Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
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6 Beverage Dynamics • July/August 2017 www.beveragedynamics.com ON THE Web GARY FISCH ON THREE DECADES IN OFF-PREMISE RETAIL Managing editor Kyle Swartz recently inter- viewed Gary Fisch, founder and owner of Gary's Wine & Market- place, about his 30 years of success. Here's an ex- cerpt from the interview: Gary Fisch opened his fi rst alcohol retail store in 1987. Three decades later — with plenty of challenges and adjustments, in- cluding a name change — his four-unit business has become a beloved staple of northern New Jersey. Revenues in 2017 are projected above $50 million. Beverage Dynamics: What allowed for your thirty years of success? Gary Fisch: Keeping an open mind to the ever-changing landscape in retail. At the end of every year I look back and say, 'What are we going to do next, and how are we going to do it?' I say, 'What worked and what didn't, and how are we going to position ourselves next year?' I try to adjust with the landscape, and also try to get in front of it. BD: Can you give an example of something you're currently trying to get in front of? GF: Canned wine. One year ago I was sit- ting on a panel in Napa when it came up. There were only a handful of canned wines then, but I said, 'We need to look into this'. It's more of a seasonal item, and where we're located in New Jersey, the state is not necessarily conducive towards the canned- wine consumer. But still it was something I thought we needed to focus on. So I contacted our vendors and had them drop off samples. My staff and I tasted them. The difference was that for this tasting I in- vited not only my wine team, but also the fl oor staff. The reason being that A) My wine team has preconceived notions about every- thing, and B) My wine team is not the sort of consumer who's going to buy canned wine. We had an eclectic group of tasters. We tasted about 20 cans and picked the top six- to-eight. Now each of my stores has them out in a location where we're experimenting. Do they sell better cold? Off the rack? At dif- ferent spots in the store? We're fi nding out. CAN THE 2016 BEAUJOLAIS VINTAGE MATCH THE HISTORIC 2015? Swartz also recently sampled a variety of 2016 Beaujolais wines. Here were his thoughts: Following an all-time vintage is never easy. The 2015 Beaujolais Gamay wines were said to be the AOC's best since the 1940s. But Franck Duboeuf, son of legendary Beaujolais winemaker Georges Du- boeuf, believes the 2016 harvest a fi ne sequel to 2015. "We're quite pleased with this vintage, which is pretty close to the 2015, which was exceptional," Franck said during a Beaujolais tasting in June at Oceana in Manhattan. "The 2015 vintage was unusual in terms of its richness. This past year was more refi ned, perhaps truer of the terroir." "It shows ripeness, with beautiful red-dark colors," he added. "There are more red fruits compared with the extravagant black fruits of the 2015 harvest. There's nice acidity. It goes well with seafood." Winemakers in Beaujolais weathered their share of setbacks with the 2016 vintage. Growing season started with an early spring, which turned cool and rainy enough to warrant concern by the beginning of summer. As the southernmost AOC in Burgundy, Beaujolais suffered through the hailstorm that ravaged parts of the region that June. Fall was a saving grace. The weather turned ideal in September and October. "It was the warmest September in the last 50 years," Franck said. "It brought the fi nal touch to this vintage." Some growers harvested "a little bit early," he added, while those who waited were gifted with two extra weeks of harvest season. "We're quite pleased with this vintage, which is pretty close to the 2015, which was exceptional," Franck said during a FOR THE FULL STORIES, VISIT WWW.BEVERAGEDYNAMICS.COM.