The Popularity Contest is Over

I am feeling a tad blue. I am also feeling a tad left out. Because I didn't get "the call." I was secretly hoping to get some kind of a call or clue that I was desperately needed to accept an award at the 2011 Wine Blog Awards which will be announced Saturday evening at the annual Wine Bloggers' Conference in Virginia. I kept postponing making my reservations for attending the conference because frankly, I have a million other priorities here at the winery that are more pressing. Add to the top of that list, the fact that my 13 year old son Spencer wants to go to a mountain biking camp this weekend and well, I just couldn't justify a trip to Virginia right now. As much as I'd love to expand my knowledge about social media, network with other wine bloggers, and learn about wines from the Virginia region, it just didn't factor into a high priority for me...unless, that is, I got "the call." Which I didn't. So, I'm making the assumption that the winner of the "best winery blog" will be bestowed upon some other well deserving person, of which I'm honored to be among the chosen finalists.  Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I can begin to sigh.

There's a lot of that in the wine business. Sighing that is. Because, there's always some challenge you're faced with; problems in sales, problems in production, problems with Mother Nature, The Family, whatever. Rarely does a day go by when everything goes just perfectly. So, I've taken to trying to meet and chat with at least one tasting room visitor per day. It's my new form of attitude adjustment. I figure these folks are on vacation so they must be having a better day than me! I love getting up from my office, walking outside and strolling up to a picnic table to say hi. Sometimes I just want to make sure they've had a good time. Other times I inquire about their favorite wine. I often enviously eye their picnic fare thinking hmmm, I really must get out and do that picnic thing myself sometime. People seem to enjoy meeting me and mostly, I experience first-hand the wonderful feeling that comes with making and selling a product that makes others happy. In these moments, I remember why I do what I do and how fortunate I am to be in this business, no matter how many challenges we have.