Brooklyn's Progress
October/November 2007

BY JILL D’AMICO

Wine sorbet might not be a new idea in the gastronomic world, but it took two childhood friends from Queens forming a Brooklyn-based business to bring it to the masses.

Bret Birnbaum is the president and David Zablocki, vice president and sorbet sommelier of Wine Cellar Sorbets, which produces sorbets that have all the body, bouquet, and complexity of real wine – only frozen.

Their premium, zero fat sorbets are not your typical fruity frozen concoction, however. Their sorbet aims to be as close to the real thing as possible, using only a cooked-down wine extract, water, sugar, and some stabilizers – in other words, pretty natural stuff.

Wine Cellar Sorbets' mission “is to produce the finest quality sorbets made from finished wines from around the world,” and that’s why their product has a very adult kick – they contain up to 5% alcohol by volume, so it’s 21 and older, but since its on grocery shelves in the tri-state area, you won’t have to trek to a liquor store to buy it.

Their current lineup of six flavors – or varietals, in wine-speak – include Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Rose, Pinot Noir, Champagne, and Sangria Rojo, and rumor has it there’s another being readied for the shelves early next year.

The pair says that in addition to being natural, the sorbets are not mass produced, since wine isn’t. Mr. Zablocki works with vinters from around the world finding wines that can be reproduced into sorbets.

Work began on their manufacturing space in 2005 on a converted plumbing supply store on Kent Street in Greenpoint (not Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Mr. Birnbaum is quick to point out), and Wine Cellar Sorbets started churning out their first pints in Jan. 2006.

Expanding Their Brand
Mr. Birnbaum, who recently took the time to talk to Brooklyn’s Progress, said the company is currently working on expanding their distribution.

Currently the sorbet, which recently added city grocer D’Agostino to their vendor list, is also available in larger chains such as Whole Foods as well as smaller outlets, like Park Slope’s Bierkraft.

And while Mr. Birnbaum said “our main focus is expanding in New York City,” the company is expanding into Florida, hopes to break into the California market, and even such far-flung locales in Europe and the Caribbean.

Reaching Out
Wine Cellar Sorbets was one of the most popular finds at this year’s Fancy Food Show, held in July at the Jacob Javits Center. Of the 2,400 companies there, the New York Daily News called them out as one of the top finds at the show. The company shared a Brooklyn Goes Global booth with other Chamber food manufacturers like Erica's Rugelach and King of the Sea Tuna, and according to Mr. Birnbaum, the experience was "fantastic.”

“It was great working with the Brooklyn Chamber,” he said. “It’s always good to be part of a larger organization, and they were really helpful with bringing people into the booth and letting them know we were here.”

July also heralded in Wine Cellar Sorbet’s online shop, found at http://www.winecellarsorbets.com/shop.php. Available in four, six, and 12 packs, one can now have the dessert delivered to your door.

And as the company grows, Mr. Birnbaum is finding that the sorbet world is not without its challenges.

He reported that the logistics of shipping a frozen confection are complicated.

“It’s not like potato chips that can sit around before shipping out on a truck,” laughed Mr. Birnbaum.

Luckily, they have a system that ensures every shipment will arrive frozen, though their Web site advises you to have someone accept the package – to prevent melting.

Friendship Like a Fine Wine
The different career paths of the two childhood friends (who grew up on the same block in the Auberndale section of Queens) converged one evening in 2000 when Mr. Birnbaum went to visit Mr. Zablocki, who was the executive chef at Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, a fabled literary hangout on the California coast, known for its fine cuisine.

Mr. Birnbaum was amazed at his friend’s culinary prowess in the kitchen, and the two started making plans to open what he called “a sort of wine bar, small plates kind of thing,” in Brooklyn, where Mr. Birnbaum was living while completing his MBA. But their plans for a restaurant were put on the back burner once Mr. Zablocki showed what he could do with sorbet.

The potential sent Mr. Birnbaum’s marketing gears into overdrive. The pair decided to take the plunge with the one product.

“It was more of an entrepreneurial idea,” said Mr. Birnbaum. “The idea of wine sorbet isn’t new, but no one else was doing it on a large scale.”

“And now I see why,” he laughed. “It’s a totally different mindset than an ice cream company – you can make vanilla and people know what they’re getting. Here, we have to educate the consumer.”

Marketing Wine Cellar Sorbet
They’ve succeeded, judging by the attention their sorbet is garnering. As they continue to rack up the press clippings, Mr. Birnbaum and Mr. Zablocki are pounding the pavement at tastings, events, and supermarkets, bringing their product to the people.

“Events are our main form of marketing,” Mr. Birnbaum explained. “It’s a lot of word of mouth. We want to get out and meet folks and see as they experience [the sorbet.]”

“Wine Cellar Sorbets is a great example of how small businesses are an asset to the community,” said Rosalie Rance, vice president of marketing and membership for the Chamber. “Two experts in their fields, (chef and businessman) Dave and Bret, created an innovative, high-quality product that makes people take notice of the great things that are born and manufactured in Brooklyn.”

The Brooklyn Chamber has been there for much of the ride. Wine Cellar Sorbets is one of the inaugural Members of REAL BROOKLYN™, a new Chamber initiative to help Brooklyn-based food manufacturers.

“It is a pleasure to provide tools and opportunities that help Wine Cellar Sorbets operate and promote their business so they can focus on what they do best,” said Ms. Rance.

“I also can’t deny the great pride I feel when I pass them on the shelves in stores or read about them in the press and think, ‘Now that is a real Brooklyn product!’”

For more information or to purchase Wine Cellar Sorbets, or to find what stores carry it, go to http://www.winecellarsorbets.com/ or call (718) 383-8308. To learn more about REAL BROOKLYN™, go to http://www.buyrealbrooklyn.com/ or call Rosalie Rance, vice president of marketing and membership at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce at (718) 875-1000 ext. 148.