Corkscrew Chronicles: Barney Fetzer: Family man and wine industry icon/visionary

When mentioning wine industry icons and visionaries, Barney Fetzer (1920-1981) has to be placed in the list's top echelon. His peers have stated that he was an astute businessman, a visionary vintner, an innovator and creative marketer who exhibited excellent management and planning skills. He manifested all of these traits while maintaining respect and popularity. Part of his success is that he trained and united 10 of his 1 children to share in his wine industry vision while giving them a formidable work ethic and desire to succeed. In 1968 Barney Fetzer left the lumber business and designed their Mendocino, California, winery, handling the finances. Building the winery was left to his children. Jim Fetzer recalls, "He was a hard worker and kept busy. He guided us all in the right direction and drove us hard. We were committed to the vineyard because he believed quality wines start with premium fruit. As I look back, I really appreciate the work ethic he instilled in us all." Jim continued, "He was a great teacher. He would dictate what to do, delegate, then disappear. He would return later and check on us, but as we matured, he would let us manage our own projects". Barney and Kathleen Fetzer had 1 children. All except Kathy (a CPA) were directly involved with the winery. Barney's direction turned each of the children into consummate experts in their own right, contributing to Fetzer Vineyard's success. Son Jim worked throughout the business, eventually planning special construction projects. He envisioned the Valley Oaks Food and Wine Center (1983), hiring chef John Ash and forging new territory in the farm-to-table movement. Fetzer quickly became a leader in organic food and wine and food-wine pairings. Jim Fetzer mused, "Dad eventually told me to get a haircut, buy a suit and go sell some wine." Jim traveled the country representing and promoting the winery, collaborating on consumer tastings and retailer market visits, building the family brand and increasing sales. This is how Jim and I met when we first worked together in the Columbus market. The family made several dozen cases of wine for their inaugural vintage. In 1981 they released 200,000 cases of Fetzer products. By 1992, they were at 2.2 million cases. The Fetzers built their Gewurztraminer into the world's largest seller, topping out at 500,000 cases. They cleverly gave proprietary names to their wines, promoting uniqueness. People didn't recall Fetzer Chardonnay, they would remember "Sundial" Chardonnay. They established Sauvignon Blanc ("Valley Oaks" Fumé Blanc) as an important grape varietal due to their value pricing. By the time Merlot sales exploded, Fetzer had established grape contracts to control 60 percent of the Merlot fruit in California's North Coast ("Eagle Peak" Merlot). Barney Fetzer foresaw the birth and growth of their "Sundial" Chardonnay, but unfortunately did not live to see it to fruition. The family was a leader in organic and biodynamic grape growing and the first to use cover crops to provide vine nutrition and beneficial insect habitat. They found great people and put them in the right positions, so the company thrived. They promoted food and wine pairings, assisting consumers select enjoyable combinations. Barney pioneered single-vineyard labeling, giving recognition to the grape growers. He was the inspiration for all of these accomplishments. Most importantly, Fetzer produced excellent wines at fair prices. Jim Fetzer said his father stated, "Not everyone drinks wine. You have to get them to try your products before you raise the prices." Every release they put into the market was a value. Perhaps this should be a mantra for all current wine producers. Gary Twining is a certified wine educator who worked 34 years in the wholesale fine wine industry. Email him at winingwithtwining@hotmail.com.