When the going gets tough...

So, my last blog post found me in a state of caffeine-fueled ecstasy. Today, I'm in a different mood. When I got into my office this morning, I had an email waiting for me from the County Licensing office. There is a county ordinance that states that they will not approve liquor licenses within 300 feet of any church, playground, school, or public park. We have a church directly to the Northeast of us, but there was a huge parking lot in between the two buildings. I thought that it would be plenty of room. Well, as it turns out the nearest corners of the two buildings are about 260' apart. The inspector from the public works department felt this was too close, and told the County to deny our license.

Not good.

So, I'm in a spot where I need to relocate my office and warehouse, which will put this whole project on hold for a couple of weeks. I'm not as concerned right now as I was this morning (I was in a panic). I know that "God can't steer a parked car", and that the only direction I can move is forward.

So, if you have some cheap, temperature controlled warehouse space somewhere in South County, give me a buzz.

Until then, cheers!

Exciting times

So, the reason I'm so excited today (besides about 44 oz of coffee so far) is that I'm typing this on my brand new laptop, sitting at my desk in my new office for my new company. I'm slowly putting together a portfolio of awesome wines to be able to sell to my friends in the industry, and my wife is supportive of it all. These are great times, and I feel like I'm living the American dream. My dad is even learning distributor lingo like "FOB", "5 on 51", and "terms are net 30".

Last night, I took a new supplier around to a couple of my favorite spots- 33 wine bar, Taste, and Sidney St. Cafe. Please continue to support these places- they are locally owned, have incredible drink and food menus, and are part of why the STL food and drink scene is gaining national attention.

Tonight, it's patty melt night at the Harsha household- Sounds like a great reason to open a nice bottle of red.

Cheers!

Impromptu Syrah Tasting, Anniversary, Epiphany

Friday night, some of us wine geeks got together, and tried some really cool wines. We mainly were focused on Syrah, but here's the lineup:

08 Abbazia di Novacella Kerner
05 Creu de Lavit Xarella (weird)
04 Garretson "Craic" Syrah
07 K Vintners Motor City Kitty
03 Alban "Reva" Syrah (killer!!!)
04 Duval "Entity" Shiraz
07 White Knight Viognier (lots of heat/glycerine)
06 Cakebread Reserve Chard
07 Guigal St Joseph (I nailed this one blind- even down to the producer)
04 Oliver Hill Shiraz (I nailed this one, too)
07 Clape Cornas (My wine of the night)
04 Bonserine Cote Rotie (#2 pick of the night)
06 Petrolo Torrione
07 Lucia Susan's Vineyard Syrah

Once again, not a dog in the bunch- I'm glad we were taking small sips, as that night could have gotten ugly. Pizza from Ferraro's late helped, too.

Last night, we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary (with some HdV Syrah, and Gruet Demi Sec). I love you, honey- Happy Anniversary!

As for Epiphany Wines stuff, we got the phone connected today- 631-1919, and I'm frustrated with Fed Ex for saying they tried to deliver my new computer, but didn't. We're having our first supplier in town to check out the market, which is kind of cool. I'll post updates.

Thanks for reading, and Cheers!

Time to hit the Hair Saloon

If you are a guy, and you can handle moving beyond the $9.95 haircut special at Slip-n-Clip, then head on down to the Hair Saloon for Men. I go to the one on Tesson Ferry, but they are sprinkled all over the Lou. I really do like these places- you walk in, and are immediately offered a non-alcoholic beverage. The ladies who cut hair there are friendly, and do a nice job. If you're feeling extra special that day, there is a package that includes a scalp massage, a neck massage, one of those towels with the stuff that makes your face feel "minty" and they will even shine your shoes. All of this, while you are in an environment that is very Men's Clubby (not strip-clubby)- lots of dark wood, green, and pictures of hounds chasing foxes.

You know what will also make you feel like a man? Storybook Antaeus. I used to sell this wine, and I think it's a lot better than people give it credit for. It's a blend of zin, cab, petite verdot, and merlot hailing from Napa. The thing is that restaurants don't know where to put it on their wine lists ("other reds" is the death toll for many-a-good wine"), and retailers don't know where to put it in their shops. Add to that the fact that the label is kind of ugly, and you have a wine marketing nightmare. However, the juice is solid! Think notes of pepper, raspberry, currant, and plum, without being overly tannic. It's not a wine to age for 10 years. Instead, do what we did last night- cook up some Patty Melts out of Cooking Light magazine, pull the cork, and enjoy.

That's all folks, time to go get my flowing locks trimmed, and decorate my new office.

Cheers, and have a great weekend.

Laptops, and licenses, and warehouses, oh my!

My appologies for not posting every day this week. As it turns out, starting your own company takes a lot of work and time! Here's where we stand, though at Epiphany Wines. I received my Federal permit today, which is a huge step. I have also procured warehouse and office space. The County signed off on my re-occupancy permit and my merchant's license. I have submitted my paperwork for my county liquor license, but that could take several weeks to get. After I get that, I can apply for my state license. Whew! Besides all of the paperwork stuff, it's also necessary to work on website design, get phones installed, get insurance, buy office supplies and a computer, work on the website, get business cards made up, get shirts made, etc, etc, etc! Oh yeah, I also have to get wineries to sign with me, so I have something to sell! This is an exciting time, and I'm happy to be doing the work.

In other news, I tried the "Lucy" rose last night, from the makers of Lucia. It's pinot noir based, and delicious. I got it at Sasha's- go check it out.

Cheers!

...And So It Begins

One thing about quitting your job is that there is a lot of speculation about what you are going to do next. Well, speculate no more my friends. Many of the readers of this blog are within my immediate circle of trust, and know that my father and I are going to start our own wine distributorship. Yep, you read that correctly. Pops and I are going to submit the paperwork to get our license to sell wine at wholesale to restaurants and retailers in the Saint Louis and Kansas City area. This is a huge step for me, as today is literally the first day since I was 14 that I'm not officially employed. I have to admit I'm a wonderful combination of excited, scared, worried, sick, elated, happy, sad, and stressed. I made out my "to do" list for today, and it has 19 items on it! So, without any further adue, here is the logo that we will be using for the new company:

Like it? I do too. Stay tuned, as I will be posting about getting this company up and running, and telling about the successes and mistakes that will inevitably be involved.

Cheers!

French Press- There IS a Difference

Many of you know that my sweet wife got me a really nice Bodum french coffee press for my birthday last month. I really looked into how to use the thing, asking some of my "coffee geek" friends for advice. I now have my morning system down, and rather enjoy the cups of coffee that it produces- they are dark, rich, full of flavor, and don't have a hint of bitterness.

Today, out of sheer laziness, I dumped the remaining scoops of coffee from my Kaldi bag into my regular coffee maker, threw some water in, and pressed "ON". Mistake. The coffee that came out was watery, a touch metallic, insipid, and bitter. Oh Lord. I'm already a snob about wine, shoes, and steaks. Now, do I have to add Coffee to the list?