North Bay Business Journal

Vintners and growers of winegrapes often emphasize the value of vineyard terroir, a French term for the contributions of the distinctiveness of a certain location in wine quality. Yet what’s not often realized is what boosts the prestige of vineyards in one area over those in another also can be a big bonus in tax savings.

Shipments of wine directly to consumers from wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties, accounting for 69 percent of such shipments from U.S. sources, last year grew at 8.0 percent and 10.1 percent in value, respectively, helping push U.S. winery-to-consumer shipment value past that of wine exports for the first time, according to a new study. …

Prices of bulk wine imported into the U.S. may decline while global supply is tightening, according to one new report from agrilender Rabobank International. …

San Francisco-based Bacchus Capital Management on Thursday said it provided an undisclosed amount of “significant growth capital” to Madrigal Family Winery in Napa Valley. …

Jackson Family Wines continues its North Coast land acquisitions. …

Healdsburg-based graphic design and advertising firm Firefly Creative has experienced growth in demand from wineries seeking professional photo and video services as well as conversion of their websites to “responsive” design. …

Fetzer Vineyards, based in Hopland, California, hired Ben Byczynski as grower relations manager, North Coast. …

OFFbeat Brands of appointed three new sales executives. …

Employers will increasingly resort to self-funded plans for group health insurance as a result of the Affordable Care Act, according to a new survey of insurance executives by one of the world’s largest re-insurers.

One of the catalysts for investigating Sonoma Clean Power is the potential for economic development benefits of developing locally owned and controlled electricity generation assets. With its goal to purchase 33 percent renewable energy at program launch and ramping up to 50 percent renewable energy by 2018, Sonoma Clean Power would provide a stable market for sellers of renewable energy. This market and ability to sign long-term contracts for the purchase of renewable electricity will stimulate local development of clean power projects. Projects could include solar systems on warehouse roofs, small wind farms or biogas digesters using waste from food processors and wineries.

The Internal Revenue Service has released its annual “dirty dozen” list of top tax scams, highlighting schemes that have proliferated during the current tax season and detailing the ramp-up of its efforts to fight fraud. …

Santa Rosa-based accounting firm Dal Poggetto & Company has three new staff accountants from the Sonoma State University accounting program, with plans to hire a fourth after the completion of an internship at the firm. …

David Homan, MS, CFP, has joined Willow Creek Financial Services, Inc. as a financial adviser. …

The office of California State Controller John Chiang has created a day-to-day tally of income tax revenue as it is accounted for at the capitol. …

It is time once again for the Human Race, and this attorney is still part of it (It’s hard to believe an attorney is human, isn’t it?) I raise money for the American Cancer Society in the annual Human Race, sponsored by the Volunteer Center, being held on May 11 this year. So, why am [...]

A common financial planning “hot button” is worry over the cost of healthcare on a fixed income in retirement. While we cannot predict how much care a retiree will need or his/her actual life expectancy, health care risks can be mitigated by maintaining good health, understanding Medicare and by informed financial planning.

In my previous article, I presented the Cornerstone of Purpose, which serves as the underlying foundation for your business. Sustainable success requires not only a viable business model, but a guiding vision and mission, with congruent and meaningful values. Being a contributing member of your community is also part of long-term business success. The second Cornerstone is Strategies.

Giancarlo Bianchetti is chief executive officer of Fetzer Vineyards and a director of Chile-based Viña Concha y Toro, which purchased Fetzer in 2011 for $263 million.

He will be the keynote speaker at the April 18 Wine Industry Conference presented by the Business Journal. He spoke to the Journal about the company’s interest in Fetzer and his role in the deal.

Wine companies largely are caught between escalating costs of production and mixed perceptions of how much of the rising costs the market for finished wine will bear. Those are among the topics five of the Bay Area’s innovative wine entrepreneurs are set to tackle at the Business Journal’s Wine Industry Conference on April 18.

They talked to the Business Journal about key drivers of cost and retail pricing, how they and markets are responding, and pricing impacts for exports and alternative sales channels.

Assessing the value of a wine investment opportunity is the key to a good purchase.

The due-diligence process provides an opportunity for a buyer to identify an asset’s unseen potential — and possible pitfalls — in order to gain a better understanding of value.

SANTA ROSA — Exchange Bank saved millions of dollars last year when it bought back nearly 45 percent of stock sold to the U.S. Department of the Treasury as part of 2008′s Capital Repurchase Program, partially unwinding its own involvement with the national initiative launched to boost capital at banks hit hard by the financial crisis.

Social media isn’t magic. It won’t fix a broken product or business model. It’s simply a reflection of you and your business.

That said, a social media campaign wouldn’t be successful without a well-thought-out road map for success. Just like having a business plan, planning your social media actions gives you greater odds of achieving your goals.

With tax season right around the corner, this is a good time to evaluate your company’s changing banking needs. From establishing or renewing an annual line of credit to evaluating your bank’s fraud protection program, here are some things to consider for improving your company’s financial and operating efficiencies.

Farhad Mansourian is general manager of Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit, more commonly known as SMART. The commuter rail project is currently under construction, expected to begin service with a segment between Santa Rosa and San Rafael in Late 2015 or early 2016.

As a lead up to the Impact Marin event on April 3, the North Bay Business Journal and Bank of Marin conducted a “business climate” survey in Marin County. This survey touched on many aspects of business in Marin County, from business confidence to the role of government in our economic lives.

How many times have you mumbled to yourself about your inadequate delegation skills … how a project went off the rails because you failed to properly delegate some of its most important elements? Not often enough, probably, because most of the time, we complain that “he just can’t be counted on” … or, “she doesn’t get it” … or something like “they can’t ever seem to follow through.” We think we’ve clearly spelled everything out and getting it done should be a no-brainer. But, have we?

Share your thoughts on this week’s NBBJ Pulse Poll question: “Has your organization enhanced its measures against embezzlement and fraud?”

As investigators continue to aggressively pursue allegations of business embezzlement in the North Bay, regional fraud experts warn that many local companies and nonprofits still lack the basic internal practices needed to catch and prevent those crimes.

(This is the first in a series of four articles on the Four Cornerstones for Business Success.) There are very few (if any) shortcuts, easy answers or simple solutions to the demanding complexities of starting, growing and leading a successful enterprise.

Media headlines, email promotions and book jacket covers might suggest that someone has discovered a breakthrough method for guaranteed success, but genuinely new concepts are few and far between.

To be sure, there’s new packaging, new perspectives, and new insights that are welcome and valuable, but the stuff of managing and leading is much more about doing the hard work, mastering the fundamentals on a consistent basis, than about the application of a new technique or program.

I mentioned in a previous column that we all have a tendency to wear blinders about certain aspects of our jobs or businesses, usually that which we regard as uncomfortable or distasteful. But sometimes we fail to see something because it is completely unthinkable.