US’ Shamier Little passes on the baton to Bryce Deadmon in the mixed 4x400m relay heat at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP It began years ago, and every day, we have the chance to cross the finish line strong. How we got here is not by accident; rather, it is the result of vision, dedication, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.

It started years ago with a vision of a brand. The starting gun may have shot off generations ago, or perhaps it was more recent. Someone somewhere had the idea to set down roots and create a brand. Significant investment was made in the vineyard sources, the winery and production facility, and of course, in the tasting room.

The vineyard crew has one of the hardest jobs in our industry. From being outside in the early pre-dawn hours in the cold to working in soaring temperatures during the heat of harvest, these crews show up and are rarely recognized. They face spiders, snakes, and yellow jackets that want to leave a mark. They work hard in these conditions to grow us the best possible wines.

The next leg of the relay baton is passed on to the cellar crew during harvest, where 12 to 18-hour days are the norm, and six or seven-day work weeks happen. It is a physically demanding job, climbing in tanks (where the gases can kill a person!), dragging hoses and pumps, moving barrels, and being around caustic chemicals all day.

The baton takes a route through the production team that stresses about getting labels through approvals and printed in time, navigating the market to get glass and corks, and getting the wine ready for bottling. It is carefully choreographed with a mind towards budget, a balancing act to be sure!

Finally, that baton is passed to DTC. Many very talented people tried out and did not make the team. You are here today, representing those who worked so hard to get the baton to you. In DTC, we are the face of that vision, that vineyard work, and the cellar and production teams. We owe it to them to finish strong, to hit the goal: The WISE Triple Score. Are we asking every guest to buy wine, to join our club, and to keep in touch via our mailing list?

Now, the spotlight is on DTC. The whole world is watching how we perform. The team behind us has done their jobs. Let’s finish strong for them.

What are you doing to train for the Winery DTC Olympics?