After a wonderful six years at Shelburne Vineyard, my last day as Tasting Room & Wine Club Manager will be on Wednesday. As this day approaches, I’ve been reflecting on this journey and what I’ll remember most about my time here.
Several years before I joined the team, I was working as a wine buyer and selling Shelburne Vineyard and Iapetus wines. I fell in love with Tectonic, the orange wine made with La Crescent grapes, and wanted to know everything I could about how it was grown and who was making it. That led me to reach out to Ethan Joseph, Shelburne’s head winegrower, and I started volunteering with the team (and peppering them with questions about cold-climate winegrowing). Over the course of a few years we all got to know each other, and when the role of Tasting Room Manager opened up Ethan asked if I would be interested. I was, and the rest is history!
That was in September 2019, so as it turned out I only had a few months of “normal” times with the company before everything changed in March 2020. Navigating the intense challenges that COVID brought was wild, but looking back I am proud of the ways we supported our team and found solutions to every challenge. The outpouring of support from Shelburne Vineyard fans from far and wide during that time still warms my heart immensely.
2021 and 2022, when we were busier than ever before, contain so many unforgettable moments. I think about the first post-COVID Bluegrass & BBQ concert, when our community came out and danced joyfully together…sharing hugs with our Wine Club members who I had only ever “met” over email and phone until then…and sharing post-shift glasses of wine with the best group of staff on the patio as the sunset glowed behind the ash tree over the vines. The friendships forged during these years are ones I know will endure for a lifetime.
More than anything else, I am grateful for the opportunity I’ve had during my time at Shelburne Vineyard to grow into a stronger person with a clearer vision of what’s important to me. My interest in Vermont wine has evolved into a true passion, and I have been privileged to become involved in organizations like the Vermont Attractions Association and the Vermont Grape and Wine Council, where I can continue to work with people I deeply respect to advocate for the future of Vermont’s winegrowing community.
I want to extend my deepest thanks to the leadership team at Shelburne Vineyard, to our community of customers (many of whom have become wonderful friends), to our amazing group of vendors, and to all of the staff who have been part of the team during my time here. Working alongside you, learning from you and serving you has taught me so much. I have laughed, cried, and worked very hard here and in so many ways, it has been my home. I will miss the vineyard so much, but I look forward to being on the other side of the bar with you and enjoying a glass of Tectonic!
