With this year’s exceptionally
abundant crop, C.C. Jentsch is producing 14,000 cases ofwine. Normally the farmer in Chriswould
be rejoicing at such a good harvest, but it is putting a heavy strain on the winery. “And itmeans I have to turn 14,000 cases the first year.” In the future he plans to produce
closer to 10,000 cases each year if MotherNature cooperates. This level of production puts the
Cellars as one of the larger estate wineries in the area. “Inmy opinion, thismakes it likely to
survive the inevitable fluctuations in the market,” saidGordon Shelton, senior sales associate for the Cellars. He is in charge of thewine shop and
sales to VQA stores, restaurants, hotels and ski slopes throughout the Okanagan, and alsoworks as a viticulturist. On one hand Jentsch agreeswith
Shelton, but on the other he sees a down side in thewinery’s size. “Itmeanswe’re competingwith big
operatorswhile still being aMomand Pop business inmanyways,” said Jentsch,who does everything from driving a forklift to high level negotiations. One such essential negotiation is
convincing the provincial liquor board to carry hiswines. The increase in number of B.C.
wineries and volume ofwine produced in the recent pastmeans stiff competition for shelf space in government liquor stores. The profitmargin is lower in liquor
stores because of the heavy discount, so wineriesmust sell in volume to compensate. In addition to Shelton in the
Okanagan, Jentsch has sales representatives in Vancouver and Victoria. Thewine shop is another avenue for sales. “It’smy face to theworld, although it
probably accounts for only 10 to 15 percent of total sales,” Jentsch said. In thewine shop Shelton creates a
welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. “Iwant people to enjoy thewines.
Tasting shouldn’t be some sort of competition,” he said. In time, the shopmay be enlarged to
accommodate tour groups and to offer customers a variety ofwine-related items. A bistro or restaurant is also a possibility. “You can sell a lot ofwinewhen
selling food,” said Shelton,who is a French-trained chef. Jentsch recognizes the importance of getting the right person for the job and
British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Spring 2014 25
treating themwell. “It’s not always the most experienced personwho is best suited for the job.” Youthful cellarmaster Amber Jones
brings talent, enthusiasmand a sense of co-operation to her job. Jentsch hiredMattDumayne of
Okanagan Crush Pad to help Jones polish her skills aswinemaker. “I’mpleased to beworkingwith Chris
in this newbuilding and have the opportunity to help build thewinery,” she said. Chris and Betty’s general philosophy
is to hire a fewlocal employees, pay themwell and provide full time jobs. “I try to organize the vineyardwork
so that it is spread over a longer period of timewhichmeans fewer people can handle it,” Chris said. Reflecting on his years of experience,
Chris said,”I amsurprised by the layers of complexity in corporate farming.” In his opinion, there are twomain
reasons small businesses often fail in the transition to becoming large operations: lack ofmanagerial skill and under capitalization.
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