SHORT GAME EXTRA

Wine & Nine

Delicato parlays portfolio and celebrity partnerships into a growing empire and builds a fanbase in the Northwest

One way to measure the quality of Delicato Family Wines is knowing that they have been enjoyed by the imbibing public for 100 years. How many companies that started in 1924 are still even around?

That’s when Sicilian immigrant Gaspare Indelicato planted the first vineyard in Manteca, Calif. Today, his great-grandchildren, the fourth generation, perpetuate his wine-making tradition as the fifth largest winery in America.

Along the way, they’ve satisfied millions of discerning palettes.

Another way to measure is who stands behind the wine. The company’s board of directors features four Indelicato family members, there to safeguard their century-old reputation. Among others on the board are several former CEOs and prominent California winemakers Michael Mondavi and Francis Ford Coppola — the Academy Award-winning director (Godfather trilogy) and award-winning winemaker. Coppola’s brand was acquired three years ago by Delicato, and it is now among its best sellers.

“We’re not a little company. We have a pretty large portfolio,” said Amy Berry, Delicato’s sales manager for Washington/Northwest. “I would say 100-plus (different labels). We’re covered nationwide. We have wines for every occasion.”

Among those are golf occasions, as Berry can attest.

“I do focus a lot on golf courses, primarily because I love to golf,” she said. “I played Willows (Run in Redmond), and they had Coppola there, chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. I do a lot of country club banquets and 19th holes and Coppola does the best. I’ve seen golf carts on some courses that carry Bota Box minis.”

Bota Box is the winery’s top seller. Berry said, “it’s in every convenience store, everywhere.”

Berry is an accomplished golfer, loves the sport and is committed to growing the connection between wine and golf, as evidenced by Delicato’s display and showcasing at the 2024 Seattle Golf Show for thousands of attendees.

The other big seller is Black Stallion, which won the 2023 American Winery of the Year award, as selected by Wine Enthusiast.

Gaspare Indelicato might have been the wine-making genius in the vineyard, but his three sons and succeeding generations have been marketing mavens. By 1940, the company was producing about 15,000 gallons annually. Fifteen years later, production was up to 74,000 gallons, then jumping to 403,000 gallons by 1964 to more than 16 million cases per year today, putting the company among the top brands in the country. The company has vineyards and production facilities throughout Napa Valley.

Much of the growth this century has been through acquisitions, such as Coppola, and expansion to vineyards/ winemakers in Chile and Germany.

Also, in the Delicato fold is country singer Zac Brown, who created his own line, Z. Alexander Brown wines. He produces chardonnays, sauvignon blancs, cabs, pinots and red blends. Brown and fellow country artist Kenny Chesney combined their talents for a mega concert July 13 at Lumen Field in Seattle. Berry expected the Z. Alexander Brown brand to be flowing.

Berry also said that the Coppola brand has made inroads at Climate Pledge Arena as it is now served in the suites. She said Coppola’s more premium wine, Director’s Cut, part of Delicato's transcendent collection, is stepping up.

“We’re definitely gaining our share in the market, bars, restaurants,” Berry said. “We’re doing very well in grocery stores with Bota Box.”

Overall, however, for a Napa Valley wine to make inroads into the Northwest can be more deliberate. “There are challenges in Pacific Northwest because Washington makes some amazing wines.”

What matters is folks here have the option of a multitude of quality wines, either in-state or Napa/Sonoma, gratifying those gathering at all the 19th holes.

“People like a glass of wine after golf or setting up for dinner,” Berry added. “It’s great.”