Dear Friends,
After our first round of snow two weeks ago, we were hopeful that winter had passed. Then the forecast for this week appeared. We had rain, sleet, and more rain with freezing temperatures all day long. Each day we watched hoping to see improvements. It is a holiday weekend and we were sold out. And while in many markets that are used to getting weather like this, you are equipped to keep functioning. That is not the case in Oregon and definitely not in Amity when getting to the winery requires a 750′ climb from the valley floor. We opened on Thursday but closed early as the storm arrived and we wanted to make sure the team and our guests could get home safely. We have been closed since. And while it looks like the temperatures are increasing and the ice is gone, the winery is without power and low on the priority list given the massive outages throughout the state. Being closed, as we saw throughout 2020 is tough on revenue. As part of our B Corporation commitments though, our team is paid for snow days and days like this when they cannot come to work for reasons out of their control. That makes me proud and makes it all a little bit easier. I do hope we are able to open soon but in the meantime, stay warm and safety first! That generator is looking like a good idea :).
Happy Valentine’s Day!
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
A few years ago, I was honored to be asked to join a group of winery CEOs from Oregon, Washington, and California. The intention of the group is to create a trusted peer group for idea-sharing and problem-solving as well as continue our learning and development as leaders. We meet quarterly for an entire day. As part of each day, guest presenters are brought in. They have included other winery CEOs, founders, and executives from other industries to share their path to success and obstacles they overcame and various consultants who help us further develop leadership skills for ourselves and the business.
It is always hard to go off the grid an entire workday but at the end of each session, I am inspired, motivated, and full of new ideas. At one session, I was actually brought to tears. We had a consultant come in to help us define the essence of our brands. Brand essence provides the backbone of a company’s mission and messaging. The exercise he took us through was to pick two wineries in the room and go through the process as a group to determine their brand essence. Brooks was the first brand selected. The initial exercise was for the other 16 CEOs in the room to say the first words that came to mind when they thought of the brand Brooks. Here is what they came up with:
I’ll be the first to admit, I am not good about verbalizing descriptors like this about my work or our winery. It was fascinating to hear what the perception of Brooks is from my peer group. The consultant then created two lists from these words: Rational and Emotional. It is this combination that comprise a brand’s heart and soul.
Round two of the exercise was to come up with THE core essence. It is at the intersection of rational and emotional descriptors. We were tasked with narrowing these lists to three each. Because it was my brand, I did not participate. I was tasked to listen and watch the discussion. This was their final result:
I pour my heart and soul into my work and so does our team. We work to build community. We are carrying on Jimi’s legacy. The group agreed artistic and artisan had two different meanings for Brooks. We all know we are crazy for Riesling. Everything we do is with intention. To have the perception of the brand be “LOVE” made me teary, right there, in front of my peers. I am glad it shows. THAT is what love has to do with it!
SAVE THE DATE
Wine Club Members: Save the date! Our first cheese and wine pairing webinar is March 25th at 4pm PST/7pm EST. This will be for all 4 and 6 bottle club members as this is part of their winter shipment. (12 bottle members, should you want to participate, no problem. Just email [email protected].) We are excited to partner with domestic creamery Beehive Cheese. We will be joined by Beehive Cheesemaker, Britton Welsh, and Master of Cheese, Sheri Allen. More information on the cheese shipment and the pairing wines will be coming shortly.
For all non-wine club members, we continue to increase our benefits with more to come. These benefits can be enjoyed from near or far. They are for everyone. Consider joining the Brooks wine club family today so you can take full advantage of our offerings. Cheers!
JOIN THE BROOKS WINE CLUB FAMILY TODAY!
the biggest beyond brooks yet?
A few weeks ago, while I was in Oregon, Beyond Brooks Moderator and Master of Wine, Bree Stock, myself and some of the Brooks team went to meet the founders of Nossa Familia Coffee. We got a tour of their facility and heard their story. As a regular coffee drinker, I learned so much! Nossa Familia is the first coffee roaster in Oregon to be a Certified B Corporation. Not to mention, Augusto Carneiro, the founder, is so passionate and charismatic. The team at Nossa Familia is spreading the word and I think this may be our largest turnout for Beyond Brooks yet. We can only accommodate 250 and it is likely to sell out. I hope you will join us on March 13th at 1 pm PST!
This package includes:
– 1 bottle of 2017 Brooks Johan Pinot Noir
– 1 bottle of 2017 Brooks Cahiers Pinot Noir
– 12oz bag of Nossa Familia Full Cycle Signature Blend whole bean coffee
– 12oz bag of Nossa Familia Guatemalan microlot: Timeteo Minas whole been coffee
– 2 Nossa Familia Steeped single serve packets of Teodoro’s Italian Roast
– Webinar with Janie Brooks Heuck, Managing Director of Brooks, Bree Stock, Master of Wine and Augusto Carneiro, Founder of Nossa Familia
All for just $99 including shipping.
PURCHASE BEYOND BROOKS FOR MARCH
It is nice to be home and settled back into a routine. There is a lot of good to be done as always. I am looking forward to a fun night tonight with my husband and daughter. I hope you have a very happy Valentine’s and President’s Day.
Always here: [email protected] and cell 831-238-4828
All my best,
Janie