Beyond The Grapevine

Why I do what I do

Posted by Michael Druce, September 12th, 2009 | 0 Comments

People often ask how I got into wine making or why I make wine for a living. Well the simple answer is how many people can say they get to make wine and get paid for it, but the real answer is far more complicated than that. My dreams when I was in my late teens/early twenties was to be successful in the hotel industry, no wine making in those dreams at that time. So for about ten years I worked in some of the nicest and most interesting hotels between greater Vancouver and Whistler. I really enjoyed my time in the industry, but there was some things missing, I loved what I did but needed a little more. I wasn't really ready to make a move into something else but then I was the most junior manager in one hotel and they decided to restructure and there I was out of a job. I found work elsewhere in the industry but it just wasn't the same. A couple of months before I was laid off I had ask Priscilla (Sandra & Jim's Daughter) to marry me, actually I was laid off the day of our engagement party, talk about a roller coaster of a day. As bad as that sounds, looking back it was all good, because Sandra & Jim had been looking to buy a business for Sandra to run. Beyond The Grape ended up being that business. A couple of weeks after they took the business over they asked me to join them in the business. I first thought this would be a short stop on my hotel career with some interesting experience to put on the resume. Well I am still here and would not trade it for the world. Now I get to do similar things as I did in the hotel industry but so many more things as well.

The first thing I noticed in the wine making business is people are very rarely unhappy when they are bottling or purchasing wine, unlike most travelers who for one reason or another are grumpy when they are checking in or out (I worked in The Front Office of the hotels). Usually they are grumpy checking-in because of a long travel day and grumpy checking out because their trip is over and now they see the bill and they have a long travel day ahead. The biggest difference in the two industries is really you, our customers/friends. Yes I did combine the two as one, you may start out as a customer but to Sandra and I you become so much more. We take great pleasure in supplying you an experience that brings enjoyment to each of you, I am not just talking about the wine itself but the wine lifestyle. Now Joe's wine lifestyle is different from Sally's wine life style. Each and everyone of you have a wine lifestyle for some of you it is the only time you get to see a certain friend is when you make wine because you make it together, for others it is you are very social and like to have gatherings and serve wine or it could be you have a wedding and you want to use wine as your gift to your guest but the important thing is everyone of you have a wine lifestyle. For Sandra and I to help you with that lifestyle we need to get to know you more than any other retailer does.

We could just sell you a batch a of wine but why would that encourage you to come back. What encourages you is we care about you and we try our best to show it because if you don't enjoy coming in to make wine, why are you going to come in to us at all. There are many other wine makers out there. So why do you come back? I think it is because everything we have done with Beyond The Grape has been to make it better for you the customer, whether it is the new store, how we interact with you, to our fine equipment it is all for you. The happier you are with us the more successful we are, but if we were not sincere in this we would fail. Over the years we have met so many of you and now we call each other friends. This leads back to why I really love my job and the answer is you.

Post a Comment

What are your thoughts? Simply fill out this form below to post a comment.

Your Name		Email Address
Comment
Security Key

Blog Archive