At 20, Leeward Winery Stresses Quality, Not Size

In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Chuck Brigham could be found most days working at his family’s clothing business. At the same time, Chuck Gardner spent most of his days at his management job with the Safeway grocery chain. In their spare time, Brigham and Gardner were busy getting their new venture, Leeward Winery of Ventura, on its feet.

In 1999, as they mark their 20th year in business, the vintners are much easier to find--spending virtually every working day at their winery.

Like community banks and corner grocery stores competing with national chains, Brigham and Gardner count on a personal approach--dealing directly with customers and offering wine tours and special tastings--to distinguish the business from the other 900 wineries in California.

“The making of wine, the selling of wine, the whole thing--a winery is a very personal business,” Brigham said. “So many things are impersonal today. We take people in and they actually get to see the winery. . . . It’s like a mom-and-pop operation.”

To compete over the years with the Gallos of the world, Brigham said, it’s been important for Leeward to establish a niche. Using grapes grown in Napa Valley, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, the winery has concentrated on building a reputation for premium Chardonnays.

“You can’t be everything to everybody. Larger corporate wineries or groups may have 50 or 60 different labels and be able to hit a price point, anything from a bag-in-a-box to wines that are in the $100 range,” he said.

“But those are the corporate wineries,” he said. “Here you have to play it a little differently, look for a certain premium niche.”

Leeward’s wine prices range from $7.50 for a bottle of Riesling to $25 for a bottle of the Founder’s Reserve Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir Reserve.

The winery is beginning to offer several other varieties to its product line, but Brigham said he doesn’t anticipate changing the business’ small-scale approach.

“I really believe we are happy at our size,” he said.

“What we would rather do is continue to increase the quality. I think as a smaller winery that’s the way you have to go. . . . I have seen many people who started at the same time go wild with expansion and the quality has slipped.”