Top 10 Reasons Why I Love the Wine Industry

The weather.  This one seems silly but really, the weather in wine country is as good as it gets.   All year long, we enjoy a wonderfully temperate climate.  I think that's why our grapes are so happy!

The perks. Yes, the perks are good.  It's pretty neat to have a chef send something special to our table or to have a hotel partner comp us a room.

The Food.  Amazing.  Incredible.  World-class.  We are fortunate to be in an industry that is so closely connected to the culinary world.  And the food we are blessed to try is nothing short of remarkable.

The Travel.  As much as I might complain about this one, the travel can be fun.  I love New York.  Seeing new places and experiencing a different city is really quite fun.

The Education.  I thought about this and what's remarkable about our industry is that we never stop learning.  Someone is always showing me something new and different.

The Romance.  Our industry exudes a sense of romance about it.  Just a few weekends ago, we witnessed a marriage proposal in our picnic grounds.  Wine country is a romantic place to be.

The Satisfaction.  I love the sense of completion of projects and having things become successful.  There's a lot of satisfaction and pride when I sell one of our wines to a restaurant or retailer.  It's a sales "high" of sorts. 

The Lifestyle.  This is easy to talk about.  You take much of what I mentioned above and then add your family, close friends and small town charm to the mix and well - that cocktail is pretty darn great!

The Product.  Maybe this should be #1.  No matter though.  At the end of the day, wine is what we do and I just love our wines.   I am so fortunate to have such a great portfolio of wines.

The PEOPLE!  Isn't this what life is all about?  The people in our industry are incredible.  There are so many talented, passionate individuals - not just selling or marketing our wines but in the wine industry as a whole.  And in the scope of the business world, we're a relatively small tribe so the camaraderie we all share is special.  After more than 25 years in the business, some of my best friends are from the wine industry.