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published on August 23, 2016 - 6:46 AM
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Madera-based Quady Winery and Salt of the Earth are expanding to keep up with consumer demand for their premium Moscato brands.


Quady Winery specializes in premium sweet and apéritif wines. Salt of the Earth, co-founder Andrew Quady’s newest endeavor, is a partnership that leverages the combined expertise of his winemaking and growing team to produce high-quality domestic Moscato for the U.S. market.

Quady reports that Red Electra and Electra Moscato sales increased from 29,400 cases in 2010 to 46,000 cases in 2015.

“Our goal has always been to make the highest quality wines possible in the categories in which we find ourselves and we’re very pleased at the reception in the marketplace to our very high-quality Moscato styles,” Quady said. “American consumers have not really experienced this kind of quality in domestically made Moscatos.”

Quady has also become active in the craft cocktail market through the creation of Vya Vermouth, which is made at Quady Winery using Orange Muscat and Quady’s port for a portion of its base. While still a minor component of total production for Quady Winery, Vya sales increased from 2,000 cases in 2010 to 5,300 cases in 2015.

Quady Winery and Salt of the Earth plan to make 100,000 cases of wine in 2016, up from 51,788 cases in 2010.

“Everybody here is excited about the plan for our growth, especially the winemakers who are the ones who need to make all this extra wine, so we’re working hard to give them the tools that they need,” said Quady, who started in the wine business in 1975 making port. He hired winemaker Michael Blaylock (now director of winemaking) in 1984 to manage the growth in his early fortified wines, Essensia and Elysium. Electra and Red Electra Moscato were introduced in 1990 and Vya Vermouth in 1999.


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