A Historic Name with a New Vision

Founded in 1974 as the first winery in Southern California’s Temecula Valley, Callaway Vineyard & Winery has long stood as a symbol of innovation and heritage in the region. Originally launched by Eli Callaway—who famously went on to start Callaway Golf—the winery has passed through corporate ownership and scaled to a peak of 750,000 cases.

Today, the future is rooted in the past. Now family-owned by the Lin family, Callaway is embracing a premium, estate-only approach under the leadership of acclaimed winemaker Giovanni Verdejo. A native of Mexico City, Gio spent over two decades in Napa Valley crafting 90+ point wines for Foley Family Wines. Now, at Callaway, he leads a 10,000-case DTC-focused production that reflects both craft and character, with wines sold exclusively through their wine club and tasting room (named Newsweek Readers' Choice Best in the Nation, 2024).

To match this elevated vision, Gio and the Callaway team knew they needed technology aligned with their ambitions.

From: Legacy Software, Lagging Operations

When Gio arrived, Callaway was still using Winemaker’s Database (WMDB)—a system he knew well, but one that had become more of a regulatory database than an operational tool.

“It served its purpose. But we were doing most of our work in spreadsheets,” Gio explains. “It was slow, hard to use, and new team members couldn’t learn it quickly.”

The tech simply couldn’t keep up with the winery’s modern direction, nor with a winemaker accustomed to moving fast.

To: Flexible, Fast, and Built for Winemaking

When Gio began evaluating new solutions, he wasn’t just looking for another winemaking database—he needed a system that could move as quickly and flexibly as he does. That meant ditching rigid structures in favor of something flexible, intuitive, visual, and built around how winemaking workflows actually happen on the floor.

He found that in Blended’s protocol based system.

“With Blended, I’m not stuck managing ‘tank thinking.’ I can work by lots and move freely between tanks, barrels, and blends. The system doesn’t force me to work a certain way; it adapts to how I work.”

The ability to build and reuse protocols has completely changed how Callaway Winery manages daily work. Instead of re-entering the same steps across work orders, Gio creates flexible templates that capture everything—from rackings and additions to bottlings and harvest prep. It’s drag, drop, and done.

“I enter todays’ updates and write work orders at the end of the day for the next day, and I’m finished in 15 minutes. Everything’s clear, up to date, and easy to see.”

Blended’s “shopping cart”–style interface shows what’s been created, what’s in progress, and what’s done—giving the team a shared, real-time picture of work across the cellar. The experience is so streamlined, Gio is considering dropping paper work orders altogether.

The results have been immediate:

• “Bottling in Blended is 10x faster than before”
  
  
• Work orders are faster to create, easier to review, and painless to modify
  
  
• Mobile access means Gio and his team can work anywhere—not just from a desktop in the lab
  
  

But it’s not just about speed. It’s also about clarity.

“Blended’s visual history is a huge advantage. I can trace every action, every vessel, and every decision. If I ever ask myself, ‘Did we add sulfur?’ I can find the answer in seconds.”

With Blended, the team isn’t just logging data—they’re actually using it. Gio has full visibility into what’s happening across the winery, the freedom to design his own workflows, and the peace of mind that nothing is getting lost in translation.

“It’s faster, it’s more flexible, and honestly—it just works better.”

Fast Onboarding, Familiar Foundations

Onboarding new software—especially in a winery with deep history—can be a challenge. But for Gio and Callaway, the transition to Blended was surprisingly smooth.

“If you know WMDB, it’s easy to use Blended,” he says.

After a training session with Blended Founder Matt, Gio had everything he needed to get started. In fact, he canceled his follow-up call after returning from vacation—because he simply didn’t need it.

The setup process was fast, the system felt familiar, and Blended’s team was responsive throughout. No ticket queues, no delays—just direct support when it mattered.

Looking Ahead: Data-Driven Decisions, Done Better

With his first harvest in Blended on the horizon, Gio is already thinking bigger. One key focus: costing.

“More accurate COGs enabled by Blended is at the top of the list for next year.”

He’s also exploring a paperless cellar, leaning into Blended’s mobile tools and visual clarity. And with protocols ready and workflows refined, he’s heading into harvest fully prepared.

“We’re ready. I know it’s going to be so much faster. I’m going with the flow.”

Blended has helped Callaway honor its legacy while embracing a more modern, premium winemaking future—where data drives decisions, and nothing slows the craft.

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We're proud to support innovative producers like Callaway - explore their wines and story at callawaywinery.com.

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