Happy Valentines Day... a day to celebrate the ones you love and cherish the love you have in your life. The way I see it, it's a day to focus on the one emotion that keeps all human life connected. It is said to be one of the enlightened emotions that only the most intelligent of species possess. Let's spend a little time together this Valentine's Day & let me tell you a little love story.

Wilfred Wong has, for as long as I can remember been one of my hero's. I loved the way he evaluated wines across the board with class and honesty without ever being nasty in a review. Ever. Not once. I had a huge amount of respect for that. That class and compassion I then applied to one of his employers BevMo. I shopped there religiously and without fail - confident that if Wilfred Wong was a class act then BevMo must be too. For years our relationship grew, we went through the Court of Masters classes together, BevMo got me through my wine tasting groups and even my occasional first growth binges.

Life became predictable and the years went by, until one day the decision was made that I would move to Oregon. Southern Oregon, where I am based now - is three hours from the nearest BevMo located in Redding, CA. Now we all know that long distance relationships are hard to make work but I refused to give up on us and was committed to making an effort. Trips for work and family alike were planned around making that stop in Redding. We saw each other infrequently for the next few years but every time we did life felt right again.

Until last month.

On our way back from our annual pilgrimage to the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers event in San Francisco my human sweetheart & I made the requisite stop. His errand was to pick up a 1.5 liter of Jim Beam for mom who has just crossed over into being an octogenarian. We occasionally like to enjoy an old fashion before dinner together. After having two surgeries on it in my youth, I had recently thrown out my right knee again and as such was marching to the beat of my own drums as we walked into the store. Huny being tall and able bodied walked briskly into the store and banked right headed toward his favorite corner filled with beer and booze. I unattractively hobbled into the store towards the left wondering if I should spend more time in the Sherry or the Madeira section (long story on why that we'll skip). Somehow, I find myself magnetically drawn to the Alsatian section & moments after I start browsing for something my cellar doesn't have I see Huny out of the corner of my eye, Jim Beam in hand headed to check out. So I start hobbling to the front of the store.

This is where we enter the Twilight Zone.

By the time I am 20 feet from the counter although I can not hear the transaction, I have watched Huny give the female clerk behind the counter his ID (he was born in 1966) and his BevMo card. He is waiting for her to scan the one bottle of Jim Beam and she is staring at me. By the time I have mentally assessed all of this (mind you, we did just spend a weekend in "Zin") I am about 10 feet from the counter and can hear her asking me from ten feet away for my ID & BevMo card. Huny, confused because I had nothing to purchase and thinking she forgot she had his ID & Card already (both of our names are on the BevMo account) gently reminded the clerk that she already had what she was asking for. Well, apparently she didn't.

The clerk then proceeded to ignore Hunys reminder and turned immediately without another word to either of us and without waiting for a response from me; to a man we believe was her supervisor. Who was conveniently hanging out at the register behind hers...the register wasn't open, we were the only ones in the store but there he was ready and waiting. Without a word exchanged between them, he walks up right behind the female clerk and very aggressively tells us that it is corporate policy to card every person in the group for every purchase. Bad move.

1. As BevMo customers in multiple states for multiple years, we know this not to be true
2. As returning BevMo customers of that particular store, we know this not to be true
3. The situation did not escalate, no one was upset, no voices were raised...why is there a manager involved?
4. If this was in fact the policy, why couldn't the front line clerk who is given the responsibility of selling the booze (the biggest factor that can get a company into huge trouble) present and explain this policy?

Poor Huny at this point is just in shock and awe. Rightfully, as neither of us had EVER been in a situation remotely like this before. I was simply horrified that I was being jilted in a relationship that had lasted so long.

Trying desperately to understand what was happening (he is very left brained and needs the logistics to work out in his head) Huny asks what if he were to come in with his two year old child, would they ask for an ID from the infant? With new found bravery even though she wasn't able to speak for herself moments ago, our female clerk cuts her supervisor off and quickly replies, "She is clearly not your daughter, sir." (Duh, I was born in 1977) Until the day I die I will never forget that sentence. They then both point (no really, both of them...2 fingers in unison) to the text on the counter as if the little letters under the plexi-glass were the holy grail of life. I realized then that I was on breakup lane and it was a one way street. Brokenhearted, I quietly told Huny to retrieve his ID & his American Express Business Card. We left buying nothing.

Breaking up is hard to do but businesses today need to be careful. In today's competitive economy it is a consumers infatuation of your customer service, love for your brand & the for integrity of the way in which you do business that will determine your success. Rebounding is easy for the consumer with so many other companies waiting to court our pocketbooks....case in point:

We get in the car and hit the freeway with probably about 15 miles of interstate behind us before Huny can even speak. "I'm not going over the border without Jim Beam", he says. As if the cosmos felt bad for our recent experiences, at that moment we pass a sign for the Liquor Expo in Grenada, CA. We pulled off and had a very nice experience purchasing our 1.5 liter of Jim Beam. The staff was very helpful, kind and compassionate - something they put a big emphasis on in their business model judging by the sign on the wall outside of the employee restrooms.

Morals of the Story

1.) Businesses that are run in only states of black or white are going to become extinct through  natural consumer selection in an era of commerce based vastly in the technological world. 

2.) If your front line people can not patiently explain (and defend if necessary) your policies to the guests that frequent your business, they should not be on the front line.

3.) A businesses policies are only as sound as the manners in which they are applied.

4.) Take the HEAT:

• Hear your guest
• Empathize
• Take action
• Thank the guest for sharing their feedback

5.) The moment aggression has entered a business transaction, the transaction itself has failed - regardless of any sales made.

6.) The definition of the word guest is "a visitor to whom hospitality is extended ".

7.) Businesses should respond to the customer concern correspondence.


Breaking Up Is Not Hard To Do

Dearest BevMo,

We have loved you for years, trusted your guidance and enjoyed the beautifully bottled poetry you have brought into our lives. I fear we write you today to tell you that we can't love you anymore. You have hurt us without explanation and treated us as if we were trying to break the law without cause for suspicion. You treated us as if you didn't know us after our long relationship and we just can't take it anymore. We vow to never shop at your stores again. The $5,200 we spent on you last year we now plan to spend on supporting the local Southern Oregon wine industry by buying direct from the local producers. We hope that you will in time find someone else and when you do we hope that you will treat them better.

Sincerely,
RNL


Great Online Resources On Customer Service

Church of the Customer

The Ten Commandments of Customer Service

Customer Service Zone

CustomerService.com

I hope that the business owners that read this blog piece will realize the power of hiring the right people. I still love Wilfred Wong and his integrity remains in our minds 100% intact. I projected Wilfred's integrity to include the BevMo organization. This demonstrates that embracing the class and integrity exemplified by your employees will bring like minded consumers to your tribe. Not maintaining that integrity and class only sets everyone up for heart beak. I would encourage these business owners to cherish the newest members of their tribe and never take them for granted. The easiest customer to keep is a happy one.

In conclusion, I learned after my 44 year old sweetie was denied the ability to purchase booze for his 81 year old mom because he was accompanied by his 33 year old significant other, who was asked but never given the opportunity to present her ID - that it is better to buy local. The wineries in Southern Oregon appreciate the money we spend. Although many would like to believe that we're from such a small area we don't know much, I can tell you that we know better that to treat our guests like that. Shame on the mega-corporation that should have had the experience we lack to know better and shame on them some more for not responding to the letter I sent over a week ago. It's a shame when love stories go wrong for lack of such simple gestures as respect, patience & compassion.

20THANNUAL ZAP FESTIVAL FULL OF NEWS & NOVELTY

San Francisco and Rough & Ready CA, February 2011--- Almost 8,000 peopletasted more than 400 wines from 206 Zinfandel wineries at Ft. Mason in SanFrancisco on Saturday, January 29 at TheGrand Tasting, the grand-finale event of the 20th Annual ZinfandelAdvocates & Producers Festival. Décor included enormous multi-colored ballssuspended from the ceiling as well as many touches referencing the “roaringtwenties,” including strolling costumed musicians.

Notable is that this was a year where the Festival reached in many newdirections and offered many new options for the attendees. “We wanted to helppeople personalize their Festival experience this year,” explains Rebecca Robinson, Executive Director, ZinfandelAdvocates & Producers. “Our twenty year anniversary means we know how topresent the wonderful world of Zinfandel, and we challenged ourselves to burstthrough expectations to offer new and compelling ways to learn all about thisgreat grape,” she adds.

Ten years of researching historic Zinfandel vineyards around California and thepropagation of cuttings from those vineyards in The Heritage Vineyard madepossible a very detailed presentation of those results---including tasting thewines---at Flights! Advancing a Legacy: TheZinfandel Chronicles on January 28. Those ten years of research haveresulted in the availability of Zinfandel cuttings for consumers and vintnersalike to purchase and plant on their own terroir. The body of research resentedat Flights was literally unprecedented in the California wine business. “ZAP’scollaboration with UC Davison The Heritage Vineyard project will result in the release of 19 newselections of Zinfandel from historically significant vineyards beginning in2011,” explains Rebecca Robinson.“The growth characteristics, wine characteristics and virus status have beencarefully investigated. No study of this kind has ever been done before for anyvariety in California---thisis precedent setting,” she adds.

Another distinguishing angle thisyear was the involvement of celebrity chef-tv host Nadia G., whose programBitchin‟ Kitchen (www.nadiag.com,http://bitchinlifestyle.tv) has zoomed to enormous popularity on The CookingChannel---having launched initially in her own Montreal kitchen on YouTube. Nadia G.’s rolein the Festival included cutting the ribbon at the Tasting on Saturday, acooking demonstration at Good Eats & Zinand auctioneering some of the lots at Evening With The Winemakers‟ auction on Friday. She also blogged andtweeted throughout the Festival.

Another angle this year was the inclusion of Zinfandel blends at the Grand Tasting---the recognition ofZinfandel’s part in Californiahistory, in that so many vineyards were planted as “mixed blacks.”

Yet another interesting variable this year was that ZAP delineated “ZinTracks,” a way to find a winery by different variables---whether byappellation, price, gender of winemaker, generation-of-ownership, organicproduction, old-vine status, winemaker’s hair color or whether the wine is a Zinfandel blend.

Yet another new and popular option this year were winemaker seminarsgoing on during the Grand Tasting,enabling attendees to stop in for a half-hour of right-from-the-source commentsfrom winemakers. The presentations were on Barrel Samples (by JonathanLachs/Cedarville Vineyards, Kerry Damskey/Trattore Wines), Zin Blends (by MattCline/Three Wines Company, Bill Grant/Four Vines, Joel Peterson/Ravenswood,Morgan Twain-Peterson/Bedrock Wine Company, Eric Braugher/Ridge Vineyards,Karen Birmingham/LangeTwins), Chocolate Pairing (Stefan Tscheppe/Perry Creekand Chris Leamy/Terra d’Oro with chocolate samplings provided by San FranciscoChocolate), Old Vine Zins (by Nils Venge/Saddleback Cellars, Steve Hall/RobertBiale Vineyards, Bruce Walker/Starry Night, Scott Harvey/Scott Harvey Wines,Josh Beckett/Peachy Canyon, Duane Dappen/D-Cubed Cellars), Cheese Pairing(Julie Johnson/Tres Sabores, Bruce Patch/Wine Guerrilla, Shauna Rosenblum/Rockwall Wines, Sue Hoffman/Delicato Family Vineyards/Brazin with cheeseprovided by Fiscalini Cheese) and Single Vineyards (Pete Seghesio/SeghesioFamily Vineyards, Tim Macchia/Macchia, Carol Shelton/Carol Shelton Wines,Marisa Manna/Sbragia Family Vineyards).

Yet another aspect was the availability of recipes from chefs andrestaurateurs at Good Eats & Zin,whether Nadia G.’s peanut butter-and-banana fritters or Joyce Goldstein’sMoroccan Meatball Tagine, Ruth’s Chris Steak House’s Lamb Lollipops, RadioAfrica Kitchen’s Roasted Leg of Lamb with Root Vegetables, Bin 38’s DarkChocolate Peanut Butter & Jelly Truffles or Compadres Rio Grille’s StreetTacos Al Pastor.

The ZAP 20th Annual Festival presented four events in three daysshowcasing 206 wineries. Good Eats & Zin,a walkaround food and wine tasting, took place on January 27 at Ft. Mason.On January 28 attendees enjoyed Flights:Stories From The Vineyard, where respected winegrowers told thetales of historic vineyards and researchers from UC Davis presented the resultsof ten years of research. Evening With TheWinemakers, a gala dinner and benefit auction, took place also onJanuary 28. The Grand Tasting,the most comprehensive tasting of Zinfandel in the world, filled two pavilionsat Ft. Mason on January 29. Over the three daysproducers poured their barrel samples and new releases during educationalseminars, culinary demonstrations and decadent food pairings.

ABOUT ZAP

ZAP member wineries will be traveling to Kansas City (MO) on March 3and Austin (TX) on March 6. Details:http://www.zinfandel.org/default.asp?n2=803&n1=19&member=

The Association of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) is anon-profit, educational 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ZAP is dedicated toadvancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and itsunique place in our culture and history. Winegrowers, winemakers and wineenthusiasts combine to form the membership. The common focus is thepreservation and recognition of Zinfandel as America‟s heritage wine. ZAP‟smembership includes approximately 275 winery-members, 5,000 advocate membersand 100 associate members.

Nadia G., based in Montreal,is the first person to successfully transition from a Web series to prime time.She won an award for best mobile comedy series and was recently named DigitalMedia Woman of the Year at The Canadian New Media Awards. She wrote The Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook: Rock Your Kitchen andLet the Boys Clean Up the Mess (skirt!, 2009), has an onlineboutique at www.nadiag.com, a show on Food Network Canada and has just launchedin American prime time with Bitchin’ Kitchen on the new Cooking Channel(channel 182 on Comcast). Nadia G. looks at the funny side of everydaysituations and turns them into occasions worth celebrating — with food. From'Recession Recipes' and 'Impressing the In-laws' to 'Break-up Brunches,' NadiaG. rocks the kitchen with her tasty techniques and stiletto-sharp wit.

Peanut Butter Banana Fritters Drizzled with Chocolate Sauce

Courtesy Nadia G. of Bitchin' Kitchen

Ingredients

Fritters

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1 pinch sea salt

small pinch of baking soda

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup smooth organic peanut butter

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 liter peanut oil (for deep frying)

Chocolate Sauce

1 cup dark chocolate

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup water (for double boiler)

Directions

Fritters

Combine dry ingredients is a bowl and mix.

Add bananas, peanut butter, milk, egg and whisk until consistency issuch that it can be balled up in a spoon.

In a medium sauce pan, heat peanut oil to 375 degrees F.

Using a teaspoon, delicately spoon the peanut-butter-banana batter intothe oil, a few balls at a time and deep fry for 5 minutes until they fluff upand become crispy and golden brown. Drain on wire rack.

Chocolate Sauce

In a pot, bring a cup of water to a simmer.

Add a large metal bowl over top of the pot. In the metal bowl add thechocolate and whipping cream then whisk until it melts together.

Drizzle generously over fritters.

Contact: Julie Ann Kodmur
707/963-9632, [email protected]or www.zinfandel.org

Downloadable high res images:
http://www.zinfandel.org/default.asp?n1=2&n2=851&p1=3&p2=2

http://www.zinfandel.org/default.asp?n1=3&n2=2

Good Eats & Zin recipes:http://zinfandel.org/default.asp?cid=1&n1=15&n2=764

Sunridge link to buy cuttings: http://www.sunridgenurseries.com/

ZinTracks at The Grand Tasting:http://www.zinfandel.org/uploads/TastingProgram2011FINAL.pdf

ZAP’s upcoming events in Kansas City andAustin:
http://www.zinfandel.org/default.asp?n2=803&n1=19&member=