Wine Titan
Alumnus behind Two Buck Chuck has fond memories of alma mater
Maura TurcotteTHE SANTA CLARAJanuary 28, 2016
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hey say blood is thicker than water, but Santa Clara alumnus Joe Franzia knows the value of both. His blood lines tie him to a family dynasty of major winemakers.
Joe Franzia has attained his own success as a founder of Bronco Wine Company, the country’s fourth largest wine producer. And, with thousands of grapes in his care, it is not surprising that Franzia is grateful for El Niño’s arrival.
“We farm over 40,000 acres, so there are lots of vineyards to irrigate, but the rains help us,” Franzia said. “We prayed for rain and now we are getting it. Prayer is important.”
His company produces labels well-loved by the Santa Clara community such as Charles Shaw, a wine known as “Two Buck Chuck” that Trader Joe’s peddles for under $3. Wine is in Joseph Franzia’s blood. He was born in 1942 in Central California to the owners of Franzia Brothers Winery. His uncle was Ernest Gallo, one of the co-founders of E & J Gallo Winery, the largest family-owned winery in the U.S.
After graduating from Bellarmine College Preparatory, Franzia attended Santa Clara, where he studied Management and Marketing. The vintner said he picked up a strong work ethic at Santa Clara.
While he fondly remembers attending Mass at the Mission Church and studying economics with long-time professor Mario Belotti, Franzia said the school community impacted him the most.
“We had a great group of students,” he said. “At the time, we had football and we all enjoyed that together.”
Franzia said he still attends quarterly dinners with his former Santa Clara classmates.
“We all get together and reminisce about the good old days at school,” He said. “We’re still a very close group.”
After graduating in 1964, Franzia joined the Marines and served two stints in Vietnam. He attained the rank of captain and was awarded a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.In 1973, Franzia and his younger brother, Fred Franzia, another Santa Clara alumnus, and their cousin, John Franzia, founded Bronco Wine Company. The company name reflects the brothers (bro) and cousin (co) as founders. It also honors Santa Clara’s beloved mascot.
Today, Bronco Wine Company has more than 100 wine labels distributed worldwide, and vineyards that stretch throughout the Central Valley.
Franzia said he could never have predicted such success, but he compared the hard work of building the company to his studies at Santa Clara.
“When we started, it was like when you’re a freshman at Santa Clara, and you studied not to fail,” he said. “You just kept studying. You woke up and you studied. You went to class, and you studied. Just like that, we put in 18-hour days and our business just grew. And because there were three of us, it worked for us. We communicated every day, and we do the same thing today. And you know, now it’s 42 years later and we’re still at it.”
Bronco Wine Company has a commitment to sustainability that would make Santa Clara proud. Recently, the company earned the Zero Waste Gold Facility certification for its facility in Ceres, California, from the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council.
Franzia is still connected to his alma mater, continuing to give back to the community, according to Paul Neilan, the university’s senior associate alumni director.
All four of his children later attended the university, and his daughter, Lisa Helen Franzia, currently sits on Santa Clara’s Board of Fellows.
“Both Joseph and Fred have remained connected to and very supportive of Santa Clara,” Neilan said. “(Bronco Wine) has been a key vendor for Vintage Santa Clara for 30 plus years. Classic Wines is also a primary supplier of wine for many of our major events such as reunions and the grad picnic.”
Franzia has no plans of slowing down.
“We come to work everyday,” he said. “My brother Fred works seven days a week, and John and I work six days a week. That’s what we are about–work ethic, that Santa Clara work ethic.”
Contact Maura Turcotte at mturcotte@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.