Thanks for Sharing...

My business partner and I left last Thursday and headed 4 1/2 hours north to Bricktown, Oklahoma. We were headed to a winery there called "Put a Cork in It." The owner, a delightful man named John, and his stepdaughter, Morgan, were allowing us to invade their space for two full days so we could observe and learn from them. Ron came up on Saturday and jumped into the winemaking process with both feet (figuratively speaking).

I can't tell you how much I learned...or how much FUN I had. Not only did I get to bottle, cork, seal and label a wine called "Red Dirt Road," I got to conduct wine tastings with customers and sell them glasses and bottles of wine. I got to stock the wine racks, wash the glasses...do it all. It was a BLAST!! Oh yeah, Morgan even insisted that I take my tips! LOL!! Saturday was b..u..s..y!! They sold $2000+ and they are only open from 1pm to 9pm. We were hoppin' the whole time. It was an incredible experience and I can't wait to get my winery open so I can do this all the time!

I have to stop here to tell you that John and Morgan are some of the most giving, unselfish people that I have ever met. John did not hesitate to give us tips and shortcuts and tell us of obstacles to avoid. He shared his "secrets" such as the tools he has developed himself and even gave us his password to accounts so that we could look at wholesale prices for equipment and supplies. He is kind and patient and easy to develop a relationship with. After just a few minutes I felt we were lifelong friends. Morgan is a precious young woman of 26 who treated us as equals rather than the rookies we are. She gave help when needed and was generous with her time and help.

In addition to the wealth of knowledge (and 2 bottles of Red Dirt Road!) that I took away from this experience is the committment to provide that same type of unselfish mentoring to anyone who approaches us at Once Upon a Vine for our help. Not all lessons are "head" lessons...some are lessons of the heart. Thank you, John and Morgan, for sharing with us. May we continue to be friends for many years to come.