Tariffs, Strategy And Leadership: A Discussion With Winery President, Marissa Lange

Forbes

25-03-2025

Marissa Lange, President of Lange Twins Family Winery & Vineyard in Lodi, California
Right after the first round of Canadian tariffs was announced, Marissa Lange, President of Lange Twins Family Winery and Vineyards in Lodi, California, received an email from her Canadian importers.
'They canceled all of their wine orders with us, and Canada is our biggest export market,' she reported, in a recent online interview.
Canada is also the largest wine export market for the U.S. in general, with a value of around $1.1 billion annually, according to the Wine Institute.
'Now U.S. wineries have to find other markets for the wine intended for Canadian export,' she continued.
However given that U.S. wine volume sales decreased 9% in the last year, finding new markets quickly can be challenging. However, Marissa Lange, the fifth generation of a California farming family, is used to challenges, and adjusting strategies to meet changing business conditions.
'Right now my job is tracking federal trade policy and its impact on the wine trade, but in 2005, we decided to expand the family business from farming vineyards to also producing wine,' she reported.
It was Marissa who wrote the business plan to expand the family business, convincing her father, Randall Lange, and his twin brother, Brad Lange, to invest in a bonded winery that can crush up to 30,000 tons of grapes each year (around 1.8 million cases of wine).
'We not only produce our own wine, but also offer custom crush services for other wineries, and bulk wine and private label services,' said Marissa.
Marissa Lange is now President of the winery side of the family business, while her brother, Aaron Lange, oversees the family vineyards and vineyard management services. Altogether the family farms 6500 acres of winegrapes, of which they own 1200 acres.
The grapes they grow include 36 varieties, such as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, chenin blanc, cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel. But they also farm unusual varieties like gruner vetliner, picpoul and teroldego.
The vineyards are located in three Lodi winegrowing appellations: Jahant, Mokelumne River, and Clements Hills, as well as Clarksburg. The vineyards are all certified sustainable, and Marissa said they are moving towards regenerative farming.
'We are primarily a B2B (business to business) operation because only 10% of the business is producing our wine. Bulk wine sales to other wineries are the largest part of the business at around 50%, while custom crush, bottling and storage is around 40%,' she stated.
As President, Marissa oversees 70 employees and her days are busy focused on business development, overseeing operations, finance and accounting, evaluating performance, and industry engagement.
'We are a 5th generation farming family who immigrated from Germany to Lodi, California in the 1800s with a stopover in Ellis Island,' reported Marissa. 'My great great-grandfather started growing watermelon and then transitioned into grapes. Now we are running this multi-generational business. It is always evolving.'
Aerial View of Lange Twins Winery and Vineyards in Lodi, California
Even though the winery is only 10% of the business operations that Marissa oversees, she is very passionate about it. 'We are an all-estate winery, and select some of the very best vineyards to go into our wines, which we sell in wine shops and restaurants in 26 markets across the U.S., as well as direct to consumer from our website and tasting room,' she said.
They have four different wine brands:
Portfolio of Wines Produced by Lange Twins Winery in Lodi, California
When asked to describe the joys and challenges of being President of such a large winery operation, Marissa said:
'My greatest joy is expressed in the glass of our wine I pour each night – a physical manifestation of the land and labor of wine growing, of the artistry and authenticity of winemaking, and of the vulnerability and vitality of sharing a bottle of wine with friends and family. It brings us together in a way few other crafts do.'
However her primary challenges currently center around the regulatory environment in California and the U.S. regarding running a family business.
'The increasingly aggressive regulatory environment in which companies are assumed to be adversaries rather than collaborators is challenging,' she reported. 'Especially since we use a people-and-planet-centric approach to our family business.'
'I would encourage women to mentor others as being a mentor builds an individual's leadership brand and influence.'
She cites appreciation for institutions, such as the California Wine Institute and California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), as providing a solid industry voice in public policy.
In terms of advice to other women – especially during Women's History Month – Marissa shares the following:
'I would encourage other women to engage in opportunities outside their core responsibilities to increase their exposure, to voice their ideas and suggestions within their field of expertise, and to mentor others as being a mentor builds an individual's leadership brand and influence (all of which support upward mobility)."
Marissa added that at Lange Twins Family Winery & Vineyards, all of their department leadership positions are held by women, half of whom are Latina women. 'We weren't actively looking for an all-female team,' she said. 'We are just in pursuit of the best and the brightest.'
Late Afternoon Sun Over Lange Twins Chardonnay Vineyard in Lodi, California