We knew going into this business that food and beverage was…competitive, to say the least.  You look for every advantage that you can get.  We’re really just trying to get the good word about Senor Sangria out to as many people as possible (without a multi-million dollar advertising budget to leverage).  People can’t and won’t buy it if they don’t know it exists; and, more importantly if someone else vouches for it.

So if you can’t buy publicity, what are you supposed to do?  Answer; generate your own.  My thought, reach out to other local entrepreneurs also trying to break into this industry.  That thought led me to meet with The East Coast Brewing Company, located in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ.  They’re about a year behind Senor Sangria’s progress with their new product, Beach Haus.  A classic American Pilsner micro-brewed in the tradition of early German-American brewers, Beach Haus will hit the market in May 2010.

We’re psyched to engage with other local businesses in a similar position as Senor Sangria; working both to survive day-to-day and grow at the same time.  It’s especially sweet when these businesses are complimentary in nature (notice I didn’t meet with another local sangria producer!).  We look forward to a growing relationship with The East Coast Brewing Company, as well as any reciprocal advertising opportunities that may arise in the future.  Senor Sangria wishes you the best of luck with the launch of Beach Haus in 2010.  For more information please check out their website http://www.beachhausbeer.com/

So we’ve finalized and locked down our white sangria recipe.  That’s great news, right?  Yes!  Flip the switch and start bottling?  Nope.  We’ve figured out how much to use of this and how much to use of that; now, we have figure out exactly what this and that will be.  As we continue moving forward with The Brotherhood Winery to begin the formulation process, we have to make a decision on juice suppliers. 

This isn’t exactly the same as standing in the juice isle at the grocery store and deciding on Juicy Juice vs. Capri Sun.  The underlying premise is the same, though; selection via elimination.  We’ve reached out to a number of companies for juice samples that will be – could be, rather – used as one of the “chosen” ingredients.  Consequently, we now have a collection of juice samples that have taken over our freezer.  It’s a meticulous process that will take some time.  Our goal is focused, simple, and essential to what we strive for here at Senor Sangria; create a product that is unmatched in quality in the marketplace.

So as spring approaches and we migrate through the necessary steps to get to formulation and bottling, the anxiety level continues to build.  It’s like trying to make your way through an IKEA; whether you like it or not you have to follow a certain path through a maze of twists and turns to get to check-out.  We view the addition of white sangria as being a perfect and critical complement to the classic red that started it all, and are thrilled to think that we are now so close to sharing the fruits of our labor with all of you. 

Yum...All Natural Fruit Juices...One of these could be our winner!

So last year, we were pretty psyched when sales reached a point where we could not keep up with distribution in the Pathfinder. As reliable as she was, we needed to increase capacity. That’s when el crucero de gran vino was introduced.

This year, we have even bigger expectations for Senor Sangria. When you set such lofty expectations, that usually means also adjusting your budget accordingly. In the world of small biz, that means cold, hard cash (otherwise known as debt). Before we head over to the bank, we’ll be preparing a case of individually gift-wrapped bottles of Senor Sangria in hopes of the understanding more money = more sangria for you!

The banks decision will definitely play a big role in helping us determine whether to continue distribution ourselves or outsource it. Having the van (vans, hopefully) out there is great advertising in itself (as we experienced last year during one stop at Dairy Queen; mmmmmmmm…Blizzard).– read article – It keeps us in touch with the retailers face-to-face. Outsourcing potentially gives us access to more markets and could quicken expansion into new ones. Distributing also gives us time back at the office, so we can focus on enhancing our product line and drinking sangria.

We’d love to get an idea of what you folks out there think. Shoot us an email with your thoughts.

Ok, December was absurdly cold; but, it seems that for a few days, January will offer us a break from what has been a harsh winter. I saw a basketball game, joggers were out, and my lawn has the consistency of a sponge. While we are well aware that this will be short lived, it goes a long way to remind us that our second year of production and, most importantly, expansion is nearing. Thoughts of chillin’ in shorts and a t-shirt while enjoying a cold refreshment made us think…it’s never too early to advertise.

That’s when a unique opportunity presented itself. It just so happens that some of the guys at The Brotherhood Winery are on a soccer team. Their league runs from around mid-February and lasts 5-6 weeks. Like any sports franchise, they wanted a sponsor (with a checkbook). The result is Team Senor Sangria! We’ll be providing the team with Senor Sangria t-shirts for their games; and, ideally, advertising will continue at the after-game celebrations. We plan on attending as many games as possible! GO TEAM SENOR SANGRIA!

And yes, it’s indoor soccer.

Maria has been playing around with a few recipes for our White Sangria which we have shared with family, friends and co-workers. The batch made last weekend was absolutely delicious and everyone who tasted it couldn’t get enough. This is BIG NEWS for Senor Sangria and we are ecstatic to share our excitement with you. We finally feel confident to move forward with the white sangria. We have reached out to the winery to begin the recipe making process. This week Maria & I will be doing the happy dance all the way to Washingtonville , to kick-off the next stage of Senor Sangria’s on-going success. This March expect to see our sales force pounding the pavement with samples of our white sangria.

We recently received a message from one of our customers that we wanted to share with you. A friend who lives in Hoboken introduced her to Senor Sangria, which she loved and has purchased ever since tasting it. On December 17th she welcomed a beautiful baby girl into her life, so it’s been awhile since she’s been able to enjoy a nice cold glass of Senor Sangria. Unfortunately, she has been unable to locate a liquor store in her area that carries our sangria. Her girlfriend from Hoboken will be visiting and she has requested she bring a BIG bottle of Senor Sangria. Talk about loyalty, she has asked we provide her with some of our business cards, so she can distribute them to local vendors in hopes they will listen to her and begin stocking it. These are the stories we never get tired of hearing. The dedication we have received from our customers is amazing and is the reason we are confident Senor Sangria will become a household name!

A few months ago we unveiled our brand spankin’ new van to our followers.  Since that day, in the back of our minds we have been unable to shake the thought that something was missing.  This magnificent piece of machinery represents a critical component of our operation.  No van = no distribution = no money!  So in a way, you could think of our van as a vessel for our success.

Well, history and tradition demand that a vessel of such importance bears a name.  In 1797 in Boston, the first description of a naming ceremony was of the American warship Constitution (aka “Old Ironsides”).  At the ceremony, the sponsor, Captain James Sever, stood on the deck and broke a bottle of fine old Madeira over the heel of the bow as it was launched.

Well, heck…we’ve already broken a bottle of Senor Sangria inside the van; and, there history offers a precedent of sorts linking the importance of naming of ships to that of vans (remember The Mystery Machine?)!   So, it’s about time to honor that sacrifice by giving our van a name…

This is where you folks come in.  No guidelines.  No rules.  Just post your ideas to this thread!

You know you’ve got a solid product when people start incorporating it with repeat events.  A product truly becomes a staple when people associate it with something they love.  Super Bowl and chili.  Tailgating and BBQ.  Campfires and S’mores.  I can now proudly add Senor Sangria to the mix!  A fellow Senor Sangria-lover recently emailed me the following story:

I was buying my sangria from Gary’s Wine Market, in Wayne NJ, which a few months ago was the only place i could find it (and Gary’s wine is about a half hour from my house).  NOW I’ve learned that there is a store that carries it right in Wallington, NJ, which is less than 5 min from me!  Which really is great, as I’ve gotten all of my girlfriends hooked!  It’s become a staple @ our weekly “Girls Greys Night” where we get together @ my house and watch Grey’s Anatomy every Thursday, eat some great food, drink some great wine and then catch up and laugh! 

Simply awesome.    I know I have said this before, and I will probably say it again.  This is precisely how Senor Sangria came to be.  A home-recipe that was a staple at BBQs and gatherings amongst our friends to that festive bottle you see on store shelves.  For us to hear about Senor Sangria becoming a part of tradition elsewhere rocks!  We want to hear more about traditions Senor Sangria may have given birth to or been incorporated into.  Shoot us a line at info@senorsangria.com or post your story to this thread.

Cheers!