“Don’t you think it’s a good idea?” I ask.
He tilts his head and gives me a once-over. As usual, I can’t tell what he’s thinking.
“I think it’s a great idea,” he says. “It won’t be an overnight thing—there’s a hell of a lot to learn. But I’m going to the shipping yard today. If you’re game, I’ll give you a tour.”
It’s a start.
“I’d love that.”
Laughing, he tells me, “I don’t think it’s going to be as interesting as you imagine. But it’ll help you start putting the pieces together. Can you be ready in forty minutes?”
“Absolutely.” I hesitate. “As long as the kitchen can put my espresso in a to-go cup.”
Armani laughs again. God, I love that sound. And I love that I did that.
“We can grab coffee on the way,” he says. “I know a good place.”
As promised, we stop at a small French bakery in town for a dose of caffeine and sinfully good pastries. I tease Armani about the place not being Italian, but when he tells me it’s the sameviennoiseriethat Bellanti Vineyards contracts with to supply baked goods to the tasting room, it all makes sense.
“Frankie’s the one who first found this place, actually,” he adds. “Not that I don’t love a good Italian bakery. Next time we’ll have to go to Magdalena’s. Theirsfogliatelleis to die for. I swear all those flaky, buttery layers literally melt in your mouth.”
“I can’t wait,” I say, pleased at his use of the phrasenext time.
We get on the freeway and head toward the coast. As he drives, Armani explains the process of how they ship their specialty wines, the very expensive ones, and how it differs from the shipment of their more basic offerings. Their specialty wine is distributed all over the world, as well as select locations in the United States. While I knew they had top-tier wine, it’s not something I make deals for. I always figured it was Frankie’s territory. There’s not much she doesn’t do for the family business. When it comes to Bellanti Vineyards, all the Bellantis wear plenty of hats. They should all just have the same job title—shit-getter-done-er.
Still, I wonder why they keep their specialty wine so close to the vest. I never thought much about it before, because those wines aren’t included in the catalogue I use for clients, but what’s so special about the wine that it can’t be included in general distribution deals?
When we arrive at the shipping yard, I get my first look at the Bellanti warehouse. It’s a massive brick and steel building, indistinguishable from the other warehouses on the dock. There isn’t even a sign to identify ownership.
“Huh. I imagined an elaborate Bellanti Vineyards sign hanging above the door, but I see you’re keeping things very incognito.” I say this playfully, but I wonder if there’s more to it.
“Nothing as exciting as all that,” Armani says. “All the warehouses here are numbered.”
I look around and see that he’s right. None of the other warehouses have a sign either. Maybe it’s safer that way, to discourage theft. Armani slows his steps and keeps just off to my side, allowing me to take everything in at my own pace. Workers mill around on the pier, pushing large crates with hand carts and lining them up to prepare for shipment.
Armani adds, “Most of the businesses that ship from here don’t advertise. It’s just the way it is. Bellanti Vineyards owns warehouses 113 and 114.”
He walks toward the building and leads me inside. We walk into a vast, cavernous room that’s virtually empty. Two desks sit facing each other on the far-left wall, while miscellaneous equipment is stored against the right. We go through this room into the back, which is a stark contrast. Workers are busily packing up bottles of wine into padded crates. It seems like there’s a lot going on. I didn’t realize specialty wine was such a big business. Do they really sell enough to keep a full time crew shipping wine for eight hours a day?
“Wow. How much do you typically ship in a week?”
“Enough.” Armani gives me a crooked grin. “Half a million bottles a year, divided by seven days…that’s what, 70,000 bottles a week? Twelve bottles to a case, that’s close to 6,000 cases out the door each week. Not everything goes by boat, of course. Most of the domestic product is delivered by long-haul trucks.”
I let out a low whistle. I knew the winery made bank, but this is wild.
“Believe it or not, even a small family winery from California can make a big impact overseas,” he goes on. “Some of our biggest importers in Dubai, Florence, and Paris have a difficult time keeping our wines in stock.”
“You’re not such a small family winery these days,” I point out. “After you acquired the Abbott property, your vineyard acreage doubled. What is it now, close to twenty acres?”
He shrugs. “Fair, but the Abbott vines aren’t at a hundred percent production capacity. Frankie’s still working on bringing them back. They were neglected pretty badly while she was doing her study abroad program in Italy.”
“That’s right,” I say.
“I’m sure she’d love to talk your ear off about the viticulture if you ask,” Armani says. “Soil moisture levels, mineral nutrition, all of that. If you’re interested.”
“I’m interested in all of it,” I tell him with a grin.
But inside, I’m still feeling a pang of jealousy over the fact that someone else has been handling all the specialty wine sales. I could be making a king’s ransom in commissions. And Armani didn’t really explain why those wines are handled in-house. The whole thing is a little suspicious. Unless…what else might the Bellantis be shipping in those crates?
