As we gather this weekend to celebrate 20 years, we reflect on some of the changes we experienced.
2004 – Scott Harvey Wines / Creative Wine Concepts was born in St. Helena, CA
- 4500 Wineries in the US – 30 wineries in Amador
- We were excited to have the support of approximately 30 shareholders
2005 – U.S. wine consumption has advanced 17% in the last three years
- It was a great time to be in the wine business
- Millennial concept – InZinerator Zinfandel blend was introduced
- Millennial nephew created superhero-style labels to fit the brand
2006
- Jana joined the company full-time after leaving her job of 17 years at Raymo3nd Vineyards
- 1st time in decades that wine surpassed beer as America’s alcoholic drink of choice
- Total wine consumption in the U.S. rose 4%+ to 270 million cases
- 2003 Scott Harvey Barbera was named 3rd best barbera in the world (outside of Italy)
2007 – # of U.S Wineries Tops 5,900 – 26% increase since we started our company in 2004
- Sales of Red wine are surging, and additional health benefits are being released—the latest being from Harvard, which found that resveratrol (a substance in red wine) extended the life and improved the health of middle-aged, overweight mice.•
- Sutter Creek tasting room opens on Eureka St. – 77 Wine Club Members
2008 – Economic Downturn
- Distributor consolidation. It’s necessary to find new ways to sell wine by selling less.
- Top 10 wine companies account for 82% of domestic sales
- 4,919 wine companies have to compete for the remaining 18% of available space in wholesale channels
- 68% of our sales were in the distributor network
2009 – Focus on Direct to Consumer begins
- First export sale – Canada took 250 cases of Inzinerator
- Barberas begin to lead the portfolio from Zinfandel in sales
- Our home in St. Helena becomes our Napa Valley tasting room
- Cruise to the Meditteranean with ZAP members
2010 – Sutter Creek Tasting Room moves to Main St.
- 6223 Wineries – SCW – 58% Distribution
- The US has become the world’s largest wine-consuming nation
- Added QR codes on label with Scott describing the wines
- Introduced kegs for wine on tap
2011 – 7,345 wineries operating in US
- Wall St. Journal selected 2008 Barbera for their WC out of 800 wines
- Sold wine to Africa (Kenya and DRC)
2012 – Introduced to Wine Woot – a source of some of our best customers and friends
- Wine writers in US requesting samples of low-alcohol wine
- Able to sell wine on FB and Amazon – an easy way to send a gift
- Wrapped our big box truck to become our mobile billboard christened “Big Bird”
- Discussions began to lease David Fulton Winery in Napa Valley so we would have a legitimate tasting room
2013 – 7762 wineries in the US – 4660 in 2004 – 67% increase
- Amazon sales doing well – $8,000 first year and growing
- First pallet sold to China
2014 – Wine Club – 760 members
- Cigars were produced in the Dominican Republic to pair with our wines
- Created our first red blend – Three Stags $11.99 retail
- Red labels were brightened for better visibility on the shelf
2015 – Opened Winery Tasting Room in Shenandoah Valley
- 1995- 2,000 Wineries + 3,000 Distributors in US / 2015 – 7,000 wineries + 700 distributors
- Football legend Joe Montana signed 100 bottles for us at $150 a signature
2016 – THE MOST COMPETITIVE WINE MARKET IN HISTORY – 220,000 Registered labels
- Marijuana enters the competition
- Sold wine to Czech Republic
- Introduced our spritzy rose – Tickle Me Pink
2017 – 9687 WINERIES
- Scott and Jana move to Sutter Creek
- Hired Chef Brian and had an Estate Chef
- Our beloved Wine Club Mgr. Monica Bennion left to start a postal business
- Opened vineyard house to Airbnb – First guests were evacuees from wildfires
- River Cruise in Bordeaux with wine club members
2018 – 9687 Wineries
- Declining consumption
- Millennials not embracing wine – more Interest in cocktails
- Introduced Cattedrale – top-the-line Barbera for over $100
- Implemented 3&3 wine and food pairing events every month with Chef Brian
2019 – Opened a new tasting room at the Old Sugar Mill
- More Experiences for Wine Club Members
- Glamping, river cruises, vineyard tours, etc.
- Wine Club Cruise on the Danube
2020 – Covid!
- We closed our three tasting rooms in March and reopened them later with appointment-only tastings.
- Survived by introducing virtual events/tastings and the support of our wine club
- Mollie Haycock is promoted to winemaker.
- Introduced two mobile apps- Pair Anything Wine and food pairing
2021- Dealing with Drought, Smoke, and light harvests
- Members Only Label introduced – Griffin Society
- Wine Club Manager Extraordinaire – Amanda Jurgens is hired
- Difficult to find employees
- The supply chain increased price of bottles by 25%
- Melissa Caccia becomes Operations Manager
- Wine Club Cruise to Tahiti
2022 – 11,282 Wineries in US
- Started two book clubs – one in Sutter Creek and one virtual
- The wine industry takes on data analyzation
- Monthly Virtual Happy Hour for club members introduced
2023 – The World Health Organization declares that no amount of alcohol is safe for consumption
- US wine sales down 9%
- Internet sales peaked at 16% during the pandemic and retreated to 8%, similar to 2016. Wine cellars are full.
- Introduction of Tickle Me Pink cans
- New labels for the Scott Harvey Wines introduced
- River Cruise down the Douro in Portugal with GS members
2024 – The global wine industry is facing a complex landscape of challenges and opportunities
- Traditional markets like France, Italy and US are experiencing a decline in volume
- Difficulty attracting younger consumers
- Significant rise in demand for low or no-alcohol beverages
- Change in consumer preferences
- Climate change is a primary concern
- Premiiuzation is a trend among younger, adventurous drinkers
- RTD (ready to drink) alcoholic drinks are gaining in popularity
Scott Harvey Wines/Creative Wine Concepts is currently researching an RTD of our own. Look forward to its release in 2025