Under Pressure

Ah, the pressures of being a "wine guy". Once our wine staff leaves the confines of their respective stores, a new challenge begins. Handling the pressure of being the "wine guy" or "wine girl" amongst their circle of friends. I mean come on, Do you have any idea how hard it is to look your friends in the face after they serve you a lovely 2003 Beaujolais Nouveau they had been saving just for you. Or when your out on the town and at a lovely restaurant and the other diners you are with order a 1981 Mouton Rothschild when obviously the 1984 Petrus would have been a much better choice. I mean come on people. Does anyone else actually know anything about wine or do we have to do everything ourselves?

Now before any of you begin to think that I'm even remotely serious let me tell you that I am just being my usual sarcastic self. But, it was slightly believable. There was that possibility in your mind that "wine people" can act and think just like that. It is this belief that I wish to address and change. We are just regular people, we all started off drinking white zin from a box or a Boone's Farm strawberry daiquiri somewhere along the lines. We love wine. We really love wine, (sometimes too much making the next day around your co-workers a little embarrassing) which is what makes us good at our jobs, but we also enjoy other things.

I myself am a very profound lover of bourbon. I also am a fan of nice beers such as IPA's and not so crazy beers such as Miller Lite. If my friends bring me a bottle of wine we'll open it and drink it. Even if its not a wine that I might particularly go for its still fun to drink it and catchup with them. When put on the spot by our friends at a restaurant to make a wine selection or to suggest something for them we usually do so not with disgust or arrogance but with a gracious smile as we get to show off a little for them and hope that we get them a good wine that they will enjoy. When we bring a wine for a party or dinner, we are just as nervous as you would be that it will be the right wine for the meal and that all the guest will enjoy it. There is a lot of pressure to always have the best wine, or that what ever we suggest to a friend will be the best wine that they ever had. Fortunately, we are well equipped to handle that pressure due to our training and passion for wine and that is good thing not only for our close friends and family but for our customers as well. Well I have ranted long enough for today, but I do hope that I was able to change any negative connotations that you might have had about "wine people" but I promise we are just your everyday, normal, highly trained and educated wine professionals. Thanks for reading and take care.

Sean