Press Archives - Champagne Eric Phillip

His mission is simple: Create Wines and Champagnes worth sharing.

With a long family history and intense passion at its core, each bottle from Tayson Pierce Estate Wines possesses a rich history of its own. From the years of prosperity and struggle on the vines to sun-kissed grapes grown over many moons on prestigious single-vineyard estates, to the hard-working people who handpick the grapes in the brisk of the night each season and the artistry of the winemaker himself, it’s quite easy to forget that so much time and so many individuals are responsible for the final product. Taylor Rothchild is an entrepreneur directing his family’s winery, ensuring every meticulous detail of each vintage is crafted with the most exceptional quality worthy of bearing the Tayson Pierce Estate Wines name.

At only 30, Taylor transformed his family’s hobby spanning five generations, into a rapidly growing enterprise. Over a successful career in Venture Capital and Private Equity, Taylor worked on restructuring legacy organizations in media and entertainment and helped advise early-stage technology companies to go-to-market. With his vast experience and knowledge of startups and transforming legacy businesses, Taylor felt the next logical step was to dive into the ever-changing landscape of winemaking. Although he works on the family business, he remains engaged in the business world, advising companies and funds.

“I’ve always enjoyed fixing things and growing businesses, whether it is a startup or a well-established organization. I saw the massive potential in our little winery and an opportunity to do things differently. I took the lessons learned from finance and applied them to this business, states Taylor Rothchild, proprietor of Tayson Pierce Estate Wines.

Always up for the challenge, Taylor took the small hobby business out of the shadows and brought it into the light as a respected and prominent brand. With his business acumen and tenacity, he took on a more active role in the business, initially focusing on rebranding, developing their marketing playbook, and improving processes. Through strategic partnerships with high-end restaurants and elite wine merchants such as Wally’s Wines based out of Los Angeles, he positioned the business as a top-tier producer.

Noticing the trends of consumer purchasing behavior shifting from shopping at traditional brick and mortar to buying more from eCommerce brands, OnDemand services, and desire for more authentic brands, Taylor quickly realized the winery needed to capitalize on these trends. He revamped the old website and developed their online store to make it easier for customers to acquire their wines without having to travel to the store. He also established a strategic partnership with Minibar Delivery to access their 500,000+ users across the country and expose them to their wines through their Vineyard Select program.

Additionally, through his close relationship with Christian Navarro, President of Wally’s and “Sommelier to the Stars,” they worked together to improve brand awareness through their restaurant and retail store as well as collaborating on numerous on high profile events filled with A-List celebrities, government officials, and prominent charities. Considered as one of the world’s premier wine merchants containing a portfolio of over 10,000 labels handpicked from only the best producers, Wally’s Wines is also a significant contributor to the winery’s success.

“I’ve known Taylor and his family for a long time and have discovered that they have great similarities to our Ethos. One quality, the Very Best. We love what Taylor does and will follow him in every endeavor. Wally’s doesn’t carry everything, just the best of everything, and Tayson Pierce is definitely an important piece of what we do.” Says Christian Navarro, President of Wally’s.

To access a more youthful audience, Taylor crafted and introduced the winery’s first Rosé wine as a more affordable access point to their portfolio. Taylor developed their Rosé wine to capitalize on the booming Rosé trend noticing an opportunity to make a premium California Rosé. He also crafted a line of Champagnes in France called Champagne Eric Philippe, seeing a lack of representation for high-end grower/producer Champagnes and a growing market for Extra Bruts with a lower dosage. He wanted to create a world-class Champagne that people would enjoy drinking not only as a celebratory beverage but also as a commonplace drink to enjoy at any time.

Taylor was introduced to the art of winemaking by his father, Eric Rothchild, whose grandfather taught him. His father introduced him to movie director and vineyard owner Francis Ford Coppola, where he worked at his Rubicon estate. Throughout his youth, Taylor also traveled the world with his family meeting with winemakers from prestigious chateaus throughout France, Italy, and New Zealand. This exposure fostered his intense passion for creating fine wines that could rival those of the great wine houses of the world. For the past decade, Taylor and his father Eric have together produced several award-winning vintages. Under Taylor’s tenure, he has brought about significant operational improvements to the business resulting in:

2019 Revenue Increase: 617%
Increased Product Margins:10%
Improved Brand Recognition: 79M+ Media Impressions
Amassed a Social Media Following: 43K and 34K respectively
Grew Monthly New Website Users: 2996%

Taylor and his father began producing wine in 2005 as a hobby initially to give to friends. When they tried it, they asked where they could purchase more. The family decided to produce their first commercial vintage in 2006 with an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon of only 100 cases. To their surprise, that vintage received stellar reviews from esteemed critics. To this day, they still manufacture in only reserved quantities to preserve the quality in every bottle without sacrificing anything to cut costs. Although his peers highly respect Taylor, he is distinguished as an underdog in the wine industry, clearly underestimating his prowess. Nonetheless, through his passion and relentless efforts to grow the business, the industry is now discovering his name, learning about his experience as a skilled entrepreneur, and that he is the one they need to watch this year.

His mission is simple: Create Wines and Champagnes worth sharing.

The event — held to raise funds for research and a cure for epidermolysis bullosa — featured ‘Uncut Gems’ star Sandler delivering a 60-minute set involving a rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Lover” with his daughters.

The sun had just dipped into the Pacific Ocean off in the distance, causing the Malibu sky to slip into shades of soft pastels on a near-perfect Sunday with temperatures hovering around 75 degrees and not a cloud in sight. With that as a backdrop, Brillstein-Entertainment Partners manager Andrea Pett-Joseph stood on a stage at the back of colleague Marc Gurvitz’s expansive backyard, where she was joined by husband Paul, son Brandon and three others who know her family’s fight well — Michael Hund, Jill Vedder and Heather Fullmer.

“I bet you guys all thought that we had two years to plan this because it’s been so long, but we didn’t — we had six weeks,” said Pett-Joseph, revealing a quick sprint to pull the strings and orchestrate Rock4EB!, a starry, rock and comedy-fueled fundraiser for a shocking skin condition called epidermolysis bullosa. The last such event, in 2017, featured sets by Sting and Chris Cornell and an introduction by Brad Pitt, all to raise research funds for EBMRF. Sunday’s show was just as A-list, with performers Adam Sandler, Eddie Vedder, Glen Hansard and Judd Apatow in front of guests like Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Courteney Cox, Rami Malek, Kaley Cuoco, Elizabeth Olsen and dozens of others. Gathering those elements alone was quite a Herculean task, but so is living with epidermolysis bullosa, as the event highlighted.

EB is a rare genetic disorder that affects the skin, causing it to tear, blister and/or shear, which causes severe pain, disfigurement and wounds that sometimes never heal. In addition to all the boldfaced names, there were many people living and fighting EB in the audience, including Pett-Joseph’s son Brandon. “A lot has changed in two years since we were up on this stage, but our reason for being here remains the same: to fund a cure and help ease the pain of those living with EB,” said Pett-Joseph after doling out thank yous to vendors, volunteers, researchers and clients. “For our family, this has been an especially challenging year as new health issues arose for Brandon and challenged an already difficult struggle. That meant more hospital visits, more procedures, more difficult days getting out of bed and more painful wounds, but as we look around, we know that we are not in this fight alone. … In a town where relationships can be fleeting, your support has never wavered and that is not lost on us. It means a lot to us. By you showing up, we can show up for the EB community.”

It was a special sight for many to see. “I’m not into the whole celebrity thing but when all these A-listers show up and come out for this — it’s huge,” Cuoco told The Hollywood Reporter. A longtime client of Pett-Joseph, the actress has known Brandon nearly his entire life and thus has spent time with many EB kids: “This cause is so near and dear to our hearts. … I have gotten to know a lot of the families and I, every time I talk about it …” Just then Cuoco got choked up, with tears filling her eyes. “I am actually seeing a lot of people here I know.” One of those people, Isaiah, who battles EB, sat in the front row during every episode of season 12 of The Big Bang Theory. “He never missed a show. I talk to him all the time. There are certain families that I’m really connected with. I want to do everything I can to help and spread awareness that this has got to be cured. What these families go through is tragic,” Cuoco said.

Without that personal connection, not everybody knows what families go through either, explained Cox, a longtime client of Pett-Joseph’s sister, Cynthia Pett-Dante: “It’s nice to see the progress but there’s so much more to do. I love coming to this event, and it’s so wonderful to see these kids every year. There’s only like 500,000 cases in the world, so we need to get the message out. If you don’t know somebody, it’s hard to stay present with it, but if you were to know or meet one of these kids today, you never stop thinking about it.”

Olsen has met many of those living with EB, just like she’s met many of her peers who are represented by Brillstein and continually show up for the cause. “Cynthia and Andrea and all of the people they represent — it’s all about goodness and being good people and good citizens. They inspire everyone around them,” she said.

There was plenty to be inspired by Sunday — an event that saw the pairing of EBMRF with EBRP — even through the menu items being served up at various stations around the backyard. The event featured food and drinks from a host of vendors including Casamigos Tequila, Casa Vega, Wally’s, Pink’s hot dogs, Spartina, Slab, Fiji Water, Roxx Vodka, Nobu, Factor’s Famous Deli, D’Amore’s Pizza, J.Daniel Cuvee, Caffe Luxxe, Jennifer Naylor, Kona Brewing Co. and Eric Philippe champagne. Before the festivities kicked off onstage, Sandler, Vedder and Apatow were gathered in a quiet side yard catching up and doing a private meet-and-greet with some of the EB families.

Music, laughs and Champagne Eric PhilippeOpens in a new Window. flowed at the ROCK4EB! Fundraiser Event for the EBMRF organization in Malibu on October 6. The event was star-studded and filled with celebrity guests like Adam Sandler, Rami Malek, Judd Apatow, Courtney Cox, Leslie Mann, David Spade, Bill Maher, Kaley Cuoco, Eddie Vedder, Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber, Kaia Gerber. The A-listers came out to raise money to fund research for a cure for epidermolysis bullosa.

Legendary Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder kicked off the fundraiser with a performance, and Adam treated guests to a rare standup comedy set to close out the evening. At one point, Adam invited his daughters, Sunny, 10, and Sadie, 13, onstage with him to perform pop star Taylor Swift‘s hit song, “Lover,” together.

“Our family was delighted to donate to this amazing cause and support these heroes who fight so hard every day,” states Taylor Rothchild, owner of Tayson Pierce Wines and Champagne Eric Philippe. “We had an incredible evening with Champagne flowing everywhere, tremendous performances and heartwarming stories from attendees who are fighting EB. We look forward to continuing to support the EBMRF organization for future fundraising events and greatly appreciate the honor to donate to such a great cause”

Family-owned and operated for several generations, Tayson Pierce Estate Wines is the collection of award-winning Napa Valley single-vineyard fine wines ranging from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Rosé, and a line of Champagnes produced in France. Each vintage is exclusively created in reserved quantities to provide the highest quality product possible, adding to its scarcity. The Rothchild family’s belief is that the cultivation of single-vineyard fine wines is the truest expression of earth’s artistic qualities. This philosophy is the reason all of their fine wines and champagnes are critically-acclaimed, and their vintages originate from the prestigious Napa Valley region, while the champagnes come exclusively from their Grand Cru & Premier Cru Vineyards in Champagne, France.

Kaia Gerber, Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford

Family matters! The 18-year-old model joined her parents at ROCK4EB! in Malibu, California, on Oct. 6, where Champagne Eric Philippe was served.

Music, laughs and Champagne Eric Philippe flowed at the ROCK4EB! Fundraiser Event for the EBMRF organization in Malibu on October 6. The event was star-studded and filled with celebrity guests like Adam Sandler, Rami Malek, Judd Apatow, Courtney Cox, Leslie Mann, David Spade, Bill Maher, Kaley Cuoco, Eddie Vedder, Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber, Kaia Gerber. The A-listers came out to raise money to fund research for a cure for epidermolysis bullosa.