Stan The Wine Man

Well, we made it through another Thanksgiving, this being the weirdest of them all at least for me. My son was supposed to come over, but his wife had exposure to someone with Covid so he stayed home to be safe. It turns out they are both Covid free (Phew). However, one of my brothers came over and we had a great time, great food and of course great wine. My choice for Thanksgiving was Rose’. I know a lot of you give up on Rose’ once the weather changes. I drink it all year and I find that it is one of the better food wines out there. It was perfect with all the different sides and especially the turkey itself. I don’t get all reflective during Thanksgiving and gush about the things I am grateful for. However this year with all the weirdness out there, I have to say I am quite thankful for my wife Susie. Without her, I think all of this would have been a lot harder to deal with. She is the person I can talk with about anything. We agree on most things, especially when it comes to how the world around us is handling the current pandemic. We enjoy each other’s company and we talk every evening away with ease. It’s hard to ask for more than that.

I am dusting off the pages of a book I started writing a few years ago. Reading it, I realize how important it is for me to finish writing it. The book is about my development as a wine person. How I became a blue-collar wine guy and Stan The Wine Man as most refer to me locally. It also delves into the things I have learned over the years, selling wine to my customers, traveling to wine regions around the world and developing my own methodology for selling and talking about wine. I have so much more to write about since I started the project. I’m not shooting for a best seller of course, but I think many people would be interested in hearing from someone who started off stocking groceries at night to managing a successful wine department in the same store. I am committed to working hard to finish something that means so much to me. I let a friend of mine read what I had put on paper and he loved what I had written, encouraging me to finish what I started. Writing is one of the toughest challenges I have ever faced. You can’t wait until your inspired, it needs to be a daily routine. Here I go!

Both November and December are my favorite months in the wine department. To have people come to me for advice on which wine to select for a meal or celebration is why I do what I do. My customers have been one of the greatest influences in the development of my career as a wine specialist. They encourage me, compliment me and call me out if necessary. I take their trust very seriously and I don’t want to ever let them down. Many are my friends and I cherish the relationships I have developed over the years. Wine can bring people together in a way that is sometimes hard to explain. If you are in the world of wine, you know what I am talking about.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man