“The wine business is oh so glamorous!” For those of us who actually work day and night earning a living in a product category that has literally thousands of competitors making similar items, that line tends to get a lot of “yeah, right..” responses. That’s because the “business” part of the wine business can be just as difficult, taxing, and frustrating as selling something like laundry detergent. But just as I was wallowing in self-pity the other day, I was cast out of my cynical sandbox by my National Sales Manager who reminded me how great my job really is.
You see, it’s not really for glamour that wine lovers like me go into the wine business. We do it because we love the products, for sure, but we also do it because we get to enjoy experiences that can’t be had at any price. Sure, anyone with enough dollars and pesos can fly to Mendoza and stay in a hotel and eat great food at wonderful restaurants and visit wineries and take a tour, and maybe even get a glimpse of the winemaker. But what about doing a wine blending competition with your friends that is judged by the winemaker? Or playing bicycle polo at a winemaker’s old family estate? Or spending an entire unrushed Sunday afternoon at a winemaker’s house eating a slow-roasted baby goat and drinking great sparkling Rosé of Malbec while the kids play soccer out back? Or singing karaoke with the Marketing team of a prominent sake brewery and the world’s leading English-speaking sake guru? Or visiting a 150-year-old artisan soy sauce maker located next door to a sake brewer and experiencing some of the most amazing aromas you can imagine?
Yeah, the planes are a hassle, and maybe the pillows at yet another hotel aren’t quite as comfy as being at home—but I bet the guys selling laundry detergent aren’t having nearly as much fun. Well, back to work I go until the next amazing experience.