Napa Valley Vintners welcomes its new president.
The more things change, the more they stay the same—especially when you’re talking about quality, culture and the Napa Valley brand. Nobody knows this better than Kathleen Heitz Myers, president of Heitz Wine Cellars, who’s recently been elected the next board president of Napa Valley Vintners (NVV). “It’s definitely an honor to be president this year,” she says. “It’s a great opportunity to help continue to improve upon our success while protecting Napa Valley.”
An ideal ambassador
Bruce Cakebread, outgoing NVV president, says Heitz Myers is naturally qualified for the new role because of her broad experience in the wine business and her deep family history in the valley. “Kathleen brings the perspective of her family being in the wine business for 50 years in Napa Valley,” he says. “That’s an invaluable perspective.”
Linda Reiff, executive director of NVV, describes Heitz Myers as an ideal ambassador for the Napa Valley brand. “Our goal is to promote Napa Valley as the premier wine growing region in the world, and Heitz Wine Cellars is a premier brand. We’re also committed to the sustainability of our natural resources and community, and Kathleen, her family and winery embody that as well. For example, they farmed organically long before it was ‘in,’ so it’s a beautiful fit.”
A perfect fit
Kathleen Heitz Myers grew up in the wine business, in an idyllic setting in the St. Helena hills, with horses, cattle, a vegetable garden, a vineyard and parents who, 50 years ago, were dedicated to the then-uncommon dream of producing extraordinary wine. The values instilled in her by her family, enhanced by her schooling in Switzerland and broadened by her travels throughout the world, can be felt now in every detail of the Heitz Wine Cellars experience. They stretch from her own gentle and perfectly tailored presence to the serenity of the winery grounds, in which the cozy California homestead and the high-tech office and winery operation blend harmoniously into the natural grace of the hillsides. The feeling suggests quality and attention to detail and, tucked away in the hills as it is, a pervasive sense of history.
“When I grew up here,” she says, “it was more rural. There were maybe 10 wineries, and the people were more hands-on.” The people in the nascent business made up a tight community. When Kathleen’s parents, Joe and Alice Heitz, acquired their main ranch in 1964, she says, the contract was agreed upon and settled “on just a handshake.”
Her father was serious, not only about the business, but also about the science of making wine. “My dad was a winemaker’s winemaker,” she says. With a master’s degree in enology from UC Davis, he worked first in the Napa Valley at Beaulieu Vineyard with Andre Tchelistcheff, and then he left Napa Valley for a time to set up a degree program in enology at Fresno State University. Missing the Napa Valley, he came back and, with Alice, committed himself to building a great brand: Heitz Wine Cellars.
A long tradition
Joe Heitz served as NVV board president in 1971, when the number of wineries in the valley had swelled to nearly 30—a big leap from the earliest days, but a far cry from the numbers we see now. Today, there are many more wineries and people moving in to enjoy the quiet, the beauty and the quality of life—a quality of life that largely remains intact. “We’ve been very fortunate, despite our growth to have retained that,” says Heitz Myers.
Reiff has worked for the last 16 years to make sure that inimitable character is maintained, while sustainable growth keeps the wine industry healthy. “We now have 400 wineries in the association,” Reiff says, before quickly explaining that doesn’t necessarily mean there are crowds of corporations pouring into the valley and tons more wine being made: “We’re very limited in how many acres can be put into production.”
Still, from the look of the valley, as one drives through, it seems as though it’s unlimited vineyards. Actually, Reiff says, only 9 percent of Napa Valley land is planted in vineyards. It’s the number of actual producers that’s proliferating. “Now, there are many more small producers.
“Three quarters of our membership makes less than 10,000 cases of wine annually, and half makes less than 5,000 annual cases. Ninety-five percent of our members are family owned and operated.” The growth is partly the result of this plethora of smaller new producers sprouting up, hoping to create great wine, but also adding to the numbers is an increase in diversification among the traditional wineries. Growers are creating their own new brands. So the wine business is diversifying, “and more people are taking a slice of it.” Thus, the dream of Napa Valley both grows and stays the same.
Built on a dream
“My parents embodied the American dream,” says Heitz Myers. “They started the winery from scratch and built it into what we see today. And they got to appreciate their success in their lifetime.”
Inevitably, as it came time for the next generation to take over, she and her brother David, who’s now Heitz Wine Cellars’ winemaker, had the challenge of modernizing while maintaining the core standard of consistent excellence. “We used to buy most of our grapes,” she says, “but now we have a lot more land.” She says they sell grapes to many wineries. “We produce about 40,000 cases. We have about 18 employees—including my mom. Her heart and soul are still in it.”
According to Reiff, Heitz Wine Cellars and the Heitz family culture express many NVV core values. The Heitz name, background, principles of sustainability and dedication to the Ag Preserve, along with the tradition of giving back to the community—not to mention the classic excellence of the wines themselves—make Heitz Myers a wonderful representative of and for the Napa Valley brand. “Kathleen knows the marketplace and she’s good on the road,” says Reiff. “People love to meet someone whose name is on the label.” In addition, she has a natural grace and style, and her skill and family background make her, as Reiff says, “a great, great spokesperson for her brand and the larger Napa Valley brand.”
The board president’s job
As president of Heitz Wine Cellars, board member and second vice chair of the California Wine Institute, and board member and now president of NVV, Heitz Myers is charged with helping to protect and promote not only her own distinct brand but the whole Napa Valley brand, in all its depth and breadth, both here and throughout the world. How does the board president do that?
“First of all, it’s a great honor,” says Cakebread. “You kind of pinch yourself. You’re working with your peers, who are a great group, and with the NVV team, which is working day and night for Napa Valley vintners. So it’s a great thing to do for a year.” When he was president, NVV traveled from Canada to Texas and from Japan to London, promoting Napa Valley wines. “The marketing and promotion is just one method of getting the message out about what makes Napa Valley special. We have trade and media visit the valley to learn more about what makes Napa Valley special,” he says. “NVV has also developed a great Napa Rocks presentation that explains the geography, climate and history of Napa.”
As far as any changes in direction are concerned, “We have our mission, vision and strategy that’s updated every three years with input from the membership,” says Cakebread, “It’s a good practice that keeps NVV focused and current as conditions change. We’re focused on making sure everything we do meets our mission and vision.”
Reiff agrees and, in the process, reveals one of the secrets of NVV’s success. “We go through a very thoughtful process of strategic planning,” she says, “with a lot of member involvement, research, committee discussions, two board of directors retreats, staff retreats to develop a plan that goes out to members for review and input, and then final ratification by the board. Those are our marching orders—that’s what we follow, and we follow it to a T.” She emphasizes that last phrase with a big smile. “Sometimes people ask how we’re so successful. Well, we actually follow our strategic plan!” she laughs.
In an association of 400 members, clearly no one person’s vision should dominate, and the process of creating and filling out the vision, goals and strategic plan illustrates the degree of cooperation that’s possible in this diverse, desirable valley with its delicate balance of development and preservation.
Healthy competition
According to Reiff, the enthusiasm and determination to make the best wines in the world is creating healthy competition in Napa Valley, even within the brand itself. “The Napa Valley brand is stronger today with 400 plus wineries under its umbrella than it was 60 years ago with 20.” To her, the association creates a kind of “glue” and “platform” for the promotion of the appellation. “If we do a good job, we provide the rising tide that floats all boats.”
“That’s what makes Napa Valley exciting,” says Cakebread. “It’s the consistency of focus to produce world class wines. The combination of the land and the people creates the Napa Valley magic. We have a very engaged, enthusiastic and creative community with a lot of camaraderie.”
Heitz Myers can speak to that, having been a part of the culture for so many years. She’s known and respected by her peers not just in Napa Valley, but in the greater wine industry around the world. For her, this role with NVV is a continuation. She and her family have consistently worked to make the Heitz name stand for quality and excellence, and along with that, the Napa Valley brand as well. “We’re fortunate to have her as our spokesperson,” says Reiff, “not just here in the valley but on the national and international stage as well.”
As in any industry, being successful in the wine business isn’t just about making great wine—you have to develop the market. Heitz Myers has been good at that, having personally worked the marketplace across the country and around the world. And developing markets comes about through developing key relationships over time. That’s what helps businesses survive and remain sustainable during recession, says Reiff. When you do the work to develop those relationships, your brand is going to sustain and thrive. That’s what Heitz Myers is so good at, and why she’s an excellent person to represent Napa Valley.
Today’s challenge
Heitz Myers is board president of NVV, not president of the world. So her leadership won’t magically turn around a sluggish economy. But, says Linda Reiff, things are “starting to improve,” and NVV works hard to help its members. In addition to offering opportunities for winery members to market their brands, both here and abroad, the association continues to help members by providing information, education and guest speakers such as bankers, CPAs, tax advisers, marketing and sales strategy specialists. “We buy research tools our members can use. We really try to help them help themselves.”
Economy or not, there is, in Napa Valley, a tradition of success, a reliable tradition of quality and an infectious optimism. Reiff and Cakebread’s enthusiasm is contagious. “I have this theory,” says Cakebread, “that of all the 150 years that wine’s been made in Napa Valley, now is when we’re going to get the highest quality. Never before have we had more winemakers with 20 to 25 years’ experience in Napa Valley than we do today.”
“If you think about it,” Reiff says, “the folks who decide to grow grapes and make wines here have to be over-achievers, because they’ve chosen to do it in the best place possible!” she laughs. “And they have to live up to that. They can’t come here and make bad wine. They have to make great wine!”
This year is the 67th anniversary of NVV and the 50th anniversary for Heitz Wine Cellars. For Kathleen Heitz Myers, being named board president of NVV is both following in her father’s footsteps and a great personal honor. She smiles almost shyly when she adds, “If you succeed and are recognized by your peers, there’s nothing better than that.”
Napa Valley Vintners: Marketing Aggressively, Near and Far
In its 67th year, with 400 members, Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) is moving ahead with wide-ranging marketing campaigns.
In 2010, it met with 4,400 members of the wine trade and directly connected with 5,600 customers. In one New York week, it hosted 35 events with 70 wineries, in venues from the stately Plaza Hotel to trendy wine bars. It offered seminars, educational tastings, in-store tastings and winemaker dinners throughout the city.
Premiere Napa Valley, hosted by NVV each February, is the “must attend” networking event of the year. Now in its 15th year, this event is a barometer of the state of the fine wine industry in America. This year, NVV broke all previous records.
Auction Napa Valley, the renowned annual community fund-raiser, is expected to break the $100 million mark for giving this year, after 31 years of the program.
Napa Valley Vintners also prides itself in leading sustainable programs such as Napa Green, the most rigorous and comprehensive farming and green winemaking program in the wine industry.
