Things are picking up.

We have a big wine festival at the end of March that we’ve been steadily working on since last May, but now that we’re into February it would seem people are starting to give it more attention as they notice the time pass more quickly. Including me.

Windows for shipping stuff are opening and closing; thought, copy and layout for printed marketing materials are becoming due in order to hit their own deadlines; and now fine-tuning itineraries, media availability, and ancillary details are becoming the concern. Consider that we’re in 30 events over 6 days and multiply this times 10 wineries, with each having a VIP attending, and we have ourselves a burgeoning three-ringed circus. But it’s allllll under control….

That is until today, when we officially took over the western Canadian distribution rights of a new winery. Well, not a new winery. A very old winery, that began business in 1692. But new to us. Taylor Fladgate and Croft ports, the big brother and little sister, respectively, of Fonseca are now ours. It’s a very big deal. From my perspective there’s paperwork and inventory to review; programs and marketing to understand and prepare for, distribution channels and cost analysis, etc. etc.

And of course it is the new year, which means new forecasts, targets, goals, budgets and plans for each of our wineries regardless of anything else going on. And these require meetings. Some of our wineries take these more seriously than others – of course they all take them seriously – but one in particular is flying out three tiers of the marketing chain of command to meet us for a western Canadian summit on Friday. Which reminds me, I’ll be in Calgary overnight on Thursday and through to Friday afternoon, dressed to impress and having to put in a couple of evenings this week to prepare. You know things are hectic when you have to remind yourself of an impending flight and overnighter in another city.

Ah, the high life.