In episode 253 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Christian Palmaz, co-founder of Palmaz Vineyards, a family-owned and operated winery located in Napa Valley that practices a unique form of gravity-flow wine making. Listen in as Palmaz discusses the vineyard's history and his role at the company, how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted the business, and how Palmaz Vineyards adapted and launched innovative experiences such as virtual wine tastings and a weekly live stream discussion, "The Wine Stream," where customers can engage with the brand online.
Palmaz shares how technology has aided the winery during this uncertain time, how Palmaz Vineyards is marketing its new digital offerings, and the importance of the company's personal connections with each of its customers. He discusses his strategy for the business in a post-COVID environment and why he believes a hybrid tour and tasting experience will continue once the Palmaz Vineyards winery reopens.
The son of Palmaz Vineyards' Co-Founders Julio and Amalia Palmaz, Christian Palmaz knows every acre of the property and plays a key role in the creative team behind the wines. Christian is a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business while gaining an interest in geoscience and computer science. His application of highly sophisticated Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in the vineyard gives the winemaking team a better understanding of each unique terroir on the property. Christian also created the wine industry’s first fully algorithmic fermentation control system. Streamlining fermentation management via this technology frees winemakers to focus more on creating top quality wine.
Christian is also president and CEO of Vactronix Scientific, a cutting-edge material science company based in Silicon Valley that is focused on enabling revolutionary medical devices. His other passions include aviation, specializing in flying rotorcraft and holds a FAA ATP-H (Airline Transport Pilot) certificate. Along with the rest of the Palmaz family, he lives on the Palmaz estate with his wife, Jessica Louise, and their son, Gastón.
