Quotes by John Gillespie

“The only thing worse than what consumers dont know about vintage dating is what they nonetheless believe. From the time Orson Welles intoned the famous line for Paul Masson in the 1970s: We will sell no wine before its time, people have maintained the notion that when it comes to wine, older is better. Unfortunately, such a belief can lead to poor choices of wine and disappointment with a purchase.”

“What do you want to pay for? You want to pay for the best outcomes, ... We dont want to know that youre seeing them. We want to know theyre doing well.”

“The only marketing statements about Beaujolais are that its here and its the absolute first.”

“Those are two very solid indications that freshness as a concept for wine is a marketable, and a pretty profitable, thing to hang your hat on.”

“[Paul Masson once promised to sell no wine before its time, but a new survey suggests many consumers dont know when wine may be past its prime. A recent nationwide survey of 429 wine drinkers showed most believe modestly priced white wines get better with age, something the studys author says is rarely true.] The idea that wines get better with age is ingrained in our consciousness, whether we like it or not, ... But that doesnt mean its true for all wines.”

“The idea that wines get better with age is ingrained in our consciousness, whether we like it or not. But that doesnt mean its true for all wines.”

“When an $8 or $10 bottle of white wine that is of a lighter style gets to be three, four, five years in the bottle, it starts to lose its fruitiness. It loses that crisp acidity.”

“Quality and value is what really drives people, and it is not tipped in Californias favor.”

“It would be a mistake to think boxed wines are for the pedestrian market.”

“While sales data can indicate what is selling, we can give people the why and how.”