As mysteries surrounding wine unravel, sales are soaring. News reports that tell of the health value of red wine haven't hurt sales, either, says Harold "Hal" Gershman, owner of Happy Harry's Bottle Shops here and in Fargo. He recently completed a two-year term as president of the Wine and Spirits Guild of America.
Bolivia RPCV Harold "Hal" Gershman recently completed a two-year term as president of the Wine and Spirits Guild of America.
Make way for wine at backyard barbecues and picnics
By Marilyn Hagerty
Herald Staff Writer
By now, most everybody knows how to taste wine. You take a little sample in your glass and swirl it around. You sniff it. You take a little in your mouth and aerate it as you slide it around and then you swallow.
If you like it, you smile and say it's fine. Otherwise, you send it back.
As mysteries surrounding wine unravel, sales are soaring. News reports that tell of the health value of red wine haven't hurt sales, either, says Harold "Hal" Gershman, owner of Happy Harry's Bottle Shops here and in Fargo. He recently completed a two-year term as president of the Wine and Spirits Guild of America.
Wine long has had its place in fine dining. In recent years, it has been finding its place at picnics and informal family meals. Lower-priced box wines are of better quality and have become popular, Gershman says. At one of his first meetings with the Wine and Spirits Guild of America 20 years ago, Gershman suggested hiring Archie Bunker to market wine with brats and burgers as a way to increase sales.
That was in 1983, when he was invited to apply to the guild for membership. Since membership is by invitation only, the guild asks prospective members what they can do for the guild. Over the past two decades, Gershman has exchanged ideas with 37 other members who operate more than 500 stores and accumulate annual sales of $2 billion.
The guild is made up of market leaders and innovators who collectively have been giving back $5 million annually to their local communities.
Wine consumption has grown to 9 to 13 liters per year per person, Gershman says. "To some degree, the increased wine and also spirits consumption has been at the expense of beer."
There are many reasons, such as people drinking pinot noir in the movie "Sideways." And, Gershman says, sales of wine have increased as the arrogant attitude about wine has decreased.
"Wine doesn't have to be complicated," he says. "Whatever you enjoy is what you should drink. In the past, choosing the right wine has been intimidating to a lot of people.
"Right now white zinfandel is a popular wine. Merlot sales have slowed up. Sauvignon blanc is a less expensive choice."
Wines are moving best in the $8 to $15 price range. But if you hunt, you can find a bottle in stock for $250.
Gershman displays wines by varieties rather than brands in his North Dakota stores. He holds wine tasting and winemaker dinners in Grand Forks and Fargo. He tries to have his staff well trained and knowledgeable about wines. He has sent them to Chile, Australia, Italy and the Napa Valley of California.
The hardest part about the business, he says, is selling products that can lead to abuse. Gershman long has included a line in advertising asking that customers to "please use our products in moderation."
A longtime Grand Forks businessman, Gershman is president of the City Council. He's a graduate of Central High School and UND, where he majored in marketing. He served in the Peace Corps in Bolivia, and that is where he met his wife, Kathy. They have a grown daughter, Leonora, who he says is an aspiring actress in West Hollywood, Calif.
His father, the late Harry Gershman, opened the Central Package Store in 1944 at the corner of Fifth Street and DeMers Avenue downtown. In 1971, he moved his business to Gateway Drive and named it Happy Harry's.
When his father became seriously ill in 1976, Hal Gershman came back to Grand Forks to help out and eventually settled into expanding the Happy Harry's business here. He has seen the metric system become part of the wine business. He has watched the trends. He is optimistic about the future of wine sales.
Reach Hagerty at 772-1055, 780-1124 or (800) 477-6572, ext. 124, or mhagerty@gfherald.com.
