How did Rombauer brand themselves so well?

Wine Pimps
41

Bingo! Plus, I suspect that that whole “club” has been spending big $$ in BF for quite a while (like we have!). What was interesting was that the sale was on ALL chards and the wine guy there told me that, while he sold lots of high end Chards (like Hansel, Peter Michael, Dehlinger) during the sale, most of the phone calls he was getting (and the sales volume) was for the Rombauer.

42

When I was working at the Wine House in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, Rombauer Chardonnay was our go-to $10 Chard for probably five holiday seasons in a row (Smith-Madrone Cabernet was our $10 red for much of that time too, alternating with the Rombauer Merlot). People got used to drinking it, the label was distinctive for its time, and it tasted good to just about everyone. They were also fairly aggressive when it came to making sure that the shop’s entire staff (including cashiers and stockguys) had the opportunity to taste the Rombauer wines, and this, combined with the occasional spiff program, made the wines very familiar to everyone working in the store. This first-hand experience made it very easy for the wines to be recommended to customers should they deign to ask for a recommendation. [whistle.gif]

Move that exposure forward a couple of decades and factor in the consistency of their entire lineup over that period of time, and the result is that you’ve got a brand that’s considered “Napa” and “boutique”, yet is also thought of as a “safe” selection. Some people love the wines, everyone will drink them, and nobody (deep down in their heart) hates the Rombauer wines, unless it’s an ideological sort of hate, and there’s nothing you can do about that. Great restaurant visibility also combined with reasonable pricing (in context with similar wines), adding to the label’s present popularity.

Do I buy Rombauer to drink these days? No, but I definitely respect the hell out of what they’ve achieved and am inspired by the way they’ve branded themselves over the 30 years I’ve been aware of the label.

DF

43

Thanks for the insights Dan.

This thread is really exceeding my expectations and a really great read about branding. As usual there is a lot of “great timing” in the Rombauer story but more importantly, it seems, as my own philosophy is, you have to do everything right. In most cases it seems that many times it is a situation where the sum of the parts make a product “tip.”

Everyone agrees that their customer service is exemplary. And whether you like the wines or not, they have been very consistent in their production. They created a buzz early on with their packaging and placements. And they were able to lock into a buying crowd that is faithful. This demographic doesn’t necessarily want to experiment too much but know what they like and they have the disposable income to spend.

Good stuff. Now if we can all replicate this we’ll be fine.

44

[berserker.gif]

45

Kinda like Gallo without the sturm und drang/naughty behaviour??? [stirthepothal.gif]

46

On my first ever trip to Napa when I was about 25, my girlfriend and I stopped in Rombauer on a whim. The guy behind the counter was named Barry and he BSed with us about Braniff and had a few glasses with us.

We went back about 6 months later and Barry was behind the bar again. He actually remembered our names when we walked in. To me, that is first class. If the rest of their sales force is that good, there is no wonder on my end as to why they acheived so much success.

47

When I first opened my shop (2006) I would get as many as a dozen requests a week for Rombauer Chard, much of it when Gelsons would sell out of a shipment. Here in SoCal I came to the conclusion that the popularity was both a social thing and also that people (mostly women) really liked it. A lot of it seemed also to come from the fact that a lot of people here visit Napa often and have been to the winery (which always creates a bond).

The local distributor makes sure that it is stocked at the high-end supermarkets and the big volume better wine shops, so it gets to the high-end consumer in volume. Not an easy thing for the small shop to get, but that’s another story.

48

Hey Peter, where are you at? We opened in 06 as well. It is amazing that we still get asked for the Chard after all this time… in fact, I am ready to give in to the Rombauer draw…

49

Rombauer update: I ordered some!

After debating, researching, and wanting to respond to my customer requests… I have given in.

For those that are interested in what is involved, I had to order some red, a box of Zinfandel, and I also had to order at least 3 cases from any of their 3 related books with the same Rombauer drop.

I cannot do this every order, but if they require it for the future, it will make re-orders tough. But I’ll play ball and see what happens.

50

Thanks for posting this Mark!
As an amateur points-agnostic this approach makes much more sense to me.
It enables someone to determine whether a given wine IN THEIR OPINION is well-priced or not.
Bye bye points-inflated wine boosterism. [wink.gif]

51

Mark, I will second Mitch’s kudos for the post - I find the results interesting when blind tastings actually do happen, and look forward to more of them myself. Soon, we’ll be doing a blind tasting at Frank Murray’s with ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’, which will be even more fascinating, since there is intentionally bagged wines in the ‘bad’ and ‘ugly’ category - perhaps they will show well!

52

Jeff,
My Rombauer rep was here yesterday and informed us they are going back to the bundle ordering where you have to support some of the other wines to get the Chard. I was hoping they were going to stop doing that since it wasn’t a requirement the last two vintages. You would think they would be happy to sell the wine instead of alienating retailers that tell them to keep it because they don’t want the reds. I think the '07 Chard was one of the first I remember in a long time where there was enough wine to carry through until the release of the '08. I’ve done ok with some of the reds in the past but I hate being told I have to take them.
Good luck with your sales of Rombauer

53

It’s been a while, but I recall enjoying their Zinfandel - not hugely so, not enough to buy more, but at least it was enjoyable, and therefore, I’d expect it to be a decent seller, even though most people don’t buy Zin!

54

Really ? Zin been a pretty big mover for us.

55

That’s good to know! I love Zin, and buy quite a bit of it, as it is so flexible with and without food. I thought most don’t, however…glad to be proven wrong.

56

[/quote]
Jeff,
My Rombauer rep was here yesterday and informed us they are going back to the bundle ordering where you have to support some of the other wines to get the Chard. I was hoping they were going to stop doing that since it wasn’t a requirement the last two vintages. You would think they would be happy to sell the wine instead of alienating retailers that tell them to keep it because they don’t want the reds. I think the '07 Chard was one of the first I remember in a long time where there was enough wine to carry through until the release of the '08. I’ve done ok with some of the reds in the past but I hate being told I have to take them.
Good luck with your sales of Rombauer[/quote]

Hey Carrie, in SoCal this bundle thing for Rombauer has been in place for as long as I know. Must have been different for you the last 2 years. Plus, throw in the mix that sometimes you are not even allowed to order as a retailer, whether or not you agree to the bundle, and it makes it tough for a small retailer. K&L, Wine House et al have no problems obviously.

57

Just got my latest “See What’s New at Pawineandspirits.com” email blast.
Gee — guess what was there? (seems like there are about 45 cases in the system at this time)

Rombauer Chardonnay Carneros 2007

PLCB Price $31.99

The Wine Spectator 91 points: 'Ripe pear, apple and honeydew melon flavors are shaded by spicy, toasty oak. A rich, creamy style. Full-bodied, with a touch of sweetness. Drink now through 2011. 40,000 cases made.‘Jun 2009
Winery Notes: ‘Rombauer Vineyards’ 2007 Carneros Chardonnay is smooth, rich, and elegant, true to the Rombauer style. Apple, peach, and tropical fruit flavors weave together in a nice range of flavors that linger on the palate ending with a long, crisp, fruity aftertaste. The oak tones from both barrel fermentation and aging are nicely melded into the flavor and finish of the wine.’
Food Pairings: Brie, Caesar Salad, Chicken or Turkey, Garlic Shrimp, Gouda, Grilled Swordfish, Roast Turkey

58

30+ years? I didn’t realize Rombauer had been around quite that long. When I worked in a wine shop ten years ago, it was a commonly requested item.

In my experience, the brand has grown simply because people have loved the product. My dad loved telling this story. Several years ago at Christmas, my parents received a magnum of Rombauer zinfandel. My dad didn’t know who gave it to them. It was just sitting there unwrapped. He enjoyed wine but didn’t know much about it, and what he knew were old school generalizations. He thought, who gives anyone a bottle of jug wine? This is zinfandel, in a big bottle, you know, where’s the screw cap? Fast forward a few months, he needs a big bottle for a dinner at the house and thinks he’ll unload the jug wine. He opens it and is blown away. So dark, so big, so rich. He LOVED it. Turns out one of my brothers gave him the bottle. After that, Rombauer was his favorite, people always gifted him with it and the whole family still talks about how good Rombauer is as if any quality wine should be measured by it.

So a guy who thought the wine would be jug crap and knew nothing of the label became a huge convert. That’s the key to Rombauer. The wines always taste badly sweet to me, but people love the stuff. More power to them.

59

The stuff sells itself! No sooner did I stack the wines for the first time in my place that a new customer walked in with his wife and snagged 4 bottles. Didn’t even get a chance to walk over to them to say hello (from behind the wine bar) and they were piling 'em up at the register.

I don’t know why I am so impressed with this… I guess I just like the nuts and bolts of a success story.

60

I think Randy’s pretty much nailed it here. The non-geek market is where the money is. Slightly sweet, buttery, and delicious will beat out “pairs nicely with food” every time.

As to the Frank Family relationship, the Franks bought the former Larkmead winery (Kornell Cellars) in partnership with Koerner Rombauer in 1992. They produced wine under the Frank-Rombauer label until 2001, when it became Frank Family Vineyards. The Franks assumed total control of the winery in early 2007. The tasting room experience is a big part of the success of both of these wineries.