An Unexpected Adventure

7/7/09 - An Unexpected Adventure

Fundamentally, at least in this part of my life, I consider myself a farmer and a winemaker. Since I started down this road, I knew there would be a time when the sales part would become a sizeable percentage of my activity in this venture. My personality being what it is, I didn't see that as easy, but necessary, and at least of interest as a challenge and a stretch. What I've learned since I started in on this phase about a year and a quarter ago has surprised me: it's been a tremendous pleasure. Part of it is seeing the fruits of the labor -- appreciation for and interest in the wines (after all, I'm not necessarily making the wines the critics like to see, but wines that I truly believe in). Being self distributed at the start, I had the opportunity to meet with the retailers and restaurant sommeliers and gained at least an indirect sense of the customer and their experience with the wine.

But, especially educational and rewarding has been the experience in the tasting room and a direct connection with the customer. There are certainly the people who are looking for the big extracted Pinot noir, who go away empty handed and unfulfilled. But, and especially increasingly, people are connecting with these wines, and in particular the amazing quality that Pinot Noir has to express itself and tell you where it is from. So, I've gone from reluctant salesman, to a protective one -- protecting my time in the tasting room as I do my time in the vineyard and cellar. It is what eventually led me to move into distribution channels quicker than I had originally intended. Even now it is hard to make enough time for a couple of afternoons a week to be there with the customers, and it was becoming impossible while also working the retail and restaurant channels. Being fortunate enough to have distributors I trust and and who believe in the wines, it allows me to focus on the three most important things: the vineyard, the wines, and now direct contact with the customers in the tasting room.

Here's what gives me the most profound pleasure about this: the utter randomness of the experience each day. Except for specific appointments, you never know who is going to walk through that door: in addition to the certain enjoyment of time with regular customers and wine club members, there is tremendous excitement in having someone come in for the first time, perhaps reluctantly, and then quite often seeing a new believer in true Pinot Noir. It is a remarkable adventure, like the creation of the wine itself, the creation of a new piece of art, visiting a new country, or forming a new friendship.  I've often thought of myself as a pretty structured person -- its part of what works for me in winemaking -- but, being in front of the customer, the thrill of the unknown pervades each day and keeps some nice surprises coming...