The business of wine . . .

One of the most difficult things about being in the wine business today is that it's just that — a business, actually a very serious business. At least, that’s the case when you're not backed by José Quervo, a corporate merger or a bottomless trust fund somewhere. No, for Wilma and The Husband, it's a case of passion, determination and good old fashioned "stick-to-it-ness"…something that seems to be dying in American culture today. We're just regular people trying to make fantastic wines that make meals special and people happy.

Just recently I met a woman who purchased the Dutcher Crossing Winery down the road. Dutcher Crossing was started a few years ago by a retired marketing executive with a hankering for wine. Guess he figured he’d start a little winery and live the good life. Something must have happened to squelch those plans as he’s already called it quits after 3 short years.

I wish the new owner much success and luck, but I gotta be honest, I wonder what she’s thinking…

Does she really know what it’s like to worry incessantly (about just about everything), when we have no control over Mother Nature, the U.S. economy, or the taste buds of the American public… no matter how hard we try? Or, that her future success rides greatly on the opinions and taste buds of a few powerful pundits? Or, that those fancy barrels that cost upwards of $900 a piece are practically impossible to give away as flower pots after just a few harvests. Or, that IF she finds the right piece of ground, she'll still have to fork out $80,000 or more an acre for a piece of bare land that may or may not turn out to be any good. And, on top of everything else, she’ll need to regularly wine and dine with complete strangers for the rest of her life??

Yikes...just thinking about it all makes my hair go straight.

By Kim on February 12, 2008 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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