Cyndi Yoxall| Wine Club Manager Balletto Vineyards
For years I worked in the nonprofit world as a director of philanthropy. I worked with vintners and business owners on partnerships, sponsorships, and major events. I also grew up in the Russian River Valley and with a father who worked in the wine industry for over 50 years. And I have always loved wine.
This came from the time I was 15, living on exchange with a family on the French Riviera, where I had my first real awe-ha -- when a glass of Beaujolais was part of our dinner each night – paired with cantaloupe, brie, and baguette, all picked up from the local market, as we rode our bikes each day. My intense love of the culture, and the memory of all the senses, changed my life. It’s where I learned to love wine.
When I switched careers and joined the industry, I was excited to finally be here, it felt full circle, like I came home. And I also sort of loved that the challenges that came my way were not life threatening – not homelessness, not food insecurity, not the most severe of needs. Nothing is really an emergency, right?
Wrong. As part of the DTC Management and oversight of the Wine Club, I was very quickly learning about the many forms of a wine emergency. And as you all know, these emergencies are real and often out of our control – delivery issues, technical issues, changing state laws, and extreme weather challenges. Too hot, too cold, too many bottles to ship, too late to pick up and package returned. And a true emergency – the family is coming in town, and we need an overnight case shipped across the country in 95-degree heat! We’ve all been there. We get it. And we want to get everyone their wine!
And we are all in it, in today’s faced paced, digital, high stress society, where everything is immediate response, no more 24 hours for an answer. The customer service is intense and so very important, the challenges have increased, and communication in every possible way is critical -- the needs pile up. How can we provide the best service and product to our consumers?
We also work with an amazing group of people – those who stay grounded in nature and the land, who work together and with our neighbors to care for the vineyards, and craft something beautiful, who partner, who borrow, who lend, who love traditions and community. Our vineyard workers, our cellar workers, our winemakers, our people.
Over time this has led many of us to obsess over how to meet the need. And meet it without increasing staff and costs, and with a high level of professionalism. How do we create memorable experiences in modern times, not just reactive or transactional interactions?
What I know is we are in a very special place in time, a societal/cultural phenomenon… all industries are adjusting. With more tools than ever to connect, we face so much disconnection. With more data than ever before, are we still missing the mark? For the wine industry, how can we re-calibrate, so we are able to give truly meaningful experiences rather than put out fires, that really are likely just a little steam? How can we create more impact, more meaning, more depth, without more people to do it?
What are the ways we can get out from under the “emergency mode” to really elevate and connect, to show our very special club members, visitors, and each other how it feels and what it means to share wine, this moment, and this important time in history…
I look forward to my third year at the DTC Wine Symposium, working with such a dedicated team. Gathering with committed, smart, heartfelt, and fun people on various levels, on the steering committee, as an attendee, and as someone who loves wine and its history, and with the people who share the love and dedication. The connection, the education, the commitment to the mission, the sharing of minds, and tasting of wines. I can’t wait to be there together!