In Episode 20 of This is Ag Podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Samantha C. Taylor, the talented assistant winemaker for Hope Family Wines in Paso Robles. Samantha's remarkable journey into the world of winemaking began with a strong desire to pursue her passion for wine. Little did she know that this decision would lead her down a rewarding and inspiring path. Samantha's story serves as a powerful reminder of the opportunities that arise when one follows their heart and embraces their true calling. Over thirteen harvests, she has become an integral part of the winemaking team, working alongside winemaker Austin Hope. Samantha's enthusiasm and dedication shine through as she oversees the daily operations of winemaking, ensuring the production of award-winning wines that set the standard for Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon. Working for Hope Family Wines, she has learned the importance of teamwork, creativity, and being humble in the face of nature's uncertainties. This particular winery has allowed Samantha to excel and grow as a winemaker. As a testament to her hard work and the winery's commitment to excellence, Hope Family Wines was named the American Winery of the Year. Throughout the podcast, we delved into the intricacies of winemaking, from vineyard decisions to blending wines and considering consumer expectations. Samantha also shared her experiences as a participant in the WomenAg Leadership Academy, which offers an inspiring space for ambitious women to foster personal and professional growth while exploring and honing their leadership talents. During the episode, she highlights the camaraderie and personal growth the academy offers. Overall, this episode provided an insightful and inspiring look into the world of winemaking, the power of teamwork, and the potential for personal growth. Samantha Taylor's journey serves as a testament to the rewards of passion and hard work in the wine industry, and her story resonates with wine enthusiasts and aspiring winemakers alike. Listeners are sure to gain valuable insights into the creative and dynamic world of winemaking, leaving them eager to uncork new opportunities in their own pursuits.
In Episode 20 of This is Ag Podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Samantha C. Taylor, the talented assistant winemaker for Hope Family Wines in Paso Robles. Samantha's remarkable journey into the world of winemaking began with a strong desire to pursue her passion for wine. Little did she know that this decision would lead her down a rewarding and inspiring path. Samantha's story serves as a powerful reminder of the opportunities that arise when one follows their heart and embraces their true calling.
Over thirteen harvests, she has become an integral part of the winemaking team, working alongside winemaker Austin Hope. Samantha's enthusiasm and dedication shine through as she oversees the daily operations of winemaking, ensuring the production of award-winning wines that set the standard for Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon.
Working for Hope Family Wines, she has learned the importance of teamwork, creativity, and being humble in the face of nature's uncertainties. This particular winery has allowed Samantha to excel and grow as a winemaker. As a testament to her hard work and the winery's commitment to excellence, Hope Family Wines was named the American Winery of the Year.
Throughout the podcast, we delved into the intricacies of winemaking, from vineyard decisions to blending wines and considering consumer expectations. Samantha also shared her experiences as a participant in the WomenAg Leadership Academy, which offers an inspiring space for ambitious women to foster personal and professional growth while exploring and honing their leadership talents. During the episode, she highlights the camaraderie and personal growth the academy offers.
Overall, this episode provided an insightful and inspiring look into the world of winemaking, the power of teamwork, and the potential for personal growth. Samantha Taylor's journey serves as a testament to the rewards of passion and hard work in the wine industry, and her story resonates with wine enthusiasts and aspiring winemakers alike. Listeners are sure to gain valuable insights into the creative and dynamic world of winemaking, leaving them eager to uncork new opportunities in their own pursuits.
Hope Family Wines website - https://hopefamilywines.com/
This episode is sponsored by UnitedAg, one of the largest association health plans to offer healthcare to the agriculture industry of California and Arizona.
Kirti Mutatkar, President and CEO of UnitedAg.
Reach me at kmutatkar@unitedag.org, www.linkedin.com/in/kirtimutatkar
UnitedAg website - www.unitedag.org
Episode Contributors - Samantha Taylor, Kirti Mutatkar, Paul Lecrone, Melanie Larsen
The episode is also sponsored by Brent Eastman Insurance Services Inc. - https://brenteastman.com/Blue
Shield of California - https://www.blueshieldca.com/Elite
Medical - https://www.elitecorpmed.com/Gallagher
Medical https://sainmedical.com/
Kirti Mutatkar, CEO, UnitedAg in conversation with Samantha Taylor, wine maker, Hope Family Wines
Kirti: [00:00:00] So we are in a beautiful place. We are in Solvang and we just did wine tasting. So Samantha, I'm a little buzzed. I'm not sure about you. It looks like after the wine tasting, you actually went in and had a had a beer. You said Yes.
Samantha: [00:00:14] A few of us went and had some beers. Yeah.
Kirti: [00:00:16] Yeah. So I, I think as a winemaker maybe you your alcohol--
Samantha: [00:00:20] My tolerance is probably better than most.
Kirti: [00:00:23] Because you're doing it. Do you taste as you go along?
Samantha: [00:00:25] We taste a lot, but we usually spit. But I think there's a social aspect of being in the wine industry that you always wind up at some restaurant or bar after work with coworkers or friends in the industry. So I think it's built into the job.
Kirti: [00:00:53] I'm here today with Samantha Taylor, winemaker for Hope Wines. And you're in Paso, right? And excited. Excited to have you today because winemaking and to be a winemaker for us outside the industry, it's a super, super glamorous thing. And so how exciting it is to be in a job that sounds glamorous. So, Samantha, tell us a little bit about what what you do.
Samantha: [00:01:20] So, yeah, I'm Samantha Taylor. I'm from Hope Family Wines in Paso Robles, California. We're kind of right in the middle of the in the state, um, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. We make around 50 different skews. So 50 different wines a year, 300 case wines to 350,000 case wines. So you can find a lot of our wines in your local grocery stores and some of the wines you can only find at our our tasting room. Um, we're a family owned company. I've personally been there for.. This will be my 14th harvest. Um, in winemaking terms, we usually talk about how many harvests we have been somewhere.
Kirti: [00:01:58] Right.
Samantha: [00:01:59] Or vintages. Um, and I have, I've loved every minute of it. Um, I work for an incredible family that, uh, that really cares about their employees. And, um, I still feel like I'm one of the, the younger people there. I'm 36 now, but I was 22 when I was hired and, and there's guys that have been there 20, 30 years.
Kirti: [00:02:21] Usually when I look at your industry, right? Usually you said you've been there 14 seasons of harvest and since you were 22. Yeah, that's not a common thing, right? Because people just move from one vineyard to the other.
Samantha: [00:02:36] It's not. It's very common for in the wine industry, especially for if you want to be a winemaker to move from winery to winery or what we call like chasing the harvest. Right. Some young winemakers will follow the harvest from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere and work two harvests in a year and then just keep switching wineries and even so, just to climb the ladder. They might not stay at a place for more than a few years at a time.
Kirti: [00:03:01] Even at UnitedAg, when our employees say we've had.. I think most of the employees have been over 10, 20, 15 years at UnitedAg and it's who you work with and who you work for is more important in the end, right? Absolutely. It's that that I mean, it it could be anything. You're making wines we are in health insurance and any any jobs that we do that's that's the most important part.
Samantha: [00:03:25] I wholeheartedly agree with that.
Kirti: [00:03:26] Yes. So at 22, usually one of the challenges I see in the ag industry is a 22 year old is not really interested in coming into AG or wine making my winemaking maybe because that's that seems oh, that's a sexy thing to do. Yes. But what made you come into the to winemaking?
Samantha: [00:03:45] I grew up in a winemaking area in Lodi in Northern California. Um, my family was in the restaurant business and also in agriculture. So I've, I've sort of been around agriculture and I would say wine a little bit my whole entire life. And it just sounded cool. I think when I was applying to schools and Cal Poly was starting their, uh, their wine degree, they had fruit science before that. And I believe that it was also a minor at that time. And um, I applied here and there. I, some places it was under poly sci and um, you know, I just wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do, but winemaking sounded really fun. And. And Cal Poly, let's you get your feet wet from the beginning. Um, you, you start taking major classes as a freshman. So I think it was a really interesting opportunity. But, you know, going through through the program at Cal Poly, I got to make a lot of great friends that are still friends in the industry. But, um, I thought I was going to go to grad school for, for, um, an MBA for maybe like wine marketing and be in sales. I never pictured myself in production or in vineyards. And there's usually one fallback that anybody has in the wine industry is that if you don't have a job, you can you can always apply and work harvest. And so there I was July of 2009 and I didn't have a job. And so I just started applying for internships. And that's kind of late in the game at that point too, right? So I started playing for internships to work the Harvest and I, I got an internship literally over the phone with a winery in Paso Robles. And, um, I got to, to work Harvest that year and it was the hardest I've ever worked in my life.
Samantha: [00:05:33] And at the same time, it was so gratifying and I absolutely fell in love with it and totally changed my outlook on everything. I didn't want to try again to take the GMAT and go for my MBA. Yeah, I get to the end of that harvest and it's like, What do you do? Because a lot of times you don't get a job with that winery you had an internship with. And I say to my parents, I said, Can you float me for 2 or 3 months? I really want to stay where I'm at. I want to stay in the San Luis Obispo County area. Yeah. And I think I applied for over 150 jobs. Anything. I wasn't even qualified for.
Kirti: [00:06:11] Right. Right.
Samantha: [00:06:12] And just started going on on interviews left and right, you know, tasting room, the lab, the cellar, things I was I probably shouldn't have applied for, but I needed to get my foot in the door somewhere and I needed to be able to pay my rent. So like I said, I asked my parents to float me for for two months and I got a job with Hope Family working in their tasting room. Um, I made it clear from the start that I would hope to wind up in, in, in winemaking. And, um, they said, we'll see what we can do. And so my stint in the tasting room lasted about two months. And then I got kind of pulled into the wine tasting winemaking and um, I started doing data entry. So, you know, at this point, 14 years later, I'm, I've done everything in, in winemaking from the bottom up.
Kirti: [00:07:03] Well, should you hire an MBA speak or should you hire somebody who's passionate and really loves the job and wants to take it? I tend to go with the second. Sure. So do you kind of agree with what you see right now with what's happened?
Samantha: [00:07:18] You know, having gone through different assistance over the years and and hired a few different people over the years? I'm not usually I mean, the director of winemaking and myself are not usually looking for people that necessarily have a degree in winemaking or a master's in winemaking or anything like that. Um, we want smart, capable people. You do not need a degree in winemaking to be a winemaker, right? You need good teachers and good environment and. And a little bit of common sense and and really just winery to winery is can all be different. It's a lot of the the philosophy of the winemaker that you're working with and how they do things. Um, but yeah you don't you don't need a degree to do this. You just need a lot of work ethic and, and creativity and the ability to shovel a lot of crap for a few years. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and, and be able to live with that and know that hopefully on the other side there's going to be, you know, a light at the end of the tunnel there.
Kirti: [00:08:26] So when, if I am looking at it from outside and I'm trying to understand what is the process look like, right? So there's different stages, including I've heard what goes in the soil, right when you are right or all all that plays a role, right? When you harvest your fermentation process, what goes in it? So can you like I know that's a long process, but can you give like a shorter version of what? What are the steps?
Samantha: [00:08:54] Well, my forte is not in the vineyard whatsoever. From a land perspective, when you first start and you're going to design a vineyard, you're usually looking at the site and what the soil is composed of and its chemistry, how much water holding capacity it has, Does it have a source for water on that property? Um, what its microclimate is, and then you start going through, well, what am I going to grow? Um, you're not necessarily growing grapes for your own winery all the time. We buy a lot of our grapes, so we're buying from, um, you know, 99% of the grapes that we use to make wine are are purchased. Okay. Um, we only have, um, 40 acres of our own.
Kirti: [00:09:39] Do you have a say on how that's, uh, grown or harvested or anything?
Samantha: [00:09:43] Sort of. Okay. It's a, it's a dance
Kirti: [00:09:47] With the growers.
Samantha: [00:09:49] With the grower. Yeah. So when it comes to your site and what you decide to grow, um, say you didn't have a winery and you didn't have a plan to make wine with those grapes, you were just going to sell them. Um, you want to consider what is popular in the area and what is fit for the site that I have. So then you also have to choose your rootstock and then you choose your varietal. And of that varietal you also have to choose your clone. And all of these have factors on how well it's going to grow in that area. And from there you choose your spacing and your design and your training. How are you going to train it on a trellis system and what type of grower are you going to be? Is it going to be biodynamic? Is it going to be organic? Is it, you know, are you going to use a cover crop that goes down the middle of the row? Million different decisions. So it's just trying to find the happy medium. And it kind of goes back to we were talking about experimentation and making a final blend. You work with the knowledge you have from previous vintages and you do the best you can and with each wine and even so, everything can be perfect.
Kirti: [00:11:01] Yeah.
Samantha: [00:11:01] And it can come from the best vineyard and you finish fermentation, you get it rested in the barrel, it goes through malolactic fermentation. You come back and it could be the worst wine you have.
Kirti: [00:11:12] And what happens to that wine? Is it then? Well, it's gone? Discarded?
Samantha: [00:11:14] Discarded or no, you can't discard your wine. No, you can sell it. Yeah. Um, but we just blend. I mean, you can blend.
Kirti: [00:11:21] Oh. Then you blend it.
Samantha: [00:11:22] You blend it.
Kirti: [00:11:22] Oh, everything we do is blended. Yeah.
Samantha: [00:11:24] Yeah.
Samantha: [00:11:24] When you buy a bottle of our wine, there's a very rare chance that it's coming from one block in one vineyard. Got it. Um, some wineries are like that where you get a wine that's from one block and one vineyard. Um, our estate wines that are sold in our tasting room are from one vineyard, but they might be from multiple blocks. So you just have the myriad of then.
Kirti: [00:11:47] That becomes an art, right? And your creativity shows and how you're blending it. Yeah, I guess it's.
Samantha: [00:11:52] You know, I could have 200 different lots of wines and that's, I guess, my palate. Yeah. And how do I paint this picture for someone and, you know, how do I spread this across all these all these wines that I have to make and make sure that each of them are, um, that their cost of goods don't cost too much? Yeah. Um, so we still make a profit. It is a business, no matter how romantic it looks or sounds. Right. Um, and that the wine lives up to its history and what, what the consumer expects. You know, we we can't put a $10 wine in a $50 bottle. You know, we need to be putting a $70 wine, a $50 bottle.
Kirti: [00:12:34] Earlier today when we had our women session and you were sitting there, some of the women leaders did not know you. This was your first the first introduction to you. And after you left, they said, oh, my God, she's so modest. This is the winemaker from Hope Wines. And from outside it felt like we had a celebrity amongst us. All right. And you, uh, the way you look at it is such. I mean, you are modest, and, uh. From what? What what is your take? I mean, from outside, it feels so cool to be sitting with a winemaker, but it must be. It was hard work, right? It is.
Samantha: [00:13:12] It's a lot of hard work. And I guess when it comes down to it, it's two things. One, I live in a town with 300 other winemakers, so you can throw a rock, you can throw a rock and hit one of us. Yeah. Yeah. Um. Uh, number two. I've seen I've seen our business at the low and I've seen it at the high. I've seen I've seen our particular business be at a place where we didn't think it was going to continue. Where. You know, when we weren't making money and I've seen us get a score and that change everything around. It's it is a agriculture in general but also the winemaker is a business of of being humble. You are constantly humbled no matter, um, no matter what your business is. But agriculture is, is certainly ones of ebbs and flows.
Kirti: [00:14:12] 100% because anybody I talk to, right, we deal with a lot of people in agriculture and I've talked to a lot of people, uh, for the podcast and otherwise very extremely humble people. And it is, it teaches you so when somebody's listening from outside or being part of from outside into it gets introduced to agriculture, it's, I think, the humble nature of everybody in AG and the patience. Yeah. Because you're dependent on Mother Nature.
Samantha: [00:14:42] Yes, right.
Kirti: [00:14:43] I mean, and you have to have the patience because you can't just it's a couple months down the road or a year down the road, then you know what the impact is.
Samantha: [00:14:51] I've definitely been taught a lot of patience over the years. Coming out of school, I think I was more impatient than I am now. And I'm a I'm a planner. Um, that's just in me through and through. And and. I'm always planning 3 to 4 weeks out for the winery. And when things don't happen the way that you wanted them to, it's tough that you have to go back and change all your work. But when that happens to you a hundred times, you start learning to live with it and and you really learn to be patient. And so I can honestly say that I'm a different person than I was five years ago. Definitely ten years ago. Yeah.
Kirti: [00:15:33] So what an amazing industry that teaches us and grows us as individuals, right? Absolutely. I feel like that at United too, because I, I was just I with the performance reviews and stuff, I was telling the people I give the performance reviews to, I don't know what they get out. I, I'm sure they get something out of it. Sure. But for me it's growth. So I'm not the same person I was yesterday that I am today. And how amazing is that that you are? You and I get to work in an industry that enables us to do that. Absolutely. I mean, we you're not going to be you're super young. I am older. And it when you come to the end of your career or whatever, to look back and say, we've grown from a personal standpoint, that's that's fulfillment. Yeah.
Samantha: [00:16:17] And it's only something that I've just recently realized that, um, that I have grown in that, in that way. And I'm very, very thankful for it and, and thankful to be working for who I, I am working for and that they give me a million opportunities to, for growth and that I can learn something new every day. Yeah.
Kirti: [00:16:36] So, so, Samantha, I know you joined the Women Academy this year. Yes. And this is our third session with women. What made you what was why, why, why did you feel the need to join this academy?
Samantha: [00:16:48] I guess in a corporate sense, you'd say I'm like a middle manager. At the end of the day, whether we succeed or fail is in my hands. So, um. I've, I've always thought it's important for continual self growth. Um, and. I just, you know, there was another, another ag leadership program that I wanted to be a part of, and I signed up for it twice and went through all the interviews twice and I didn't make it. And so I just put it upon myself that if if they don't want me, I'm going to find somebody that does. So not just that, but I'm just I'm looking for opportunities for more self growth. Yeah. Um, sometimes I think I get into a rhythm of just like, go to work, do my job, come home and just, you know, I looked at myself and I was like, Do I have any hobbies anymore or anything like that? And, and so I was looking for a turning point. And so that was, I think was a big part of my decision.
Kirti: [00:17:53] So I know it's when usually people come into the first session and they're like, oh, this is not what I signed up to be. How has your experience been so far? Are you is this are you getting what you thought you would be getting?
Samantha: [00:18:03] I think I enjoy the camaraderie the most. Um. I wasn't quite sure if I was in the right place because a lot of people are in the insurance industry, right. Um, but the more I'm around, around all the ladies, um, I really enjoy their, um, their stories and, and getting to know, um, their struggles and their strengths and, and, um, it's definitely not what I was expecting, but, um, I am enjoying it and I'm enjoying the, uh, the books that we're reading and the discussions that we're having. Nice.
Kirti: [00:18:39] And I'm looking forward to you being more engaged and the next couple of years or, uh, going forward. I'm a bit, I'm a bit of.
Samantha: [00:18:46] An introvert, but as I get to know people, I, I become more of an extrovert. And, uh, I'm, I'm getting in there. I'm, I'm.
Kirti: [00:18:54] 90% of my women are leaders are introverts. Yeah. But I think the whole concept of women was to getting to know ourselves before we even do anything.
Samantha: [00:19:03] Absolutely right.
Kirti: [00:19:03] So sometimes that gets overlooked. And what we were earlier talking about fulfillment and what our personal growth at the end of the day, that's the most important thing, right? So any interesting stories as you're working with any any of. Hmm. Interesting people that you've met. I think I know one of your stories, so I was kind of kind of guiding you in that direction. But there's a story that you tell about Jeff Bridges that's really happened.
Samantha: [00:19:35] I thought that might be where you were going. Um, the owner of our company, Austin Hope, um, is a fanatic about music and concerts. And I'm very fortunate that he's that he has let me come along to a lot of those musical experiences and concerts and, you know, sitting in the best seats in the house or even having concerts at our at our vineyard. And one we had a few years ago was with Jeff Bridges. And, um. There's always an after party, give or take, at Austin's house, maybe the maybe the person staying there because he has a guest room. Um, or maybe, you know, he's just gotten to know a lot of people in the industry, particularly sort of the alternative country industry. And, um, Jeff Bridges happened to be playing at the winery that that night. And my husband and I went to the show and my husband got on stage with a whole bunch of people in the last song. And, and then we were leaving and I go, I bet you there's an after party at Austin's house. And I know I wasn't invited, but he wouldn't he wouldn't care, like, if I just showed up.
Samantha: [00:20:51] So we show up and yes, there's an after party there and everybody's upstairs and my boss's bathroom drinking red wine, but having a really great time and just having a big old circle chat with Jeff Bridges. And my husband gets right in there with him and, um. Yeah, we start taking pictures and and taking video and he's super into it and, and then we head downstairs and they put on the music and we're dancing and we're like. Who like, is this really happening right now? At one point, it's probably really early in the morning. I text my father in law because my my in-laws are just incredible, very down to earth people and love music and concerts and stuff like that. And I go, I don't know how to tell you this, but your son is currently like on the dance floor with Jeff Bridges, like. And I had to tell somebody,
Kirti: [00:21:45] Yeah.
Samantha: [00:21:45] And they're like, What? And yeah, we have photos and video to prove it. And, um, yeah, it's something we'll never forget.
Kirti: [00:21:55] Cherish. Cherish those memories.
Samantha: [00:21:57] Right. And he still wears a bracelet that he. He got that night. To this day, it says love on it. Um, it's a bracelet that we sell in the tasting room that are, um, made by a tribe of women in Africa that the Hopes are close with. And they gave him one that night and they just want to take a picture with him. And he's, we see him in, in videos and photos all the time in magazines and stuff. And he still has the bracelet on. Oh, he does. So it's very cool.
Kirti: [00:22:24] The. That is awesome. Yeah, that's pretty cool.
Samantha: [00:22:26] That's very cool to see that.
Kirti: [00:22:27] Great story. Yeah. Lately there's been a craze of young people getting into drinking wine early. It was the beer, right?
Samantha: [00:22:35] Yeah. I mean, it depends. They always say that we have a problem with getting young people to drink wine. So are they just some. Some of them are drinking natural wine where there's no intervention, no additives, things like that. Um, but you're also seeing a, a lot of different, uh, packaging right now. Um, I think young people getting into wine drives the creativity of the industry. Yeah. So you get more canned wines, you get, uh, wine and tetrapak and things like that. And so, um, we're always going to be chasing younger people, drinking wine, um, because the majority of the drinkers in the industry are always going to be those with expendable, uh, expendable incomes and, uh, over 35 years old. Yeah. So, um, without the young people, we wouldn't be as creative.
Kirti: [00:23:22] I think that's across the board. Yes, I think I do not. I get actually really, really passionate, upset or sometimes passionate when I hear people talk about, oh, young people this and young people that and they don't have the work ethic. Yeah, I, I think they are the most creative, the smartest people out there and they are making the business. The business?
Samantha: [00:23:46] Yeah.
Kirti: [00:23:47] Um, it's, uh, I, I think that's a hidden talent.
Samantha: [00:23:51] As a, as an elder millennial, I guess. Um, I've been in the shoes of, I guess, uh, Gen Z that's coming up right now. And. And when everything's stacked against you and and the older generations want to make fun of you and and tell you you can't do something, It's. We have all the tools. We're just different. Yeah, that's it.
Kirti: [00:24:14] That's a different generation. Because you've grown up different. Absolutely right. And it is in the world of chat GPT and Google's and stuff where I know you've kind of built your house and built a lot of things just using Google and YouTube videos. I mean that that's that's a such a different generation than
Samantha: [00:24:31] my parents wouldn't to dream of doing that.
Kirti: [00:24:32] That. Yeah exactly.
Samantha: [00:24:33] They wouldn't even think of it.
Kirti: [00:24:33] They would hire for some somebody like that to do that. Absolutely yeah. Yeah.
Samantha: [00:24:37] Um you know I've had, we've had conversations with the, the group um, I think one in particular with, with Jane and she was talking about her, her 14 year old daughter and how sometimes she has trouble understanding, uh, where she comes from in terms of technology. And I said just Google it. Yeah, yeah, Just Google it. If you don't know, just Google it. It's out there.
Kirti: [00:25:00] There's sometimes we get stuck. I think sometimes what happens and I see this at UnitedAg, I go anywhere else, right? You get stuck in defining work ethic or defining certain things based on who you are. Sure. So I might think a work ethic is getting about 5 a.m. and doing things and working hard, working 14 hours. Your work ethic could be defined very differently. So I cannot be judging that. And one is not better than the other. Absolutely. Totally different things. So.
Samantha: [00:25:28] Well, it's it's the whole debate right now about work from home. Right. Um, an older generation wants to see butts in seats and that's a definition of of people working is, is seeing people, uh, in the building. But it goes to show we've had bigger profits at hundreds and thousands of companies over the course of the past three years of people being at home. Yep, Yep. Than ever before. It's an entirely profit. Profitable and possible.
Kirti: [00:25:57] Yeah, it is. And. And. And what if you're young parents or you have other things and you do stuff and you come back and work, right? I, I think that it actually, when people used to talk when I was younger with the younger kids and they talk about work life balance I when work is fun right you're enjoying it and you yes you have stressful days and stuff. But if you can balance drop off kids because. Up. Kids, of course, work around their schedules, maybe do it. Then it becomes work is not work. And life is not life. Yes, your life is everything, right? So you live, you work a little bit. You live your. So it's you're living your life, right? I think that's what the work life balance doesn't. Then you're splitting work in life. It's life.
Samantha: [00:26:45] Yeah.
Kirti: [00:26:45] Enjoy both aspects of it. What about the award that you received last year?
Samantha: [00:26:50] Oh, okay. Okay. Um. Hey, you get.
Kirti: [00:26:53] To brag about something, right?
Samantha: [00:26:55] Um, I think as a result of a lot of our good, uh, good business practices and some really great scores we've gotten in the past few years. Wine enthusiast named Hope Family Wines. The American Winery of the Year. And, um, so we accept that award in in San Francisco this past January. Um, had a really amazing event the black tie event with I think there was a thousand people in the room and um, I was very, very honored that I was chosen to go and stand up on stage with Austin while he gave his speech. And, um, you know, when it comes down to it, us receiving the award is really, really great. But we also always want to put, um, a lot of emphasis on Paso Robles as a whole and the other great vineyards and winemakers in Paso Robles doing big things. Um, we're sort of just like we're the gateway drug to Paso Robles. We want you to come because you heard about us or been drinking, drinking our wine in another state, and you come to Paso Robles and you discover the 250, 300 other wineries that are there, um, and keep coming back. So, so it's a, I think I've, I say this all the time, but it's a rising tide lifts all boats thing.
Kirti: [00:28:14] So this has been super, super exciting. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you so much. Now we're going to go drink lots and lots of wine.
Samantha: [00:28:22] I brought A few bottles, so.
Kirti: [00:28:23] Yeah, Yeah. So thank you. And thank you. Um, I know we'll come visit Hope Wines sometime soon, so thank you so much.