Harvesting the Dream: The Rags–to–Riches Tale of the Sutter Home Winery - Hardcover

Heyhoe, Kate; Hock, Stanley

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471429724 ISBN 13: 9780471429722

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2003

Synopsis

Harvesting the Dream is the rare story of a large and successful business that remains family owned and continues to operate on the basis of professional and personal integrity. You'll follow the Trinchero family from their common origins in a New York flooded with immigrant families like themselves, to their uncommon rise to success, to the present business challenges they face in the new Napa Valley. Their story brings the American dream to life-and underscores the reality that hard work and the willingness to defy well-rooted conventions are still the building blocks of business success.

About this title

About the Author

KATE HEYHOE is a cofounder of Global Gourmet (www.globalgourmet.com) and an award-winning online editor, author, and magazine writer. She speaks frequently at industry conferences, including those of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, and the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. STANLEY HOCK is the former communications director for Trinchero Family Estates in Napa Valley. After twenty-five years in the California wine industry, he now works as a freelance writer and public relations consultant.

From the Back Cover

"Harvesting the Dream by Kate Heyhoe and Stanley Hock is that rare book: It exceeds the high promise of its title. Its chapters, insightful quotes and interviews, and independent commentary cultivate and harvest the exceptional story of Sutter Home Winery and the remarkable Trinchero family. The authors substitute puffery and spin with frankness and candor that are most refreshing, reflecting the family's honest appraisals and realistic view of the world. All the chapters, especially Part III, are a must read for those who wish to understand the present and future dynamics of the globalization of the world of wine."

-John DeLuca, Executive Vice Chairman, Wine Institute

"The success of Sutter Home Winery was one small part luck and tremendous amounts of love of family, commitment to hard work, consideration of customer, and unequaled respect for their employees. Harvesting the Dream should be required reading for anyone working toward a degree in business or public administration."

-Mike Thompson, Member of Congress

Co-Chair, Congressional Wine Caucus

"From post-WWII struggles to extraordinary successes in the '90s, the lives of Sutter Home's Trinchero family read like a novel. Harvesting the Dream opened my eyes to the wine industry accomplishments made by this innovative, visionary, hard-working family. Written with honesty and clarity."

-Antonia Allegra, Editor in Chief, Vine Napa Valley

Coauthor, Napa Valley: The Ultimate Winery Guide

"'Doubt' is not a word I would use for the Trinchero family. 'Without a doubt' is more like it. Without a doubt their family will accomplish what they set out for, with humble dignity, pride, and humor. All consumers have to do is taste the story in the glass. The flavor cannot be duplicated. I am proud to have the Trincheros as friends, neighbors, and fellow vintners. We all can learn from their story of what happens when you give more than you take!"

-Michael Chiarello, Napa Valley chef, author, TV host

"Kate and Stanley's tale of the Trinchero family's success with Sutter Home Winery is heartwarming. It proves that nice guys sometimes finish first, even in the competitive wine world of Napa Valley."

-Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, MW, authors, Wine For Dummies

"Nothing is more exciting for me to read than a rags-to-riches tale. This one could be called 'From the Stoops of Manhattan to the Magnificence of Napa Valley.' The Trinchero family, pioneers all the way, took an old broken-down shack and built it into one of the greatest wineries in the world."

-Mel Dick, President, Wine Division, Southern Wine & Spirits

From the Inside Flap

Since 1947, when brothers Mario and John Trinchero moved to Napa Valley and purchased the old Sutter Home winery, the Trincheros have become one of America's most successful winemaking families. Harvesting the Dream tells the remarkable story of this immigrant family and the vital role they played in remaking the American wine industry.

Started and operated as a family business rooted in the simple values of postwar America, Sutter Home revolutionized wine with its introduction of White Zinfandel. Breaking all the established rules-it was light, sweet, and best served cold-it was overlooked by critics but quickly embraced by customers who loved its easy drinkability and affordable price. Though the first White Zinfandel was the result of a lucky malfunction in the fermentation process, the Trincheros knew a good thing when they saw it.

The Trincheros treated wine as a business rather than an ego-boosting pastime for the already wealthy. They understood what customers wanted and unhesitatingly gave it to them. As a result, wine began to lose its image as the beverage of the elite and became a staple on dinner tables across America. At the same time, runaway demand for White Zinfandel catapulted Sutter Home to the fourth largest winery in the country.

But there's far more to the Sutter Home story than just business success. This is the rare story of a large and successful business that remains family owned and continues to operate on the basis of professional and personal integrity. Genuine, generous, and humble, the Trincheros stand out in glitzy Napa Valley for their philanthropy, world-class employee programs, and long-term community involvement.

Harvesting the Dream follows the Trinchero family from their common origins in a New York flooded with immigrant families like themselves, to their uncommon rise to success, to the present business challenges they face in the new Napa Valley. Their story brings the American dream to life-and underscores the reality that hard work and the willingness to defy well-rooted conventions are still the building blocks of business success.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0471429724
• ISBN 13: 9780471429722
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256