Napa’s Portocork tailor-makes closures for each wine, spirits customer

When it comes to wine most consumers’ primary focus is what it tastes like.

For Dustin Mowe, the cork is of utmost importance because without a proper closure what’s inside could spoil.

Mowe is CEO of Portocork in Napa, one of the leading producers of natural cork.

“Visually, cork is cork. What makes one company better than another is how they treat it to ensure the best possible product gets to customers,” Mowe, 45, said. “That is where a lot of tricks of the trade become relevant. For us it comes down to the processing methods and it comes down to quality control as part of our program.”

Of course he would not reveal how Portocork treats cork differently compared to competitors or even the differences at the plant from one customer to another.

In addition to wine, Portocork also creates stoppers for liquor bottles. The company annually creates $7 million worth of corks for Diageo, which has labels such as Bulleit Bourbon and Crown Royal.

When the rage with craft breweries was to have large single bottle specialty blends topped with a cork and wire similar to sparkling wine, Portocork had a large share of that market.

No matter the trend, wineries are the company’s No. 1 clientele.

The following is a Q&A between the Business Journal and Mowe that has been edited for space and clarity.

You joined Portocork in 2001 and became CEO in 2006. What do you attribute your longevity to?

The work of growing Portocork has been ever evolving, which has kept me engaged and challenged. We have launched many new products and processes which have improved our product offering dramatically. I am constantly reminded of how far we have come, and I cannot really see myself doing anything else. I also have a sense of pride in leading a company of people that are an extension of my family.

We have many people that have been with us more than 15 years and a significant percentage of our workforce has more than 10 years tenure. We are the most experienced team in our field. Also, I don’t think I could find another company with such quality-oriented motivation. I am a perfectionist and here, people are on board with that.

Portocork increased its Napa facility’s footprint by 35% in 2019. Any future expansions on the books?

Our facility was built with growth in mind. We’ll continue to adapt as the business moves forward, but it would take quite a jump to outgrow our current footprint.

What are you doing to maintain the certified green business designation first obtained in 2007?

Our facility continues to track and control our consumption of energy and water as well as our waste generation and air quality to ensure our facility is operating as sustainably and responsibly as possible. It’s an ongoing process that we are all committed to.

Would it be more green to source cork in the United States instead of Portugal?

Being the world’s most sustainable packaging material, we’d cover the states in cork forests if we could. But between the value of the land in regions with suitable climate, and the fact that it takes over 30 years after planting an acorn to have maturity enough to harvest cork bark, we just don’t seem to have the patience that cork forests stewardship requires. Cork is also native to the Mediterranean region and there is more than enough cork there to support the global demand.

You recently launched MOWE Napa Valley. Why start your own winery?

My wife and I both love wine and have been collectors for over 20 years. Not just the beverage but the whole cycle of grapes to glass has captured our souls. I tell people I love what I do because I have regular interactions with extremely passionate people — winemakers and vintners. They have inspired us immensely. I have always been the one in front of a winemaker, and instead of only talking about cork, I would be talking about their wine, the terroir and the hows and whys of winegrowing. I just knew I wanted to have my own winery someday.

Life for me, has always been about timing. In 2020 my wife and I were very fortunate to buy a property in St. Helena that had a spectacular vineyard on it. We sold grapes for a few years but dreamed of a wine with our name on it. A few years back we took a leap of faith and with a very strong team around us were able to put two fantastic wines to barrel and will be releasing our first vintage later this fall or early spring 2025.

What about your business keeps you up at night?

I spend a lot of time thinking about ways to ensure our customers get the best possible product. What can we improve to ensure the best possible closures for our customers. We tailor make the cork to each customer.

For example, we don’t use the same surface coating for a wine that will be drank within a year versus a wine that will be cellared for 20. We need to treat each order different based upon the winemakers’ intentions. Everything we do is intentional. We have great people and processes to track and watch all these things, but I’m always thinking about how we can do better.

How will artificial intelligence help or hurt your business?

AI is already at work in our order planning and production; it analyzes our current production capacity and inventory to determine shipment schedules and supply needs and provide on-demand status updates on orders. At any given moment we can see where an order is within the production line, which machine and operator are working on it, and what time we can expect that step to be completed. I expect that our use of AI will increase in order tracking and reviewing orders to assure quality and accuracy.

What is your approach to working with different generations?

I find that teams that combine the energy levels and exuberance of our younger team members with the wisdom, wit and experience of our more-seasoned staff makes for a lively work culture; one that I appreciate enough not to change. I took over this company at 26 years old and therefore, I feel mentorship is extremely important. I try to foster that within our company culture with our young people.

Other than money how do you measure success?

When I look at our customer base and see the many customers who have been with Portocork for over 20 years, it gives me a great deal of satisfaction. Knowing that a winery who is producing a wine which goes for hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a bottle, trusts us year in and year out to protect their investment gives me the most satisfaction.

Internally, I measure in noise levels, which I find correlate to happiness in the workplace. Happy, collaborative teams talk and laugh and get along; and that collaboration leads to accuracy and quality in the final product, which makes our customers happy as well.

How do you motivate people?

Honestly, I find that the team members who are happiest and most successful at Portocork are those who are self-motivated. People who have drive and ambition to do and be “more” are keepers, for sure. When motivation is needed, I find that providing our team with the feeling you’re integral to the team, a project, a task, etc., and having a stake in the success of the same, moves teammates to do better. I don’t believe in micromanaging. I hire you because I believe you have a lot to offer us, our customers and are going to help move the company forward. Everybody has a voice at Portocork.

What concerns and goals do you have for your business and industry for the next five years?

Costs of raw materials, energy, packaging and supply chain challenges.

What companies in your industry do you admire and why?

There are several winemakers and wine icons whose commitment to innovation, quality and brand integrity are notable. You cannot mention those three things without mentioning the late Robert Mondavi and Robert Mondavi Winery. The path he forged for us all in this valley is well documented. He was such a true visionary and I love reading the stories about him.

I’m constantly looking at different wine producers who really, really speak to me. I look up to Jimmy Regusci who is a fifth-generation Napa vineyard owner. He is the most down to earth farmer. I cannot count all the people he helped in the Glass Fire and before that the ’17 (Tubbs) Fire.

What are the benefits and drawbacks to being located in the North Bay?

It’s crucial for us to be close to our customers and wineries. We don’t want to be just a supplier to the wine industry, we want to be a partner to our clients in the wine industry. A true and trusted partner needs to be near the user.

What was your first job? What was your first career job?

Unofficially I started working at a very young age 8 or so. Where I grew up was one of Northern California’s premier fishing destinations, so I started a worm farm and sold night crawlers to fishermen. I had signs hung all over town and people would come to my house to buy worms.

The day I turned 12 and could have a work permit I started a paper route and that summer I also had a second job working for a carpet store. I would go with the installers and rip out the old carpet or linoleum or tile so new could be laid.

Professionally, my first job was selling cork for an upstart cork company in the Napa Valley. I constantly thought I wish I could be in charge because I was convinced I could do it better.

Is this the job you wanted when you were young? If not, what were your early career aspirations?

No, I had always planned to be a police officer. I was fascinated with the TV shows Americas Most Wanted and Cops. Once I grew out of my teens, I realized that my real skill was connecting with people. I also was into sports and had some success so was often a captain. I realized I wanted to be in management so I could lead a team.

What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done?

When I was a teenager, I rode bulls and bucking horses while competing in the Northern California high school rodeo circuit. I see those events on TV today and think back of how nuts I must have been!

What advice would you give someone just starting his or her career in your industry?

Listen. Learn. Read everything. Know your product inside and out and be relentless in quality and first class in customer service.

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Kathryn Reed is a journalist who has spent most of her career covering issues in Northern California. She has published four books, with the most recent being Sleeping with Strangers: An Airbnb Host’s Life in Lake Tahoe and Mexico. She may be reached at kr@kathrynreed. com, or follower her at kathrynreed.com, Twitter @Kathryn0925, or Instagram @kathrynreed0925.