Socialmediaworx

I was reading this article in the New York Times on the train to (of all places, New York) yesterday morning, and I was struck by the winegrower’s new focus on getting small.

The notorious winemaker Randall Graham of Bonny Doon Vineyard has had a circuitous journey to success, and now, 25 years later, has a new-found focus. Despite turning huge profits on popular, money-making wines, Graham has opted to pare back his offerings:

“I took stock of my situation,” he said, as we sat down recently in the new tasting room of his winery, which, not surprisingly, occupies an old granola factory here in this free-spirited university town. “My wines were O.K., but was I really doing anything distinctive or special? The world doesn’t need these wines — I was writing and talking about terroir but I wasn’t doing what I was saying. I wanted to be congruent with myself.”

Amazingly enough, it’s Graham’s return to creating original, unique wines that is the most daring move:

“I’m taking a risk, but it’s a rational risk,” he said. “Maybe it’ll turn out great, maybe not. But I’ll have made a sincere effort to create something new and strange and different, which may be the best you can hope for in the New World.”

No tricks, gimmickery or distractions – simply a focus on creating something original and good for the world that folks will enjoy.