We posted a somewhat sobering blog recently about our pursuit of Classic Red’s companion, Classic White.  In it we stated that we were working diligently to get premium white sangria on store shelves; but, due to recent promises that fell somewhat flat we would not be providing any more estimated dates…

…and we are sticking to that promise…we offer no timeframe.  BUT….. our formula is locked in!  We recently tasted a couple of samples, and one stood out above the rest (a really sweet feeling when you go through so many samples that don’t quite cut it).  So Step 1 – “the formula” – is complete.

Step 2 was to get gov’t approval for the formula.  We’ve got good news there, too.  The TTB (Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax, and Trade Bureau…sounds scary, right?) just recently approved the formula.  Now we are working on Step 3, which is gov’t approval for the label itself.  Since we fiddled with the ingredients, we’ll have to tweak the label a bit before submitting.

Again, we offer no dates and no timeframe.  What we do have is a recipe, and now we’re halfway there with Uncle Sam’s approval.  Cheers (well, not quite yet…)!

I’m sure that you all know the saying, “There are only two things that are guaranteed in life…death and taxes.”  If you drive a car, you might as well add in a third item…periodic visits to the DMV.

If you are like me, you dread a visit to the DMV.  On this particular day, I am renewing my registration.  As I near the front of the line (that can make a line for a 6 Flags roller coaster during school vacation seem like nothing more than an annoying wait at the deli counter) I clutch the paperwork that I hope is in order.  Praying I selected the right forms, used the right color ink, wrote legibly, etc., I prepare myself for the worst.

The lady looks at my paperwork, which of course says Senor Sangria, and I prepare to go into my spiel to explain what we do.  Turns out, there’s no need!  This particular DMV agent had already heard of Classic Red; and, not only that, purchases it regularly.  I asked her and her mom to take a picture with the bottle to document an unexpected and happy ending to my visit to the DMV.

Back in my corporate cubicle life, I enjoyed what I did and the people I worked with; though, deep down I knew that there was something else out there for me.  Everyone told me I should put in my two week’s notice and start making vats of sangria for this party and that party.  “People would actually pay money for this,” they all said.  I wasn’t buying it; not 100% at least.  It remained just a dream.  It was Maria who became the driving force that got me off my ass and gave me the confidence (and the roof over my head after selling my apartment) to make this happen.  So it should be no surprise that I love hearing stories about folks following a dream.  I wanted to pass one along. 

One of Maria’s co-workers daughters is enrolled in photography school.  Now, I am no Ansel Adams (heck, last winter I tripped head over heels just walking across the street while taking video on my iPhone).  What I do know is that it takes a TON of hard work and passion to break through in the industry, and that doesn’t even guarantee anything.  This brave young woman has ignored the long road ahead and simply jumped right in head first.  She recently had a school project that required her to photograph a product…any product.  She chose to showcase our Classic Red.  Attached is a pic that Maria received from her co-worker.  We wish Calla the best of luck as she forges onward towards her dream of being a professional photographer. 

If you know of someone, or if you are that someone who has taken the plunge, taken a risk, or made a substantial investment (or all of the above), tell us about it!  In this economy, the only person you can truly depend on is yourself.  Not your boss, or your boss’s boss, or your….(you get the point).  Put yourself in the driver’s seat and make your dream happen.

I am proud to say, the business is really starting to come together and pick up steam.  You may have read in a blog we posted just last week that June was our biggest month of sales since Classic Red started hitting the shelves!  And as our sales numbers continue to grow, I can see the evidence that folks are hearing about Senor Sangria through friends, family, and even their local wine and liquor stores.  It seems every week, more and more folks are approaching me to either ask about Senor Sangria or pass on their own Senor Sangria experience.

Case in point, we recently participated in a fundraiser for Cancer Care with Giannone Wine.  A lovely woman came up to me raving about our sangria and how much she loves it.  When I asked how she heard about us, she said it was a recommendation from her local liquor store.  BAM!  She has been hooked ever since! 

There is nothing better than having a product that can sell itself.  When that happens, we can really focus on R&D and expanding our reach, knowing that every time we add Classic Red to the shelves of a new store, folks will either find their way there; or, be directed to it.  Awesome!

So Alan was out in the field recently doing what we do every day, knocking on doors.  On this particular day he was visiting a store that was already offering Senor Sangria on its shelves.  While there, a customer comes up to the counter to purchase a bottle of sangria…only, it’s not Classic Red.  What to do? 

Now, in this situation it’s pretty hard for us to allow such a travesty to unfold right before our eyes.  At the very least, it’s worth finding out if the customer knows about us at all.  Plus, there’s nothing to lose in asking.  As luck would have it, this person hadn’t heard of us, but was willing to learn.  Opportunity having knocked, Alan gives his 30-second Senor Sangria pitch.  Minutes later, the customer is walking out of the store with the same non-Senor Sangria bottle.  Sometimes, change can be difficult, and we know we can’t win’em all…

…but in this case, it appears the customer hung on to the “other” bottle as more of a hedge and also purchased two bottles of Classic Red. 

Cheers, Alan!

I’ve talked a bit recently about having taken a step back to refresh my perspective; basically, to perform my own personal audit of Senor Sangria.  After I collected all the data, I was humbled by how much information I had to digest.  It was worth it, though.  One of the coolest stats that I ran across was our month-to-month growth from May to June.  We had a very productive May (a preseason for Senor Sangria as summer creeps in).  June is going to kill the number of cases sold in May and will be our biggest month EVER!

So far, the response has been extremely positive as we expand our reach.  Needless to say, it’s pretty critical for us to be able to see a direct, positive relationship between cases sold and number of stores selling.  When you throw in the fact the last few days have been oppressively hot, it’s no wonder folks are thirsty (and it’s not even July yet).  As we add each new store, the numbers prove that folks are thirsty for Senor Sangria.

As great as the numbers are, we still need capital.  As this sales trend continues, we use the evidence of success to try and work with the banks to secure additional funding to continue the expansion.  This is neither an easy nor expeditious process.  We’ve recently reached out to the SBA (Small Business Administration), an independent agency of the federal government chartered to “aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns.”  Basically, The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses.  That’s us!   So wish us luck!

Here is an example of how difficult it can be sometimes to sell Senor Sangria to a store manager for the first time.  A few weeks ago one of our reps went to visit the Wine Cellar  to tell our story and offer a sample.  After hearing our pitch, the guy tells us that someone had already come in and inquired about our product.  Even though he liked Classic Red after tasting it, our rep left without selling anything because he didn’t think they were ready for it.

Now, I can understand his position.  A scenario where sangria might be somewhat foreign to a store manager, placing a bulk order on the basis of one customer request is…risky (even if the manager himself liked it).  After all, one customer request does not exactly represent a large sample size.  Seasonal products can also present a unique challenge.  In a scenario where shelf space is valuable real estate, a seasonal product might not sit on the shelf – the same shelf, at least – year round (though, that is where a lot of our retailers get creative with store displays in the aisles).

Anyways, the Wine Cellar story does not end here.  Last week, the rep that left empty handed got a call from that same store manager…for a 10 case order!  Since that is quite a flip in position, our rep had to ask, “Why the about-face?”   Well, apparently a very focused (and thirsty) customer came into the store with an empty bottle of Classic Red, wanting more.  That was enough to convince the Wine Cellar that they were ready for it!

One of Albert Einstein’s greatest insights – possibly one of mankind to-date’s greatest insights – was realizing that time is relative.  It speeds up or slows down depending on how fast one thing is moving relative to something else.  Now, far-be it for me to second-guess one of the greatest thinkers to ever live.  In fact, when I recently took a step back from the day-to-day grind to evaluate the business, both near and long-term, I found myself applying Einstein’s theory. 

So, what do theoretical physics and Senor Sangria have to do with each other?  Bear with me. 

On October 12^th, 2009, we announced that we had begun the white sangria formulation.  Our goal; get Classic White ready for the summer.  Our last update was June 2^nd.  On that day we took the bold step of declaring that Classic White was “just around the corner”.  What happened between now and June 2^nd?  Well…the recipe went through our final wave of testing, and the end-result just didn’t produce the bold flavor we expected.  We expected the final phase of testing to pass quality control with flying colors; and, while indulging in our excitement and anticipation, we got ahead of ourselves.  As a consequence, we made some promises we could not keep (lest we sacrifice quality).

It took two years to get Classic Red to the table, from concept to store.  With Classic White, we’ve made every effort to get there in less than half the time.  This process has exposed the fact that we cannot rush and  need to adhere to our principles.  Critical to our success from the beginning was allowing this company to grow organically…enabling Senor Sangria to stand the test of time.  Never did we say, “Let’s rush an inferior product to market!”  So, whether Classic White goes from concept to store in 8 months, 12 months, or whatever – that chunk of time – will not matter.  Relative to Senor Sangria being on shelves years from now; Classic White being available +/- a few months will be insignificant.  What matters is we take the time to produce a premium product that is unique to the marketplace.

In the meantime, we will continue the day-to-day grind producing Classic Red, expanding our reach, and working on Classic White.  With respect we will not be providing any more estimated dates.  It will be ready; and, at that time we proudly announce Classic White’s availability.   Thank you for your patience.

I know, I know.  We’re well into Group play and I am just now acknowledging World Cup 2010.  It just goes to show you how hard we’re working over here.  I have to admit, it is near impossible to keep up with all the games and groups, much less find the time to watch an entire game.  This is basically a month of soccer.  32 countries.  8 groups.  64 total games.  And games air at the strangest times, thanks to the time difference – like this morning’s critical U.S./Slovenia Group C match-up (I don’t know if sangria qualifies as a part of a well-rounded breakfast on its own…but that’s why you add the fruit!).  While we encourage soccer fans to enjoy Senor Sangria responsibly, we understand that some scenarios are simply too unnerving (see Spain, Group H) to stop at one glass.

Think about this, in 2006 it is estimated that over 700 million people watched the World Cup final match.  That is an insane number.  700 million.  The population of the U.S. is what…308 million?  What am I getting at?  The FIFA World Cup is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world.  Now, I know we Americans are known for our Super Bowl parties, but I have seen some World Cup gatherings that would make the most die-hard pigskin fan blush.  700 million viewers opens the potential for quite a few parties…

…now, we admit that we do not know how many of those 700 million global viewers are in the state of New Jersey in reach of Senor Sangria.  But, we’d like to find out!  Write to us and tell us your World Cup story.  Don’t have a tradition?  Invite some folks over!  Soak some fruit, fill the ice tray, and enjoy!  Cheers!

June has been and will continue to be quite a month for us.  I recently took the time to train-up four Senor Sangria “Brand Ambassadors” that will have the awesome responsibility of spreading the good word, and offering free booze, to the thirsty folks of New Jersey.  Last year, it seemed Maria and I were always somewhere promoting the brand, setting up tables, and passing out samples.  While it was a pretty sweet feeling watching our product gain momentum one event after another, it is even sweeter to be able to find and employ folks who are outgoing, eager, and share my passion about sangria…Senor Sangria. 

And now that I’ve got four folks tasked with passing out free Senor Sangria across NJ (as opposed to just Maria and I), a complex analysis of the situation exposed the fact that four ambassadors will probably give away more sangria than two.  Solution; sales 101!  Feet on the street!  Pound the pavement!  With summer in full effect, our sales force will be out and about adding new accounts and ensuring our existing accounts are sufficiently supplied.  Summer may have just begun, but just like last year I am confident time will fly and before we know it…

…let’s not get ahead of ourselves…the summer is here so let’s enjoy it!