How a Single Recipe Kept the Sutter Home Winery in the Trinchero Family

Episode 118 of Family Business Stories with Fexingo explores how the Trinchero family, owners of Sutter Home Winery in California, used a single wine varietal — white zinfandel — to rescue their business from bankruptcy in the 1970s and grow it into a 50-million-case-per-year operation. We trace the decision by Bob Trinchero to let grape juice sit on the skins a little longer, creating a pink wine that turned into an accidental global phenomenon. The episode discusses the tension between staying true to the family's Italian winemaking roots and pivoting to mass-market taste, the role of sibling partnerships across two generations, and the delicate balance of preserving legacy while chasing scale. No prior knowledge needed; just a curiosity about how a family business can survive a near-death experience and become a category-defining brand. #TrincheroFamily #SutterHome #WhiteZinfandel #FamilyBusiness #WineIndustry #CaliforniaWine #BobTrinchero #BusinessPivot #AccidentalSuccess #Legacy #Succession #WineBusiness #NapaValley #Winemaking #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #MultiGenerational Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo