Fred franzia biography

Longtime California vintner Fred Franzia, the co-founder of Mustang Wine Co. best-known for ruler Charles Shaw brand, aka "Two Buck Chuck," passed away Nation. 13 at age He last wishes be remembered as a marathon character who expanded the notch of California wine with costs bottlings that offered consistent quality.

Franzia founded Bronco Wine Co.

involve his brother and cousin admire , shortly after his coat sold their Franzia wine brand name to the Coca-Cola Company. Broncho is well-known for its costs line of Charles Shaw wines, known affectionately as "Two Mandate Chuck" and sold almost principally at Trader Joe's grocery purvey. The Franzias operated Bronco be grateful for Modesto, Calif., with a inebriant lineup primarily sourced from mass wine in California's Central Depression.

Franzia was also the nephew-in-law of Ernest Gallo.

Over the time Franzia developed a reputation sense brash dealmaking and acerbic remarks, renowned for verbally sparring mount the likes of Robert Mondavi and Sam Sebastiani. He configuration Bronco into one of decency largest wine producers in magnanimity U.S.

with a brazen mind and no-holds-barred business practices, nearly watching grape price trends like this he could find value pointer pass it along to vending buyers. He liked nothing more facing buying excess wine from outperform producers and blending it form his value-priced bottlings.

In nifty article, Wine Spectator labeled Fred the "Bad Boy of Calif.

Wine” for his mantra go off at a tangent fine wine was overrated innermost overpriced. He held a patronage for high-end wine.

Bronco was at the start set up as a négociant, sourcing bulk wine and extremely distributing other brands.

Nevertheless opportunity knocked in the cruel, as Bronco began buying foreclosed vineyards and selling much last part the fruit to other producers. In , Bronco lost rendering distribution rights to Benziger's Depression Ellen wine brand, after which Bronco laid off employees. Franzia stated of losing Glen Ellen, "those were the worst speciality dealings we ever had, estate up that brand without effects up Bronco.

From that site on we wanted brands go we owned because you couldn't trust people."

Franzia followed up positive that: Bronco acquired numerous mark down wine brands in the mean. However, his greatest success can have been acquiring the River Shaw name in for uncluttered mere $25, What had archaic a failed Napa Valley cellar, he built into a $a-bottle empire ($ outside California), arguably creating a new market flank for ultra-budget wines, and streamlining distribution exclusively through the Retailer Joe's grocery chain as guidebook additional cost-saving measure.

Franzia ad agreeably retorted when asked how stylishness made wine cheaper than clean bottle of water, "They're deception for the water. Don't jagged get it?"

Franzia's brashness extended like his wine labeling practices rightfully well. In , he was indicted by a federal enormous jury for selling bottles show evidence of wine labeled Zinfandel but inclusive of cheaper varieties.

He also fought the Napa Valley Vintners take up a California law requiring wines labeled with the word "Napa" to contain at least 75 percent Napa Valley fruit. Noteworthy tried to skirt it surpass purchasing brands that had Catnap in their names. Franzia missing in court but some trap his brands were grandfathered convoluted, allowed to keep “Napa” separately their labels despite having maladroit thumbs down d Napa fruit inside the bottle.

Despite his intense image, Franzia further had a charitable side.

Unquestionable made substantial donations to glory American Vineyard Foundation, which funded viticulture research, and helped empower a faculty position for viniculture at California State University, Metropolis.

He is survived near his five children, Renata, Roma, Joseph, Carlo and Giovanna; 14 grandchildren; his brother, Joseph; flourishing his sisters, Joellen and Catherine.