Lessons Learned from a Life Well Lived

Earlier this week my grandpa, Fred T. Franzia, passed away sooner than I’d anticipated. Not many people would post about their grandfather’s passing on LinkedIn, but I thought this would be an opportunity to highlight the way he disrupted the wine industry; something many leaders aspire to do in their respective fields, while also sharing some of my favorite lessons he’s shared along the way.

My grandpa co-founded Bronco Wine Company (BWC) in December 1973 alongside his brother and cousin with a simple vision: make high-quality wines at a value that puts a bottle on every household’s table. However, BWC would never have existed if his own father hadn’t sold his winery, Franzia Brothers Winery, to the Coca-Cola Company earlier that year. (And if you’re asking yourself, “Is that the boxed wine brand?” you’d be correct.) The sale of our family’s original wine company is what I believe ignited his drive to shake up the Napa wine scene.

If you were fortunate enough to have had even one conversation with my grandpa during his 50 years of success, you would’ve walked away with a witty quip and a life lesson. I consider myself lucky to have had countless conversations with him during our drives through his vineyards, sitting in his decrepit 48-year-old portable trailer, and enjoying our Sunday night family dinners. To honor his spirit of teaching, I’d like to share five anecdotes from him that have helped me navigate life, in the hope that they'll resonate with you too.

1. “You tell me why someone’s bottle is worth $80 and mine’s worth $2. Do you get 40 times the pleasure from it?” My grandpa thrived off of challenging people, and it was most evident when he felt he could calculate (and win) every possible outcome. He notoriously challenged industry friends to a blind taste test between one of his $10 bottles and one of their highest priced wines. Allegedly, no one ever took the bait which makes him undefeated in my book!? He showed me that it’s ok to root for an underdog, because they just might come out on top.
2. Never be, or accept, the first offer. In a saturated market, be patient and don’t be the first to bite. In the company’s early years, they had to convince landowners that they should sell to BWC rather than the other more established wineries, like Gallo or Mondavi. Now, with the largest landholdings in California, sellers would constantly reach out to BWC first when land became available. But from my grandpa, every call was the same.? “Call me when everyone else declines your offer.” You can’t let others decide when you’re worth doing business with, or you run the risk of losing sight of your vision.
3. “They’re overcharging for water. Don’t you get it?” This was the core of his belief that he could make quality wines accessible to every consumer. Never conform to society’s standard. Unless you can reposition the competition and get them to start questioning their own practices, you’ll never be a disruptor.
4. Stories are more memorable than names. He didn’t just want to meet every employee, he wanted to know their whole story. He had a constant flow of visitors in and out of his office, but as soon as they would leave, he’d immediately share a story about that person. He was a tough businessman, but he also had an immense amount of compassion for his employees who were bringing his vision to life.
5. “You only go around once.” These were his final words to me, and honestly, this one is pretty self-explanatory. An incredibly accomplished life behind him, not perfect, but I believe he was such a brilliant mentor because of the choices he made.?

These lessons can’t even begin to cover all of the wisdom he’s shared during our 26 years together, but the reality is that no amount of time with him would’ve been enough to capture it all. His legacy was certainly enormous to the wine industry, and I believe it wouldn’t have been possible without being surrounded by family, friends, and peers who loved him and challenged him to constantly innovate.?

In his parting words, “the journey continues.” I know his legacy will endure for generations to come.