Barefoot Wines has become a household name, known for its fruit-forward, varietally correct, and food-friendly wines that bring joy to countless consumers worldwide. We sat down with Head Winemaker, Jennifer Wall, who has been with Barefoot since its early days, to delve into the winemaking philosophy, sustainability efforts, and future plans of this iconic brand.

Jennifer, how would you describe the winemaking philosophy and approach of Barefoot Wines?

We make all Barefoot wines fruit-forward, varietally correct, and food-friendly. The wines are expressive aromatically and on the palate. From vineyard selection to the time of harvesting, fermentation, and blending, everything we do is done to preserve the fruit integrity, so the fruit is the hero in every glass of Barefoot wine. 

Tell us more about your journey with Barefoot so far, from creating four wines to over 30 now as the Head Winemaker and from selling in about four states to now all over the world.

Barefoot started in 1965 in the garage of winemaker Davis Bynum in Alameda County, just East of San Francisco. Bynum put the foot on the label in honor of the way grapes were originally stomped and wines originally made. These were blended, not varietal wines. He sold the brand to businessman Michael Houlihan in 1985, who relaunched the brand in 1986 with varietal wines. I was hired in 1995 when the brand offered four types and sold approximately 140,000 cases a year in four states. It was then when our current wine style was created. Now, Barefoot is the biggest bottled wine brand in the world, selling nationally and in over 150 international wine destinations.

What role does blending play in creating the signature taste profile of Barefoot Wines?

Barefoot’s taste profile is achieved through many means, including vineyard selection, harvesting during peak maturity, precise processing, blending, and bottling with the Barefoot signature spritz found in all the chillable wines in the portfolio. Blending is important as it allows us to achieve consistent quality from vintage to vintage. This is critical as we aim to deliver the same surprise and delight to loyal Barefoot fans year after year.

How do you see the future of the wine industry evolving, and how does Barefoot Wines plan to adapt and grow within it?

At Barefoot, we continue to offer wines people can afford to enjoy with their family and friends. This is important as grocery and staple prices continue to rise. We want our friends to find joy in the simple moments that matter. As we look forward, we are committed to democratizing the wine category, continuing to craft wines that people love, know, can easily find on the shelf, and can enjoy with food. Further, when we look at adults interested in exploring wine, but may not know much about the category, we will continue to welcome them into wine through our popular offerings such as Barefoot Pinot Grigio, Barefoot Moscato, and Barefoot Peach Fruitscato.

Can you share some insights into the target consumer profile of Barefoot Wines and how that influences your winemaking decisions?

We like to say that the US Barefoot consumer is anyone 21 and over who likes to enjoy wine. Over the years we have hosted thousands of live events. Now, through the NFL partnership (Barefoot Wine is the Official Wine of the NFL), we can talk to a lot of Barefoot fans about what they like. These first-hand interactions allow us to understand fan preferences and drive our decisions related to new releases. Recently, we released a line of wines called Barefoot Fruitscato, now available in 9 different fruit flavors. Barefoot Fruitscato was a direct result of us learning that fans wanted more fruit expression in their wines. Our newest release, Pear Fruitscato, was directly related to our Barefoot fans calling the 800 number found on the back of our Barefoot labels, requesting this fruit flavor. 

How does Barefoot Wines plan to tap the zillennial drinker?

Food and beverage offerings have evolved over the last 10 years or so. There are now many extreme flavor offerings in categories ranging from chips to energy drinks. The Zillennial has come to expect high-impact flavors and aromas in the products they consume. Barefoot Spritzers and Barefoot Fruitscato types are particularly flavorful, and deliver that fruit impact that is expected in a wine with added natural flavors.

How does Barefoot Wines engage with the beverage trade community, and what initiatives do you have to support and educate industry professionals?

Barefoot is committed to supporting international and regional professional wine competitions across the nation. This allows us to interact and engage with the industry professionals who host and preside over these prestigious events. Barefoot Wine and Bubbly Sparkling Wines are both the most awarded in the US competition, regardless of price point.

Twenty years ago, there may have not been a lot of attention paid to popular price-point wines. Now, however, the industry realizes popular price point wines, such as Barefoot, are essential to the health of the wine industry. Few folks start drinking $50 or $100 wines in their early 20’s. New wine consumers may start with fresh, fruity, approachable wines, and then over time, grow their interest in other areas of the wine category.  We make wines for everyone – again, fruit-forward, varietally correct, and food-friendly.

As a head winemaker, what have been your most significant career highlights at Barefoot Wines?

There have been many highlights over the last 28 years.  Making wine in Chile, our first release of Barefoot Bubbly California Sparkling Wine before the millennium celebration in 1999 and receiving a 100-point rating (perfect score) for our Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato are among a few. The most important high point for me, every month, is reading all of the consumer messages who call in or write in to us, letting us know how much they love the wines. These folks share with us that they celebrated their wedding, 50th anniversary, birthday, and many other special occasions, all toasting with Barefoot wine. Being invited to share in people’s everyday lives as well as special occasions is the biggest highlight for me.

Tell us about any exciting projects or experiments you have conducted in the winery recently.

All ongoing projects and experiments are top secret! I will share that our Barefoot Buttery California Chardonnay is a culmination of a lot of work and is a beautiful balance of fruit (much of it from the Lodi, delta region) and beautiful layers of oak that are perfectly integrated.

Are there any new or upcoming releases from Barefoot Wines that we should be excited about?

New Barefoot Pear Fruitscato is now available nationally in the 750ML and 1.5L size (as of January 1, 2024.) Last year we released Barefoot Lemonade Fruitscato which has been wildly popular and made an appearance at the Superbowl in the form of a Lemonade Slushy.

How do you focus on making sustainability a priority at Barefoot? 

Barefoot has always been committed to the environment and sustainability; we ensure there is open space for animals to roam in many of our vineyards, limit water usage in the vineyards whenever possible, and have solar power at our biggest wineries. These practices are essential now and for our future generations that will make and share Barefoot.

What is the meaning of your Barefooter name ‘Pinky Toe’?

Foot names started in the 80’s when Michael Houlihan nicknamed himself the Head Stomper. Once he did that, the Barefooters, or Barefoot team members started giving themselves foot names. For years I was called ‘The Barefoot Winemaker’ which was essentially my foot name. However, a marketer who called himself “SOLE-man” decided he liked Pinky TOE better. The name took hold. Over the year there have been some very creative names: TOE-minator, InTOEnational man of mystery, and more.

 If you weren't a winemaker, what would you be doing?

What I love about winemaking is the ability to blend science and art resulting in a great bottle of wine. I also like sharing wine and the Barefoot story with people all around the world. If I wasn’t making wine and sharing it, I would be doing something that allows me to be creative, engage with people, and feel like I am contributing to the enjoyment of others.

What is your can't-fail food and wine pairing?

The one thing I enjoy (almost) as much as sharing Barefoot Wines, is pairing them with food. There are many pairings that I would put in the category of can’t fail food and wine pairings. My favorite is a savory zucchini pancake recipe (from Chef in Training) that my husband and I make when zucchinis are in season- we top them with siracha aioli, homegrown heirloom tomatoes and avocado; we serve these with Barefoot California Chardonnay. It’s perfection every time.

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Conclusion:

As we look to the future, Barefoot Wines remains committed to crafting wines that bring people together in celebration of life's moments, big and small. With a focus on sustainability, innovation, and a deep understanding of consumer preferences, Barefoot is poised to continue its journey as a leader in the wine industry, bringing joy to glasses around the world.

In conversation with Malvika Patel, Editor and VP, Beverage Trade Network