Small Fortune Podcast

James Hall, once and current owner of the Patz & Hall wine brand generously shares a lot of inside information about the two M&A processes he went through, the first in 2016 when he and his partners sold their brand to Ste Michelle Wine Estates, and the second when he and new partners bought it back in 2024 from the Private Equity firm that succeeded SMWE as owner. Anyone w

Karen MacNeil is the award-winning wine writer and author of the book The Wine Bible (now in its third edition). She joins Carol to discuss “Share and Pair Sundays,” a campaign to highlight the social benefits that come from enjoying wine with food and friends. MacNeil explains the genesis of this project as a means of taking on the current anti-alcohol media messaging. She als

In this episode host Carol Collison talks with her friend and serial entrepreneur Lesley Berglund, a 4th generation Napa business owner. As a founder of one of the first wine catalogues, Ambrosia, in 1991, Lesley invented the concept of winery wine club, creating programs for her catalogue suppliers. Her company also pioneered direct wine sales fulfillment. After selling that compa

In today’s Small Fortune episode Ben Slaughter, founder of Agricultural Property Appraisal Company Arable, joins Carol Collison to discuss the challenges of appraising the market value of wineries in a commercial real estate class where no two assets are exactly alike. Ben and his team use experience and technology to provide market value estimates for a variety of uses: from fin

Carol is joined by Steve Fredricks, the President of Turrentine Brokerage, an important international wine, and grape brokerage company, for a conversation about the 2024 California grape harvest. The Preliminary Grape Crush Report, which was published by the USDA on February 10th, revealed a “shockingly” small vintage with total grapes harvested down 23%. With California repre

In today’s episode Carol Collison interviews Christine Clair, former Director of the publicly traded Willamette Valley Vineyards, on how she succeeded in moving up the ranks over a 7+ year career at the winery. The conversation is packed with business insights. Highlights of the interview include: Tips on how to raise your professional profile through personal branding. How she

In this second of two episodes on the role of the Sommelier in wine sales, Carol Collison and Lawrence Wine Estates’ Carlton McCoy discuss the story of his success which took him from training in the restaurant business, to becoming a Master Sommelier in his early ‘20’s, to today’s wine industry leader. Carlton describes the Court of Master Sommeliers as a successful indust

In this third conversation with Bruce Neyers of Neyers Vineyards we hear about Robert Mondavi’s prediction that strong middle management with expertise would be required for the American wine industry to grow. Bruce talks about the role of certified Sommeliers in wine sales. Back in the day when he sold wine into a restaurant, he’d be lucky to talk to a busy owner or head waite

If you were wondering how the Vintage Wine Estate bankruptcy auction went, so was Carol. So, she invited Oren Lewin of Integrated Beverage Group to the podcast. IBG, based in Oregon, was the winning bidder for VWE’s Firesteed and Clayhouse brands. (Want to buy Clayhouse?) Hear step-by-step how the auction process went, how it differed from a normal winey acquisition process, as w

In today’s episode, Carol talks with Peter Ficklin, 3rd generation proprietor of Ficklin Vineyards, a California port producer founded in Madera County in 1948. Carol and Peter discuss keys for a successful family transition (allow creativity, talk frequently, listen, and learn), how port is made, and the history of the brand’s sales channels. They also discuss the wide world o