What is the best part of being a family company?
Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits started as a family-owned business created to work with other family-owned and people-oriented businesses. We have always focused on developing strong, long-term relationships with all our partners. This vision continues today more than 43 years later.
Our family-to-family approach allows us to make decisions quickly and fosters close connections with our employees. Our employees have significant visibility and involvement in our organization's success.
How do you manage your growth to reflect your family values?
As Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits continues to grow, we remain deeply rooted in our original family values like teamwork, passion for results, and cultivation of talent. Our company values hold great significance for us as they remind employees to support one another, aspire to make a meaningful difference in the business every day, and most importantly, help ensure employees feel fulfilled in their roles.
What are the criteria for which charities and organizations to support?
Giving back to the community is important to us, and we generally select charity partners that relate to our community, our industry or our brands. Over the years, we have supported local Stamford charities such as the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, the River House Adult Day Center, and most recently the Avon Theater Film Center. In May 2023, we also sponsored a company-wide service day and donated $200,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Napa Valley, which provides programs to more than 2,400 youth per day throughout Napa Valley. Supporting this community is especially important to us as many of the program attendees are the children of hospitality, winery, farmworkers, and agriculture workers – people who help make our industry what it is.
What are the hottest trends in wine? Spirits?
Tequila is booming, with consumers embracing it in cocktails or sipping neat or on the rocks. The tequila category in the U.S. reached nearly 29 million cases last year, doubling in size since 2015, according to Impact Databank. We added Cantera Negra tequila to our portfolio in 2022, which has helped us scale our luxury spirits business. Cantera Negra is delicious tequila that has no additives and currently includes Silver, Reposado, Añejo, Extra Añejo, and Café.
How important is a bottle/label design for a wine or spirit?
Our brand Gray Whale Gin exemplifies how crucial bottles and labels are for establishing a brand's personality and story. The aqua blue color of the bottle matches the water in Big Sur, California, where the brand founders, Jan and Marsh Mokhtari, were inspired to create the brand after seeing a majestic Gray Whale with her calf. Since inception, we donate 1% of Gray Whale Gin’s sales each year to environmental conservation organizations such as Oceana. The compelling brand story and distinctive bottle design are connecting with consumers and have set us apart from competitors.
Which brands are most successful and why?
Josh Cellars was created in 2005 by Joseph Carr as a tribute to his remarkable father, Josh. Since we acquired it in 2011, Josh Cellars has become one of the most valuable beverage alcohol brands in the U.S. and was named the 2021 American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast, a recognition of the brand’s remarkable achievements.
In honor of Josh Carr’s legacy, we have also donated more than $1.5 million to important humanitarian causes, such as American Humane’s Pups4Patriots program.
Consumers love the brand and have responded enthusiastically to our elegant bottle and appealing flavor profile based on ripe fruit and great balance.
Responsible drinking?
We closely follow all guidelines issued by The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), an organization that outlines a clear responsibility code for marketing and advertising within the beverage alcohol industry. We ensure our advertising does not reach people under the legal drinking age. We also support responsible drinking beyond the DISCUS guidelines. For example, we always make sure to serve nonalcoholic options and plenty of food at all our events.
What do you most want people to know about you?
Many of our valued employees live in the Stamford area. As a family-owned business, our values -- which include a passion for results, teamwork, and cultivation of talent -- are integral parts of who we are as an organization. Our key to success is supporting not only our brands, but also our most important asset: our people. Everyone who works for us and with us is part of our Deutsch Family and shares in our company’s successes.
Our key to success is supporting not only our brands, but also our most important asset: our people.