let you go you have to tell everyone about the house.
It -- on the label.
They have me personally I hope that it will label is it's the it's a nationalist -- -- -- a third oldest winery in Napa.
And that's what she originally bought we bought that we re recently.
Took down a number of structures that were rounded to expose it rebuilt the whole property and it's just a fun place -- We don't use it for production now but we haven't we use it for weddings and we use it for.
Guests visiting it is just a beautiful property.
You know I actually do have one more question I noticed that you are tasting room was voted the best in Napa.
Right how that's tell us -- election.
We have about.
It was actually three -- in -- -- right the we have about.
A 150 to 300 people who do come -- ornery and does it.
And we treat them like adults the people that I have working in the picture -- -- -- had previous jobs as executives and this is like second jobs.
We try to demystify wine we make it fun.
And a lot of my Disney background.
Of treat everybody as a -- we don't try to over a push and sell everybody and we've.
Develop this real loyal following and people come back.
Constantly we never do any advertising but I would say 90% of the people the -- was the recommended by your friend or relative.
Or.
A bad breakfast they may be out there.
Blogs are just chock full of positive comments about teasing him and your people and your wines so make sure you check out the website frank family wines.
At all three but the -- a best seller has.
It is but what's your favorite.
I'm a -- a fan and I love -- is that we have this we also have a number of reserves that we sell only at the winery through a warrant club but.
This is four and under fifty dollar national.
Wind it's really good very highly rated -- solutions.
It's frank family wines which frank thank you so much what a pleasure to have you great.
