We were lucky to catch up with Michael Robinson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Michael, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
For more than 13 years, the Taste of Santa Rita Hills has been highlighting the region’s greatest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers. Focused on limited releases of 500 cases or less, our producers make some of the finest hand-crafted releases each vintage. Due to the boutique scale of these productions, most are too small to have their own tasting rooms, which is where we come in.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Taste of Santa Rita Hills is the largest collection of the Sta Rita Hills AVA’s highly allocated, cult and critically adored producers under one roof. In business for 13+ years, it has been a haven for the latest star producers, allocated cult wines and rare productions. Michael worked for 6 years at two of America’s greatest fine and rare wine retailers, most notably Zachys. It was there as wine buyers for California that he solidified his love for Santa Barbara County’s finest wines.
Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses.
My wife and I purchased Taste of Santa Rita Hills and Moretti Wines in August of 2023. We had been wine club members there for a decade, and had worked in the wine industry prior, so we both understood the business and adored the model. But it required a move to the valley (and home purchase) which is an added financial strain to an already bold move. It’s all worked out, but not without a bit of creative financing and bootstrap approach to the first quarter of business.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Definitely word of mouth. Customer by customer, if we expand their knowledge of the region’s wines, they feel more closely connected to the place…insiders. And while that doesn’t always translate to sales, a purchase is the last step on the customer journey. Consideration is the first, and positve tastings lead to more considerations.
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