Santé Magazine: Taylor Rothchild, Wine Industry’s One to Watch in 2020
His mission is simple: Create Wines and Champagnes worth sharing.
With a long family history and intense passion at its core, each bottle from Tayson Pierce Estate Wines possesses a rich history of its own. From the years of prosperity and struggle on the vines to sun-kissed grapes grown over many moons on prestigious single-vineyard estates, to the hard-working people who handpick the grapes in the brisk of the night each season and the artistry of the winemaker himself, it’s quite easy to forget that so much time and so many individuals are responsible for the final product. Taylor Rothchild is an entrepreneur directing his family’s winery, ensuring every meticulous detail of each vintage is crafted with the most exceptional quality worthy of bearing the Tayson Pierce Estate Wines name.
At only 30, Taylor transformed his family’s hobby spanning five generations, into a rapidly growing enterprise. Over a successful career in Venture Capital and Private Equity, Taylor worked on restructuring legacy organizations in media and entertainment and helped advise early-stage technology companies to go-to-market. With his vast experience and knowledge of startups and transforming legacy businesses, Taylor felt the next logical step was to dive into the ever-changing landscape of winemaking. Although he works on the family business, he remains engaged in the business world, advising companies and funds.
“I’ve always enjoyed fixing things and growing businesses, whether it is a startup or a well-established organization. I saw the massive potential in our little winery and an opportunity to do things differently. I took the lessons learned from finance and applied them to this business, states Taylor Rothchild, proprietor of Tayson Pierce Estate Wines.
Always up for the challenge, Taylor took the small hobby business out of the shadows and brought it into the light as a respected and prominent brand. With his business acumen and tenacity, he took on a more active role in the business, initially focusing on rebranding, developing their marketing playbook, and improving processes. Through strategic partnerships with high-end restaurants and elite wine merchants such as Wally’s Wines based out of Los Angeles, he positioned the business as a top-tier producer.
Noticing the trends of consumer purchasing behavior shifting from shopping at traditional brick and mortar to buying more from eCommerce brands, OnDemand services, and desire for more authentic brands, Taylor quickly realized the winery needed to capitalize on these trends. He revamped the old website and developed their online store to make it easier for customers to acquire their wines without having to travel to the store. He also established a strategic partnership with Minibar Delivery to access their 500,000+ users across the country and expose them to their wines through their Vineyard Select program.
Additionally, through his close relationship with Christian Navarro, President of Wally’s and “Sommelier to the Stars,” they worked together to improve brand awareness through their restaurant and retail store as well as collaborating on numerous on high profile events filled with A-List celebrities, government officials, and prominent charities. Considered as one of the world’s premier wine merchants containing a portfolio of over 10,000 labels handpicked from only the best producers, Wally’s Wines is also a significant contributor to the winery’s success.
“I’ve known Taylor and his family for a long time and have discovered that they have great similarities to our Ethos. One quality, the Very Best. We love what Taylor does and will follow him in every endeavor. Wally’s doesn’t carry everything, just the best of everything, and Tayson Pierce is definitely an important piece of what we do.” Says Christian Navarro, President of Wally’s.
To access a more youthful audience, Taylor crafted and introduced the winery’s first Rosé wine as a more affordable access point to their portfolio. Taylor developed their Rosé wine to capitalize on the booming Rosé trend noticing an opportunity to make a premium California Rosé. He also crafted a line of Champagnes in France called Champagne Éric Philippe, seeing a lack of representation for high-end grower/producer Champagnes and a growing market for Extra Bruts with a lower dosage. He wanted to create a world-class Champagne that people would enjoy drinking not only as a celebratory beverage but also as a commonplace drink to enjoy at any time.
Taylor was introduced to the art of winemaking by his father, Eric Rothchild, whose grandfather taught him. His father introduced him to movie director and vineyard owner Francis Ford Coppola, where he worked at his Rubicon estate. Throughout his youth, Taylor also traveled the world with his family meeting with winemakers from prestigious chateaus throughout France, Italy, and New Zealand. This exposure fostered his intense passion for creating fine wines that could rival those of the great wine houses of the world. For the past decade, Taylor and his father Eric have together produced several award-winning vintages. Under Taylor’s tenure, he has brought about significant operational improvements to the business resulting in:
2019 Revenue Increase: 617%
Increased Product Margins:10%
Improved Brand Recognition: 79M+ Media Impressions
Amassed a Social Media Following: 43K and 34K respectively
Grew Monthly New Website Users: 2996%
Taylor and his father began producing wine in 2005 as a hobby initially to give to friends. When they tried it, they asked where they could purchase more. The family decided to produce their first commercial vintage in 2006 with an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon of only 100 cases. To their surprise, that vintage received stellar reviews from esteemed critics. To this day, they still manufacture in only reserved quantities to preserve the quality in every bottle without sacrificing anything to cut costs. Although his peers highly respect Taylor, he is distinguished as an underdog in the wine industry, clearly underestimating his prowess. Nonetheless, through his passion and relentless efforts to grow the business, the industry is now discovering his name, learning about his experience as a skilled entrepreneur, and that he is the one they need to watch this year.
His mission is simple: Create Wines and Champagnes worth sharing.