As we’ve continued on this journey and have discussed our image and marketing strategies we’ve come across some conflicting ideas.
On one hand, I love sharing our journey, being a family of four, transitioning into farmers, winemakers and business owners, I like the idea of pulling back the veil as it were to invite you in on this venture. But that means being willing to admit mistakes, and show the messier side of life, of sharing hardships, as well as joys. Taking away some of the mystery of wine is something I love doing as it peels away some of the snobbery. I’m a firm believer you should drink what you like, how you like it, even if it means adding sprit to your Chardonnay, chilling your Cabernet Sauvignon, or making “rosé” by mixing the last bit of your red wine with a white. I love wine and I love making it more approachable and fun!
On the other hand, we are building a brand that appeals to the slightly sexy, mystery of life and love. There is a mystery to wine, so while winemaking requires a lot of science, there is still the art and intuitive side that can’t be explained. There is an ambiance of mystery in the 1920’s speakeasy, New York style Mafia that our stories come from.
We’ve talked about how we want our tasting room to feel like. We want it to feel welcoming, like a familiar study with rich woods and deep colors, yet we want it comfortable like you’re being welcomed into our living room. We want the outside to be a place of community gathering around large tables, yet have intimate spaces for two. We want you to be a part of this journey, to get your hands covered in dirt along side us, at the same time to feel like you are escaping life for a moment of peace and quiet.
All of this seems at odds. At the same time, wine is kind of like that. Mysterious, yet inviting. Invoking memories of hard work to make the wine, mixed with the joy of relaxing while drinking a glass. Dark and rich, yet light and fruity. Silky smooth, yet harsh.
Much of life has a duality to it, so instead of trying to figure out how all the pieces can even exist together, maybe it’s better to just embrace it all wether it fits neatly together or not.