I’m not so naïve to think my particular methodology for data-driven winery strategy is everyone’s cup of tea. Hell, after over a year of writing this blog and taking countless meetings, I know better than most that it’s not. Even still, I sit here in front of my screen to compose another week’s edition with a smile on my face; because I represent something larger than just myself: progress.
Let’s turn the microscope around this week, and really take a look at our little corner of business world. Wine has been a part of human life for millennia: inspiring poets, slating the thirst of kings, warming the masses at Christmas markets, and being shared amongst countless groups of friends. For that to happen as effectively as it has, an entire wine industry of devotees has dedicated their lives for generations to the cultivation, production and sale of it. As seasons changed, empires rose and fell, and civilization progressed towards this moment; wine has been a constant throughline, holding sway over the tastes of humanity. I challenge you to find a single more resilient product that’s stood the test of time like that of our humble fermented grape juice.
What’s the secret, then? How has wine been able to thrive in the global marketplace as an essential commodity since the stone age? A steady stream of innovators, willing to push boundaries and confront the uncomfortable truth that even something this perfect can still benefit from change. Not glossing over the mind blowing fact that someone, deep in our historical past, was brave enough to put spoiled grapes filled with burning juice in their mouth in the first place; wine has the tendency to evolve through large meaningful events:
· The realization that, when collected and sealed from the air in vessels like amphoras, you could extend your brew’s ability to not spoil into vinegar.
· The discovery of cork, and its ability to stopper a now more widely accepted reusable glass bottle.
· The creation of mass production techniques that could now produce enough wine to supply the city of Rome.
· The genuine joy in lighting upon a climate and soil that feels perfect to cultivate your vines like Chile, New Zealand, South Africa or the United States.
· The “here goes nothing” moment when Jim Barrett handed Steven Spurrier those bottles of ’73 Chardonnay.
These are pivotal points that stand among history, causing tectonic shifts in the industry as we know it. No matter how bad things devolved into, there was always at least one crazy person willing to put the grape in their mouth and set off a chain reaction of new possibilities.
Now, can I say that my application of data science in the wine industry is going to cause some sort of revolutionary shift: who knows. What I can say, is that I’m just crazy enough to try a grape and see what happens; and I can’t be the only one out here. There has to be more people like me, in all corners of the wine world, willing to run with their crazy ideas and see if they start that chain reaction. Our job as leaders and decision makers is to give them a means to try. Dare to take a risk on the passionate outsider that’s willing to stand in front of you and offer their service. That level of bravery and personal confidence can only mean one thing: progress isn’t dead. Even if their ideas sound absolutely bonkers, what if they’re not?
Comments