I’ve exceeded an age expectancy, and it was a recent realization. My life partner Jose is always quick to say the following about life, “If you’re not busy being born, you’re busy dying.” And I’ve decided that I’ll be damned if that’s my final chapter.

When the matriarch (or patriarch, equal time) speaks, it’s because it’s an available position. We don’t have to apply for it, when we exceed the stated life expectancy for people in the United States. Honestly, I feel like a monarch butterfly, and I’ve to come to terms with the metamorphosis, while still continuing to practice yoga.

Spices and Seasonings

Variety has always been the spice of my life. I’m like the Monarch butterfly above. I only sit for a while, then move on, all the while maintaining balance. I had to chuckle when I read a couple of guys discussing a question of balance, on social media. The gist was that they both need to lean against a wall, while putting on socks. They’re like in their 40s to 50s? I hadn’t ever thought about needing a wall for balance, and thought, “some people need a wall?”

 

Three Power Houses

First, A Balanced Glass Partnership

Two wine women are trailblazers and diamonds. Rebecca Hopkins, of A Balanced Glass, is the first positive leader to mention. It is she who created the concept of A Balanced Glass. She works to create balance in life, through all aspects. That’s a lot of balance, while dancing to a different drummer. She recently held a ZOOM, which reminded me that she introduced me at on her wine page, years ago. Now I’d need to have her on my Website, too. I haven’t featured as may people as I used to, and it’s just good timing. Beck has made it her life’s passion to live within careful boundaries.

Cathy Huyghe is a co founder and CEO of Enolytics LLC. Her dynamic role is to research every aspect of wine and determine how to play the game sincerely well. From her website: “Put your data to work for you, to be sure that it generates the maximum possible revenue for your business. Enolytics’ software is the most complete DTC and wholesale data analytics platform in the industry.” She understands the importance of putting  data facts about a winery’s growth right at their fingertips, for ultimate success.

Into A Balance Glass We Go

These two women have a common bond. Their singular focus and lifestyle are in the business of wine, and each is a unique leader in her category. They enjoy working  with fellow winemakers, grape growers, world leaders, business visionaries, and luxury brands. They pay attention to what they’re each achieving, and then they publish it, as authors.

According to Beck

“My life has revolved around wine since the early 1990s, as a student of Wine Business at Adelaide University, South Australia.” She was raised in the premium Southern Vales wine region, with her career having taken her across the globe. She’s also been fortunate enough to visit, experience, and work with some of the world’s best. Today my focus is to continue to provide guidance, access to networks and connections across the world of wine. This is done with a balance of strategy, leadership, vision, and practicality, learned over 25 years in the wine business.”

According to Cathy

Cathy’s raison d’être: “Huyghe is the author of the award-winning book, Hungry for Wine: Seeing the World through the Lens of a Wine Glass.  Her book has received positive reviews from publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to NPR to the Village Voice. Huyghe has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years. She’s completed her 200-hour Classical Yoga Teacher Training certification in 2013 at Kashi Urban Yoga Ashram. Cathy has a keen interest in meditation.  We can find her online at CathyHuyghe.com, Enolytics.com, and Writing ForSeva.com.

A Third Powerhouse Player

Anne Bousquet of Bousquet Vineyards, from Mendoza, Argentina, is also connected to Beck and Cathy. Anne is someone who’s also fascinated me for many years now. When she had newly released wine early on, we met in Healdsburg, California. We’ve been connected ever since.  Every single bottle of her wine I’ve had, I’ve enjoyed it so much, which includes  independently shopping for it.  When I go into a store and the person working isn’t the wine buyer, I take time to educate him/her. That’s because these wines are so delicious and reasonably priced. And, she’s got  more than a few categories to cover whatever it is you need and want.

How She Fits Into This One

Bousquet is a peer colleague for both Rebecca and Cathy. Like Rebecca and Cathy, Ann is extremely well educated. Prior to joi­ning Domai­ne Jean Bous­quet, in 2008, “Anne wor­ked as an eco­no­mist.” She was “doing fore­cast analy­sis for the Euro­pean paper pac­ka­ging industry, and joi­ned the com­pany to assist in finan­cial plan­ning. She was also responsible for  day-to-day ope­ra­tions mana­ge­ment and busi­ness deve­lop­ment. Anne holds a master’s degree in applied Eco­no­mics from Saint Cloud Sta­te Uni­ver­sity, MN, USA. Along with those degrees, she also has a Bache­lor (Mai­tri­se) Degree in Eco­no­mics, from the Uni­ver­sity of Tou­lou­se, Fran­ce.”

Ann the Powerhouse married Labid Ameri, and the team couldn’t be more prepared to take on the wine world. Labid has a bachelor’s degree in Finan­ce from Saint Cloud Uni­ver­sity, MN, USA, and an MBA from Nort­heas­tern Uni­ver­sity. Together, they’ve discovered their own method of distribution the U.S market, from their Argentina home base. So many wine brands from outside of the United States are still trying to break through. What they don’t understand is really fundamental. It really takes more than new brands having a few media and blogger to write about exported wines. It’s totally dedicated hard work and noses to the beautiful grindstone.

 

You Want to Play The Game?

The hurdles, however, are ruled by oligopolies who rule most of the shelf space. So, how does a smaller brand get the space? This family built their own distribution network and hired their own salespeople, then worked the market for non-committed spaces. Not every shelf in a wine shop or grocery store is owned by the oligops. Wine buyers love to taste new wines, and that’s what makes them eager to try new wines.

All of the following images have been purchased to create interest; they’re not of the people being mentioned.

 

Rebecca and Cathy have led me to new people in their core group, to be part of their think tank. The following people were part of the above chat meeting I attended, each with a creative point of view.

 

Bright New People in The Chat

Laura Simons owns and operates her own company, which is called Simons DtC Consulting. She’s a part of the wine industry, which helps clients to grow their direct-to-consumer (DtC) business. Laura is full of trick and tips, no doubt. Her passion of wine has been developed through the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe program, so she has a really educated palate.

Tyke Jones ~ Web Developer

Tyke Jones Web Developer manages ABG’s website content and is a Napa Valley native, which creates a lifetime lover of wine, because it’s indigenous of course. What would any of us be without our behind the scenes Webmasters. I would be lost without my Jose’s guidance. I’m sure it’s the same for Becca and Cathy.

 

Cara Bertone ~ Director of Sales

Cara Bertone is an accomplished leader in the wine industry, with deep expertise in the drinks category. She has a proven track record of driving sales growth, leading high-performing teams, and developing strategic omnichannel initiatives. She’s skilled in distributor management, relationship-building, and fostering brand excellence. And, she is passionate about sustainability, with a strong commitment to integrating environmentally responsible practices across products, operations, and teams.

Erin Kirschemann

Erin Kirschemann is editor at Wine Business Monthly. This is our wine industry’s leading print publication, Erin both writes and edit articles. She manages deadlines and budgets, coaches and guides freelancers, and develops sessions for their conferences. She shared something touching during the ZOOM conference. It was about her reading my blog stories, for inspiration.  (This was very endearing.)

 

Sheila Donohue

Sheila Donohue is founder, CEO, and sommelier at Vero Vino Craft Wines. She’s a New Yorker who also lived in Italy for over 20 years. Sheila first became a sommelier and got to know hundreds of smaller producers with great tasting authentic wines. Then, she decided to start importing hidden gems from around the world, directly for people who want to explore and experience more about wine, too.

Mark Evans

Mark Evans works for Triumph Advisors, which helps wineries to run more successfully. He’s a veteran of wine, having worked Schramsberg as a sales manager. He then worked for Jess Jackson managing 20 states, Paul Hobbs, and Robert Young. This was before he decided to start Triumph Advisors, where he’s CEO for hiring and developing strategic plans. He is also helping them to be an implement for wineries.

Regine Rousseau

Regine Rousseau is owner of Shall We Wine, and also the CEO. Her mission is to celebrate and demystify this alcoholic beverage. She’s also an inspiration for what she calls  “great drinkers” everywhere. Shall We Wine is an experiential marketing, promotions, and event partner. She specializes in offering wine & spirits solutions for both clients and consumers. Her philosophy “embraces approachability and accessibility.”

Kimberly Drake

Kimberly Drake is the former California Sales Market Manager for Loco Tequila and lives in Los Angeles. (She’s in between roles right now as she was caring for her ill mother, until her mother’s passing, recently.) Kimberly has been in the wine and spirits industry for more than 15 years and worked across fine wine, fine spirits, in sales, and fine dining in New York, Hong Kong and San Francisco, which includes roles with the Mina Group and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Amanda Kelly

Amanda Kelly owns and operates Oregon Posh Tours, which, in essence, is a small, independently operated, luxury tour company. She’s an Oregon native, who’s based in northern Willamette Valley. Amanda considers herself as a natural outgrowth of her interest in food and wine. She’s creating connections and immersive experiences for visitors to Oregon’s wine region. With an emphasis on tours featuring Northern Willamette Valley, Amanda is a natural with her interest in food and wine.

 

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Written by Jo Diaz, edited by Jose Diaz, owners of Diaz Communications, helping to make stars realize their dreams. To reprint, please contact Jo Diaz.