Let me take you to Lancaster County PA home of the Amish and Mennonites. Here the longing for a simpler way of life although far from easier is practiced. During my exploration of the countryside I watched how a family would harvest their crops without the use of machinery. Across the road another family had large silos to store their corn. It is my understanding that the Amish do not believe in the use of machinery unlike the Mennonites. Both still work very hard to maintain their self sustaining …

Amish Country

I recently traveled to the East Coast to visit relatives and participate in my consulting accountants round table. Along the way I visited Amish country in Pennsylvania where I discovered a different way of life. Granted it isn’t one I would choose but it did provide a glimpse into how farm life used to be. You truly can appreciate how mechanization has improved many parts of a farming operation.

In wine country we still are reliant on a large labor force to perform many manual tasks.  …

Harvest is underway in the Napa Valley and there are many growers still looking for buyers of their grapes.  The irony is that this is shaping up to be a great crop.  So what happened?  Well growers that often operate by the traditional handshake are finding that wineries just aren’t willing to take a risk this year.  With fine wine sales off 20% + many vintners are getting nervous about growing inventory.

I have heard that some big wineries cancelled their long-term contracts which has left the growers with fruit ready to …

Here we are in the middle of an economic mess.  The headlines read ‘we’ve hit bottom’, ‘turnaround is near’, rebound will be gradual’ and on an on.  I am frankly tired of all the negative news, so I decided to jump back into my recent photo albums to see what I could discover.   It didn’t take long for me to find the picture above. 

While on vacation in Kauai I was in full tourist mode.  Of course, I had to stop at all the lookout points.  However, when I stepped from …

Where do I start? Our family vacation took us to Kauai and it was the perfect place to recharge.  As I thumb through the hundreds of pictures I am quickly taken back to another world.  I think of the many places we discovered and the endless beauty that was awaiting us around the next bend. 

In a way, I was not much different than the many tourists that come to our backyard, Napa Valley. There we were, driving up the road with anticipation of what we would see next and probably …

You have to love a serious machine like this.  Just look at it…hydraulic hoses, retention devices, plenty of steel and hidden blades that can do some real damage.  Although this is not a new contraption it still gets the job done.  It has the ability to get to the weeds that grow between the vines.  Of course it does require the operator to position it correctly but that is where ingenuity came in. 

This particular implement had been stashed in the back of the barn for years because it was just difficult to use …

There are many things about the winery business that are fantastic.  There’s all of the magic and mystery associated with raising a crop.  And there’s that air of elegance and refinement that is the product itself , not to mention all of those french words.  Plus the power to intoxicate.  It’s not likely that a sock manufacturer is going to replicate that magic or mystery.

But there are some basic elements of the way wineries do business that other industries would do well to model:

1.  Treat your customers and prospects like family. Make them feel welcome. Offer them food, provide comfortable seating and establish …

With our firm’s “harvest” over it was time to get our team out of the office and into the vineyard to learn about spring farming activities.  Thanks to Debby Zygielbaum the vineyard manager at Robert Sinskey Vineyards, our team was introduced to the many tasks underway in the vineyards.  With a light mist in the air and a nice chilly breeze at our side we trooped along like a bunch of curious pups.  We ventured to the top of the hill to see the results of  pruning and to learn about the …

I recently had the opportunity to watch many newborns like this gal, follow their mom’s throughout the pasture.  How quickly they learn that mom provides food and safety.

Looking around the wine industry it might be a good time to be small.  Like the lamb, the smaller winery is nimble and can change course quickly.  This is no time to be stuck in your ways.  Creative thinking and execution are essential in this very challenging marketplace.

You may be feeling the pressure to lower …

I had the opportunity to join my 17 year old daughter this week at 6:30 a.m. at Robert Sinskey Vineyards to help build a makeshift corral and then watch her help the vineyard manager, Debby herd the sheep from the pasture into the holding area.  

I got the chance to see nature’s latest gift of lambs.  The young one in the picture is about 2 weeks old.  My daughter got to return a new born to its mom when she was in the pasture.  It is hard to believe these little guys …