Sip Happens: Rebranding Tradition | Stephanie Wycoff | Barrels and Roots

I sat down with Stephanie Wycoff, the General Manager of Gary Farrell Winery, to pull back the curtain on an industry that often feels too polished to be real. As a video editor and storyteller, I’m always looking for those "faked it till I became it" moments, and Stephanie’s journey from a part-time tasting room gig to leading a premier Russian River Valley brand is exactly that. 

We dive deep into the Sonoma County wine scene, exploring why Pinot Noir and Chardonnay still dominate the conversation while addressing the massive cultural shift toward RTDs and cannabis. This episode is a masterclass in brand authenticity, moving away from "gatekeeping" and "acronym-heavy" snobbery to focus on what actually matters: community and being present. Whether we’re debating the "gym outfit" analogy of wine marketing or discussing why Anderson Valley is the ultimate getaway, this conversation is about making fine wine fit the occasion rather than forcing it to be the occasion. 

When you’re reaching for a drink to actually sit down and "unplug" from your phone, are you grabbing a classic bottle of wine or are you reaching for a canned cocktail lately?

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I mean, I think, and that's what builds connection is that sense of relatability and belonging. And I think that where there's distance, and I think wine has has done some of this in creating it, is just being sort of performative or being prescriptive. And I, you know, people will say this buzzword, authenticity. But I think it is just being real, you know, like it's like it if you walked into a gym, okay, and everyone has their perfect outfit and everyone's flexing and speaking in acronyms and just clearly showing how much they know and they obviously belong there, versus someone, you know, a place where you just go in and someone's like, hey, come on in. Like, here's what we're doing. Jump in where you're comfortable. It's the same activity, but it's a completely different experience. And I think that is where Ryan is trying to get to. Stop being performative, start being real, and let your shoulders down.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Welcome everybody back to the Barrels and Rits podcast. My name is Sean Trace. I am your host today, and I have an awesome guest with me today. Would you like to tell people who you are and a little bit about what you do?

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Sure thing. Hi, I'm Stephanie Wykoff, general manager for Gary Farrell Winery, where we explore the bright and lively style of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. I've been a leader in the wine industry for almost 20 years. I started on the ground floor. I worked part-time in a tasting room while I was getting my master's degree in wine business and quickly grew into the direct-to-consumer management side where I spent most of my career and got to see how people actually experience wine. And I've worked for a variety of wine companies from very small and family-owned to small and private investor-owned to medium-sized, publicly traded wine wine businesses. And so that variety, I think, really broadened my exposure to marketing and wholesale sales and viticulture and winemaking and positioned me to dive into general management here at Gary Farrell.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

That's awesome. Well, I mean, the the question I have is how did how did you get started? What was it that pulled you down that path? And you're like, hey, this is something I want to be doing.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

I kind of say I don't know if I chose wine or wine chose me. I went to Sonoma State University for my degree, my business degree, my undergrad. And, you know, I did kind of the normal thing when someone graduates and I go, great, I have this degree and I can do anything. And what am I going to do now? And maybe I'll move home and live with mom or dad. Um, but I loved Sonoma County. I just fell in love with this area and I wanted to stay here. And it was literally driving down Highway 101, staring at vineyard after vineyard after vineyard, going, hey, you know what? There's a business here. And I have a degree in management and marketing and event planning was something I was really into early in my career. So it kind of just, I don't know, the stars aligned. And um I remember thinking about going back for my master's, and they had just launched a wine MBA program. And so I thought, all right, the universe is telling me something. I think I should explore this.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

When you got in and you started the program, was it something that just like felt like you were coming home? Or was it a challenge to learn some of these concepts?

SPEAKER_01 3:25

It was definitely a challenge. It was interesting. I remember telling my family, yeah, I'm gonna go into the wine business. And I'm in these wine classes, and they're going, Do you just sit around and taste wine? Like, what is what do you mean the wine business? What does that even even mean? Um, and it felt a little like, okay, we need to learn about wine. It's all about the wine. And really what I cared about was business and people and um, you know, the the behind the scenes of it all. So there was definitely a tension for me of what do I need to learn to feel like I deserve to be here while also saying, well, this is the journey that I'm trying to go on.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

The question I have though is like was there a specific moment where wine stopped being something you studied or worked with and became something you just loved? Or was it the other way around that wine was something you loved and then it became something you worked with?

SPEAKER_01 4:19

Yeah, it probably started as something I worked with. I mean, I grew up exposed to wine. We had wine in our in our house, um, anything from, you know, franzia in the fridge to my dad buying Bordeaux at auction. And so I was always around it. Um, but I never really developed my personal interest in it, I think, until I was really in the industry. Again, I went to school. I said, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna charge forward in this business realm. This is the industry I want to be in. And I sort of faked it till I became it. Um, I went out tasting and, you know, I drank a lot of sweet wine in the beginning. And, but I was curious and I asked a lot of questions. And I actually do remember the wine or the wine moment that changed it for me. And it was during uh an outing with my team. So we went a few of us to Paloma in the Spring Mountain on the Spring Mountain area. Um, and they do the most beautiful Merlot. And at the time, this is when this is like 07, 08, 09, somewhere in there. So Merlot is not the hottest thing at the time, but it was being up in this person's house with the person making the wine, selling the wine, doing all the things, and telling their story. And I sat and I was experiencing the whole thing. And it wasn't even necessarily about the wine, but the wine is what created that moment and that, oh my gosh, I get this now.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

Mm-hmm. I love that. Um, you know, it's interesting that you can take something that is just something that you love, and there's a moment where you're like, hey, I'm in it now. I'm doing this now. And you don't always realize that, like the other day I have been doing podcasts and I love talking to people and I love doing this. And someone was like, the other day was like, Well, you're a podcaster. And I was like, What are you talking about, man? I just talk to people. I just like I've always seen it as like something I do, but like, you know, I'm 300 episodes deep on different podcasts. And it's like at that point in time, yeah, I would call myself that. But you know, when the things is, it's like it's always still fresh and it's always new. Every conversation's special, every wine that you try, every glass that you get to try, even if you're you've been around wine, it's still a new glass. It's still something new. And I that's one of the things I love about wine is like, I don't care how long you've been doing it, you can always find a glass that will surprise you.

SPEAKER_01 6:53

Absolutely. And I feel that way too about just my job. And when I get to talk to people, you know, guests will sit on the terrace. We have the most beautiful view at Gary Farrell. And so we love to just sit and have people enjoy the view. The wine's great too. And when I get to talk to people and say, well, you know, where are you from and what brought you here? And people are on vacation or they're on their honeymoon, you know, it gives that reinvigorated sense for me of why this matters, why this is important, why this is fun. Because it's really easy in any job to get sucked into the job, into the weeds of it all. And then you kind of come out of that and go, Oh, yeah, this is this is where people honeymoon. This is where people spend their free time. And it just keeps things in perspective.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

I love that because it's like that's one of the things that I my family moved into the Napa Valley when I was in high school. And I was sitting there going, like, this is just home. It's a lovely place. But then I was realizing that people were paying a lot of money to come on holidays there. And I was just like, wow, this is kind of a nice place to be able to have every single day that you're living, you know. And it's like one of the things too is like, I think that all of us tend to take the the special things for granted when we're around it all the time, you know? And I I just try to always remember that, especially with wines. Um last night I was having a uh a company party with my wife, and we were sitting there, and I said, and I just looked at her and it was, you know, the party was going around us, and I said, I'm just grateful to be here, you know. And I think that that whenever I have a glass of wine, I'm just grateful to be able to have that glass. I'm grateful to be able to pour that glass, I'm grateful to be able to sit there and partake of something so wonderful. Because, you know, I think one of the things that in all areas of our life, but especially uh, you know, food and wine, people don't realize the number of people required to give you the thing that's sitting in front of you. Like to have a glass of wine sitting in front of you, the the sheer logistics of that between the people that helped grow that wine, the, the, the people that were making the bottles, the people that were making the barrels, the people that tended it, the winemakers, the marketing departments, the, you know, the transportation. The simple fact that you're able to have that glass in front of you is such a powerful and beautiful thing, you know?

SPEAKER_01 9:17

It's a good indicator or or symbol of just, you know, life moves fast. We are constantly in a state of being rushed and busy. And, you know, wine has all of that to it as well, but isn't it's like the opposite. It's made in a way that you don't control it, you can't force outcomes, you have to give it time. And you're right, it's about people and and seasons and uh patience. And so I think that's what makes it really unique and special and important is that it gives us an opportunity to slow down and to be present in the moment.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

I think that is so, so true. And I think that one of the things for me that um is so special is that there is this ability to um see what matters, you know. And I think that's a question I have for you. Like, why do you think people outside the wine world most misunderstand about wine? Why does wine matter culturally or personally? Why is this thing even important? You know?

SPEAKER_01 10:22

It's a good question. And I think it's hard to answer in this environment because you know, a lot of the media talks about all the substitutes and all the distractions, like RTDs are the thing now, and you know, where does wine have its place? And I think, you know, it's kind of being asked to earn its place again. And I'll be the first person to say, I also love all the substitutes. You know, if you come into my house, um, not to sound like I overindulge, but you know, you're gonna find margarita mix in the fridge, or you're gonna find a canned cocktail for when I'm gonna take it on a picnic, or you know, I I I enjoy all of the things as well. But wine is to me just really about um other people, like community, enjoying wine with somebody else, slowing down. It's about the occasion, you know. Wine wine, I think, used to be or used to be treated as the occasion. And the industry kind of did that. And I think what is happening now is that people are realizing, well, no, it's really meant to fit into an occasion. I don't sit around with my friends, you know, and I'm in the industry, but I don't sit around with my friends and go, oh my gosh, the clones, and oh my goodness, let me tell you about that malolactic fermentation, you know, like we're we're not, I'm not focused on it. You know, we might comment like, oh, this is what I love about this wine or what have you, but we're just enjoying each other's company. And so I feel like that's the purpose of wine, and the industry is really starting to realize, oh, this is how it's meant to be enjoyed. And maybe we don't need to take it so seriously, but it it is something that matters.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

I agree with you. I I think that what matters to me about wine is the community, um, the social nature of it. Because, you know, when I went out with my my team last night, I I had a glass of wine, and it was the ability to celebrate that together and the ability to be able to sit there and say, hey, we're gonna sit down right now and have something beautiful that we can share. Normally, you know, when I get a cocktail, you know, with my wife, I'll drink the cocktail by myself, you know. And I I think that there's so few things that we get to share. Last night I had a similar experience that was awesome. It wasn't wine though, but it was something that was really fun. And at our party, I uh I bought these two, I don't know if I have the box here still. Yeah, I bought two of these. It was kind of old school, and I bought two of these little quick disposable candles. Oh my god, I love it. And I I grabbed them. And first of all, I was trying to school my Gen Z employees about how to wind the film. They kept pressing it and they're looking at pressing it. I was like, you gotta wind it. And the it was everyone was cracking up. But one of the things that was interesting is that for a short period of time, we got to share this. And I didn't hire any photographers last night. I was like, you guys are our photographers. You got 27 photos, make them count.

SPEAKER_01 13:35

And you don't know what they look like until you go get that developed.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Right. Right. And my workers kept taking a picture and they were like looking at the back of the box. I was like, guys, it doesn't work like that. You don't know what it's gonna be like, you know? And that's one of the things that's special about wine is like you don't know until you pop that cork what that bottle's gonna be like. And it is this very much, this analog, this very um tactile experience of just being able to be sit there and be present. I I studied Zen Buddhism in university because I'm weird like that. But one of the things that was interesting is that I was a um comparative religion, I studied history with an emphasis in Eastern philosophy and comparative religions. And I was obsessed with Zen Buddhism because I love the idea of the Koan. There's this one monk, I can't remember who, but when the person came to him and he was like, they would ask these wise things, like, what is the Buddha? What is the nature of enlightenment? And the guy looked at him and he said, Look at the three-legged donkey running down the hill. And I was like, what in the hell does that mean? Right. But the whole point was like, if you're asking me something ridiculous, I'm sitting here telling you, dude, there's a three-legged donkey running down the hill. If you could see a three-legged donkey running down the hill, isn't everything else trivial at that point in time? Like, just take a look at the donkey running down the hill. And like when I have a glass of wine, one of the things, and this is something that I people think that because I have a wine podcast, I drink a lot. I do not. I actually am very like, I drink a a small amount, but when I have a glass of wine, it's intentional. It's very much something that I do with purpose. And I sit down and like I'm not going crazy ignoring it. I'm just sitting there and like this wine glass, maybe this is the one glass that I have this month. And I'm gonna really, really savor it, enjoy it and and be present with it, you know?

SPEAKER_01 15:29

Exactly. But it's it's it has such a different purpose than anything else. You know, the reason I'm gonna open a glass or sorry, open a bottle of wine is different than if I'm gonna have an RTD or, you know, there's all this talk of like cannabis and what that's doing. And, you know, I think there's a lot of that influence out there, but uh wine is about that moment and slowing down. And you know, I it's funny you mentioned the camera because I think about my 20s when I was coming up into wine. And we didn't have phones with cameras in our pockets, you know, we had little even we did have digital cameras, but we it was so this just being present to take selfies with your friends because you were capturing the moment. It wasn't to go post it on Instagram or TikTok or what have you. And so I think that's what I hope wine becomes for the younger generation is something that makes them pause and get out of that bubble a little bit and and be in the moment. You know, my my husband and I go to concerts a lot. And well, not as much. We have a young child now, but we love live music. And it's incredible to go and watch these young folks with their phones. The whole stadium is lit up with phones of people recording, and we're always looking there and going, stop, put the phone down, be in the moment. This person is singing and playing music and just enjoy what that is.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

And so I I hope that my generation who has some perspective around analog versus digital is going to lead the way to coming back to that present state of mind and being I I think that there's something huge to be said for that because the idea of um growing up, um, you know, I not being glued to a device, you know, but now I still I have to force myself to be intentional about stepping back. And and I mean, I love short form content. Like if I need to pick me up, I'll go and look at Instagram. And I don't know why my Instagram feed has become what it is, but I always find faith in humanity when I read the Instagram comments, and everyone, you know, we see people around us that are just everyone's like in the news, everyone's a jerk these days. I mean, wherever people are coming from, there's just like a bunch of a-holes, like left and right, you know, all over the place.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Something to say about everything.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

Right? And when I get on Instagram, I sit there and go, you know what? We're we're all pretty damn similar. You know, on some level, we all just want to have joy, we want to laugh, we want to be present with our family and friends. And I think that if we can kind of set that pretense aside and like and just, I mean, I wish that I could get all of these different people together from all of the walks of life and just sit them down and say, shut up, shut up. This is a wonderful wine. Have a glass, we're gonna put on some good music, and you guys are all just gonna chill. And I mean, I think if you did that, I think the world would be a much better place, but because we all need that community. And I think that's what, to me, wine is about. And I think the younger generation is is finding their way. And I think they a lot of them find it in cannabis, but good for them, you know. But for me, I want to tell them there's also something else that's really special. And it doesn't need to be intimidating. And this is one of the things that I think the wine industry has gotten so wrong in the marketing, and like everything has been so polished that it feels like really terrifying. Like I was talking to one of the winemakers I knew, and like I was like, every time I would see photos, and it'd be done by the marketing departments, it would just be this I'm I'm a photographer. Like, I that's my job is to make things look polished and beautiful. But the problem is when you do that too much, people will look at that and go, Oh, I don't know if I can access that. I don't know if I can even relate to that, you know, where it's like, I would love the wine industry's version of dirty jobs. Like, show me that side.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

You're onto something there, Sean. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 19:33

Right?

SPEAKER_01 19:34

I agree with you. I mean, I think, and that's what builds connection is that sense of relatability and belonging. And I think that where there's distance, and I think wine has has done some of this in creating it, is just being sort of performative or being prescriptive. And I, you know, people will say this buzzword, authenticity. But I think it is just being real, you know, like it's like it if you walked into a gym, okay, and everyone has their perfect outfit and everyone's flexing and speaking in acronyms and just clearly showing how much they know and they obviously belong there, versus someone, you know, a place where you just go in and someone's like, hey, come on in. Like, here's what we're doing. Jump in where you're comfortable. It's the same activity, but it's a completely different experience. And I think that is where Ryan is trying to get to. Stop being performative, start being real, and let your shoulders down.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

I was thinking the other day of like, imagine that I went in and I went to a marketing department. And I I'm I'm in marketing, so I'm not gonna hate too much. But I, if I went to a marketing department and I said, dress me like a high school student, all right? Versus if I go into my daughter and I say, dress me like a high school student, you know which of those two is gonna come through with a much more authentic experience? Probably my daughter. My daughter's probably like, just dress like your dress, like just wear the clothes you're wearing now. It's probably what my daughter would say because that's who you are and what you're doing. You know, but if I went to the marketing department, they're gonna be like, all right, let's do this right now. And I would look like there was a Steve Buscemi character role where he's like, hey guys, I'm hip. I'm cool, you know, and you're like, obviously you're not. I see this one trend on Instagram and TikTok that's just the most cringe thing I've ever seen. And it's like these 50-year-old men that are like people think that I look like I'm 25. And it's like, it's this trend right now. And these guys that are doing that, I'm like, no, and everyone's like, no, you don't. You look like you're 60. But one of the things that right? It's super like wow, what is this happening right now? But one of the things that's like we we try to be like, and I go on the authenticity, but if I were to ask you this, if someone wanted to break down some of the barriers to for for new wine drinkers to get in and really enjoy this, what what do you think we should be doing to help break down some of those barriers?

SPEAKER_01 22:01

We really started to look at this at Gary Farrell. Um, you know, talking about being performative or prescriptive. We are a 40-plus year old brand. We're established. We have a reputable, respectful reputation for, you know, fine wine, high-end Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. And that kind of created its own barriers, you know. But like, how does someone walk into that? Do you feel like you have to arrive at that? And so we've gone through a long process um since since I came back to Gary Farrell. So also for context, this is my my second chapter here. So I led DTC here once before. And so I have kind of a unique lens of like, here's who we really are, and here's what really are the truths that need to endure versus here's kind of where we've gotten stuck. Um, and so to make a brand like that more relevant in today's market, you do have to break down those barriers. And so, you know, for example, in practice, we have gone through a lot of deep dives. You know, I I remember sitting my first week here, interviewing every single person in the company and just kind of asking them what they believe about certain things. And they'd say something and it was kind of the talking point. And I'd say, well, why? Why do you believe that? And they'd give me an answer, and then I'd go, but why? You know, and I would just keep digging and digging until it kind of pulled out, like, oh, that's actually maybe not who we are anymore, or that's not what really we care about, or that doesn't have to be so precious. And so I think if the industry did a little bit more of that and kind of asking, like, instead of saying this is how you do it, ask your customer, ask the people you're trying to make wine for, what do you see? What do you want? And really think about who this is actually for and how you're bringing it to life. Because what I have realized in storting legacy brands into a sense of renewal is that there are certain things that are part of your DNA, your what and your why, you know, don't really change, but your how absolutely can. And I think a lot of brands are too afraid to make changes, especially when you're established, especially when you're kind of put in this, this is what this is. Well, why does it have to be? And what if we want to do it differently? So I think having a little bit of courage to ask those questions and sit in that discomfort a little bit and analyze that would go a long way.

SPEAKER_00 24:34

We we all sit in our bubbles. Like we all have bubbles whether we realize it or not. And when I think about movies, uh if you say the word movie to me, I have this plethora of movies that I think about. But if I say a movie to one of my 22-year-old Gen Z employees, they think of completely different movies. You know, there's a whole different thing. You know, one of the videos that has done the best on this, on this podcast? It was a podcast episode where I sat down with my friend uh and we talked about um if different wines were different Harry Potter characters. And it was funny because it seems like, you know, we were like, oh, well, how do we find who would this person be? But it was it was relatable for the people that were watching my channel on YouTube because they're like, you know what, I cannot relate to what is uh um this varietal. I I don't even know. These words make no sense to me. But I know this character, you know, I know this. You know, it's like I was sitting there and thinking, you could do it with anything, yeah, like the characters from Naruto or uh the characters from Star Wars or whatever is popular at that time. You know, how if you wanted to pick like 10 years ago, if I was doing this podcast 10 years ago, I would have been like, all right, Game of Thrones characters, what is you know, Ned Stark gonna drink for dinner? You know, what is what is uh um, you know, I mean it's an already dated reference right now, but like you think about that, you know? I I I another video, I was doing videos of like what would Beyonce drink? What wine was Beyoncé? What would Mr. Beast be? You know, and it was interesting because those videos performed well. And I'm not trying to say that we have to focus on what performs well. I'm saying that if you want to relate to someone, you have to understand the box they're in and and come and talk to them inside their box. Because I can't be, you know, one of the things that was always hardest for me was when I would go to tastings and they would be talking in terms like, I'm I'm just I can't even comprehend what you're saying right now. Which is why I was like, Harry Potter, I love, I can frame and reference things in that way, you know? And so that actually that episode helped me learn more about I'm not a wine expert, I'm just a person who enjoys it, would love to know more. But you when you think about a new generation coming into wine, what excites you most and what worries you, if anything?

SPEAKER_01 26:47

Well, I'm worried that the wine industry can't get out of its own way. I think there's a lot of this business that's rooted in tradition. And while that, you know, we can honor that, I think we also have to look at how we can evolve. Um, you know, I again I look back into my 20s. I'm 41 now, I'm a millennial, but I remember there was all of this hype around millennials being the next generation. We were the, you know, the biggest generation coming into consumerism, and we just needed to grow in into wine. And I think that there was some quiet signals happening that weren't being paid attention to because of all of the hype. And one was that we were looking for meaning. And it turned into the wine business giving us marketing. We got critter labels and like this oversimplification. And so I think where I have hope is that, you know, the new generation, the Gen Z generation, does not look that different in their 20s. But now we're paying some better attention to what's actually happening. And, you know, there's some cyclical stuff, there's some structural stuff. I do still believe that people age into wine. I don't think that is going to be happening the way it has in the past, but I do think wine is a beverage you you sort of grow up into. But there are also structural things where people are enjoying it differently. And we we just need to look at how that is and again make make wine fit the occasion, not be the occasion. Um, you know, it doesn't need to be marketing based. I know there's a lot of like, yes, we need more marketing, but it just it just needs to feel real and it just needs to have meaning. And so I I have hope that my generation and younger is prioritizing that as we lead into the future where where wine can go.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

I love that. You know, uh and I think that, you know, we can't always know where things are going, but we can pivot, you know, we can pivot and adapt and understand that we new consumers have new, new needs and new, you know, new things that we have to adapt to. And I understand that you have that for the winers, it has to be a balancing point. You can't just throw tradition out the window, but you also have to understand that, you know, things change. But like how uh first of all, a little side note, what what's your favorite varietal? What do you, you know, you're gonna pick up a glass right now. What's something that you would grab?

SPEAKER_01 29:24

Okay, my honest but boring answer is Pinot Noir. It's kind of the obvious answer. Um, I will say though, I my husband and I actually really love going to Anderson Valley and Mendocino. It's our little 24-hour getaway.

SPEAKER_00 29:38

So beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 29:38

And they have some of the best Pinot there. It's really balanced with fruit and earth and different things. But I also, that's one of my favorite regions because you can find white like Alsatian varietals. You can find Gavirchminer and Riesling. And so that's kind of where I gravitate toward. Um, if I'm gonna have a glass. But honestly, I, you know, that's one of the cool things too. I I know wine is supposed to be social, but I also, when I want it, I want it. And so if no one's there, you know, my husband doesn't want to share a bottle with me at the at the night or whatever, I have a Coravin. And so I will open whatever I want on any given night and Coravin it. And it's great because I've been able to drink, you know, a lot of different varietals, um, you know, better wine versus like Tuesday night wine, if you will. And so it kind of gives me a chance to explore what I'm feeling on any given day of the week.

SPEAKER_00 30:29

I'm with you on that. I I think one of the things I I'm a huge Pinot fan, so I'm glad that I am not the only one. Like every I know growing up in Napa Valley, like man, they there's such an obsession with cab, but I love Pinot, and I love a good Pinot, and I I as well. Anderson Valley, um, one of my favorite places in the world. Uh, what was it? But they have the big frisbee golf course up there. I can't remember the name of that spot, but there's so much great wine up there, too.

SPEAKER_01 30:56

Yeah, well, it's fine. You said Napa. My husband is from Napa Valley. He grew up in Calistoga, and so it was sort of funny when we started dating because I was a Sonoma County girl, you know, went to school here, worked here. This is where I there's so much to explore here. Like Napa's cab. Why would I go there? But he was like, No, you need to come and do a day on this side of the valley. And we went and it was fun because you you actually could also see there are variations in cab and there's other varietals too. And um, I don't know. It's just, I think that's the fun thing is I I do have preferences, but I also really love to explore and discover different things from you know, a spectrum of one varietal to completely different varietals. Um, so it's it's a fun thing. But I think as a brand, you have to you have to own your lane and you have to know what you're about. You know, this came up at Gary Farrell at one point because we make Chardonnay at Pinot Noir. We have made other things. We've made Zinfandel and way back when we made Bordeaux varietals. But people have really come to know and love us for Pinot and Chardonnay. And, you know, there's like trends now. And oh, the young, the young people like to explore new things and they want to try obscure varietals. And so it would be really easy for us to go, oh, you know what, maybe maybe I should make a grenache. You know, it's kind of like Pinot, it's Pinotesque, like maybe someone will like it. And it's just been really important to know what we do and do it well, and then give that sense of discovery in a different way in the how, in the in the experience of wine. So that's what I love and kind of how I think about the lens of of preferences and and why we do anything.

SPEAKER_00 32:38

Um, you know, I wanted to ask you this one. I but you know, we talked a little bit about that with there, you love Pinot, but how has your relationship with wine changed over time? Not just taste, but you know, is there on any other, does it mean anything different to you now that it didn't before?

SPEAKER_01 32:53

I'm more comfortable with it, I guess. Um, I guess it's changed. My relationship with wine has changed in the way that my relationship with leadership has, where, you know, earlier in my career there was a lot of performance. It was uh learning the jargon and, you know, having executive presence at a at a conference room table, or knowing how to talk about the wine at a at a dining room table and just kind of trying to get it right, um, or at least not sound like an idiot in the room. And over time that's really shifted and I'm much more confident and and grounded and and sort of comfortable owning um where something isn't my interest. Like if I'm not into a wine, that that's that's okay. It's totally subjective, and it doesn't mean it's bad wine, or I don't certainly don't want to offend any winemaker, but um I'm okay being sort of own it, honest that something's not my cup of tea. Um the same way I'm you know trying to do the same thing with my expertise. Like I'm clear on what I bring to the table and just as importantly why I care about being at the table or when I don't.

SPEAKER_00 34:04

I love that. I I I think too, I think that's one of the things that is also a beautiful thing about wine for me. Um and I think you know, we were talking earlier about why wine is special and important. It's like music like this. Uh it's okay to say you don't like something, you know, and I think that's something that we we have this social thing where this is it's gonna sound horrible. But someone shows you a picture of their new baby, and you're supposed to say your baby's adorable. But the reality is a lot of newborn babies look really weird, you know.

SPEAKER_01 34:42

The ugly baby in grow-ups are even the most beautiful of grown-ups, though.

SPEAKER_00 34:47

Right? You know, three months in, four months in, every baby's cute. But those first photos, you're just like, I remember seeing someone, one of my friends send over some baby photos recently, and I was like, ah, wow, you have a beautiful child. And he's like, and my friend turned to me and he knows me well enough. He's like, Sean, I know, I know. And I was like, man, those are some special photos. Um, yeah, great job. But like the irony is, is like we're always supposed to say it's wonderful, it's wonderful. I had this one cab the other day. It was horrible in my taste. It did not match what I like. And I don't think it was a horrible cab. It just was one of those things that it was just so overpowering. And I just sat there and I was like, man, where's my Pinot? And that's okay. It is okay to have that preference and have that taste, you know. And I think that in wine, right now, there's a lot of noise. There's a lot of trends, there's a lot of things, and everyone's trying to figure it out. And I think that, you know, whether it be like natural wine, low alcohol, lifestyle branding, social media, it's a lot of noise. But, you know, I think that there's something to be said for just getting back to helping people, I hate to say it again, be authentic and feel like and just what's authentic for the brand, and just say, hey, come on out and meet us where you're at. You might not like this, but we think you will, you know? But like what level of all this noise feels like just signal to you and what what feels like distraction? What do you think is actually important, you know?

SPEAKER_01 36:19

It's a really good comment and question. You know, at Gary Farrell, we say we don't follow trends, we follow our compass. And from the very beginning, we did it our way. You know, Gary is a man, he founded the winery, and he was not about making like the typical California style of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, what was even typical in the early 80s, but ripe or super fruit bombing or whatever. He was inspired by Burgundy, but we're in California. And so he was just kind of trying to do something that felt sensible and real and honest to him. And that has been sort of our compass for 40 plus years. And what we're trying to do is really also tell other people and everyone who comes here, follow your compass. You know, we have a perspective. We do Pinot, we do Chardonnay, we do it from a lot of different single vineyards. So you can explore all around Russian River Valley and Sonoma County. And it's really fun to go on this journey. You don't have to love all of them. You don't have to like all of them. If you don't, that's cool. Like it's okay. We're happy to recommend, you know, our neighbor down the street who might like have your style that you want. So we're trying to show up that way. And, you know, I think like the the uh the Grenache example I used earlier, like that would be really easy, easy for us to say, oh, we should do this, or hey, white wines are really popular. Uh, we should make Alberino or, you know, something like that. And so the filter that I use when ideas kind of start getting abstract is pretty simple. It's how far off our path will this take us? And is this going to confuse our customers? Um so, you know, we already make single vineyard peen and orange chardonnay. Let's do our best to offer discovery around that and kind of question assumptions about even what that way is. Um, you know, there's a lot of trends right now where it's about being social and bearing being experiential. And so that's cool. We're leaning into that, but it still has to feel like us. And so I think the way that we have to think about it, and and every every winery and brand has to think about it is just how do you lean into the parts of your DNA that feel true and don't get distracted by the noise, but but show up in a way that feels like, okay, we can do this. And if something doesn't work, okay, you're trying it again, you know, or try it differently, or stop doing it and just be flexible and adaptable. Um, don't build your entire business on a trend or a headline, but you can do an event in that realm.

SPEAKER_00 39:09

I actually absolutely love that because it's like once you know what you're good at, you can lean in on that and let go of the rest. Because, you know, what was it, the 80-20 principle? Only 20% of what you're doing is actually meaningful. And one of the things that was interesting to me was that I was um I make content. I do videos like this. And I found out one thing that I was trying to do scripted content where I would sit there and be like, hi, my name is Sean, and I'm here to tell you these are the three varietals that you should be drinking. I suck at that. Like, I can't do it, man. I'm just not good. It's not me. It's not, but you know, you put me in front of a person and we're having a conversation. It's gonna be fun, it's gonna be funny. You gotta know what you're good at. And I mean, and I think that when wineries are able to lean in and just like, this is us, this is what we bring, this is our experience, you know, it it becomes really powerful because at the end of the day, your product will sell itself. You just have to get it into people's hands and let them, you know, experience it. So I think that that's something that to me is super cool. But, you know, it also leads to the question though that I wanted to ask you, because it's tied to it, is you know, how do you get it into people's hands? You know, and what role do like storytelling or context play in helping someone connect with the wine beyond whether they like it or not? Because, you know, one of the things that's special about wine is like, you know, Gary Farrell, you have a 40-year tradition, you said. I mean, that's amazing. It's an established thing. Like, how does storytelling play into that in context? Or is it is it all about the wine, or does that story matter?

SPEAKER_01 40:49

It's a timely question. We have been going through a sort of brand evolution again, back to what is our DNA? But how does that show up? So I'll give you an example. If you currently go to our website, we're working on this as we go to do a new website, but you know, you're you might read things like cool climate, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, single vineyards, sense of place, and you can expand this to the entire industry. A award-winning, family-owned, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And so I think that, you know, what what our what we've put in practice is let's get back to our why. Why do we exist? That is actually a reason beyond we want to make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. That's what we do. And this is like, I don't know if you follow Simon Sinek, but this is his, you know, golden circle thing where it's like we all know what we do, we know how we do it, but why? Why are we here? And that that is why people buy, that is why people believe. And so I think storytelling or or or narrative telling, in a sense, how that shows up is uh the thing. That that's, you know, we're we're selling a luxury product. And so people are buying it based on emotion. They're buying it based on how those messages are relevant to us and make us feel about ourselves. You know, if I'm going in to buy tires for my car, I am not like, I don't even really want to deal with that. But, you know, my husband might look at like, okay, well, what's the performance rating and what's the safety rating and what's this or that? And I'm like, will it help me take all the corners on West Side Road? Like, will I have traction while I'm driving, you know, like that? And so I think it's about translating a reason for being, whether that's a brand or a wine, and making that accessible and digestible for the consumer.

SPEAKER_00 42:53

I love that. And it I think it is like it's all about knowing what's important to the person, you know. And I I I love that. Like, I um my father-in-law loves motorcycles, and I I we we drive motorcycles everywhere here, and I we have a car too, but it's just so much more convenient to go on a bike. And one of the things is he loves all of these vintage bikes that look classy, like oh, so beautiful. He gave me one that he's like, I I fix this one up, it's perfect for you. And he doesn't know why that I drive my boring old new bike that's just newer, but I this because my motivation is just to get my family to and from the places we're going safe. And it's really easy to drive, it has great brakes, it is stable as I go, you know. And I I think if you can think about what's important to people, it's it's powerful. And I mean, how does wine do that? Like to me, wine is a moment, wine is a memory, the same way this disposable camry is a moment and a memory. But last night we were there, and in time, time was captured, you know, time was captured in a bottle, and when you drink. And you open up that vintage, you know, you sit there and think back about that time. And I and I think that's one of the reasons, like you said, people age into wine because wine has aged just like people have. You know, and when when you're young and you get this new vintage, it's like you don't think back about where were you at this point in time. But as you get older, you start to look at that and sit there and go, where was I at this point in time? You know, what was happening in the world at this point in time? And wine is one of the few things that allows you to taste something from that time. You know, we can't, we can see photos from the past, but they're not tactile, they're not visceral. But when you open a bottle from 2001, what was happening in 2001? What was happening in in 1978? What was happening in 2024, you know? And that's so special to me because it's time, time in a bottle. And you get to really connect with with things of your past and reminisce and have that experience, you know?

SPEAKER_01 44:58

I I was I I was recently watching um, what's the movie? No Country for Old Men with Javier Bardem.

SPEAKER_00 45:05

Such a great movie.

SPEAKER_01 45:06

Such a good movie.

SPEAKER_00 45:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 45:08

But I was watching it and I was fixated on this idea where it's all about the coin, right? He's like coin tossing and he's betting people's lives on this coin. And he's asking them these questions about like what's the most you've ever of you, you know, bet your life on a coin. And they're just kind of like, huh? Like it's just a coin. And he's about to coin toss, and they know that their life depends on it, and they just don't understand.

SPEAKER_00 45:30

And his whole point is he's it's like, and he's like, Yeah, this is the most important moment in your life.

SPEAKER_01 45:37

Exactly. And this coin is from 1952, and it traveled how many years to get here to this moment. And I'm just watching this movie, like, oh my God, this is so powerful when you think about wine the same way. How much, like you said, people and time and process and effort and literal blood, sweat, tears went into making this thing. Uh, you know, I've I've started asking when I have wine with friends at a table. I don't really, I'm not like telling me about the wine. I said, how did the wine get to this table? And when you ask something at that, like that, it's open-ended and it makes people think and they kind of look at you a little bit like, what do you mean? But it opens such a different conversation. And I I love that.

SPEAKER_00 46:20

I I I studied acting in the past. And one of the things that was interesting to me uh was uh that that scene was one of the core scenes. Everyone studies that scene because it's such a great scene to study. And, you know, you'd never think about that. Now you got me wanting to reshoot that in like with a with a glass of wine instead of a coin. Um, you know, like this glass is the most important glass. This glass traveled to you from that time. But when you think about that context, um, it just makes it so special, you know. And when I got to sit down with a glass last night with my team, it was something that we shared together, you know, and the memories that you're making, the the beauty that you're making, it's a powerful thing. And I think that we need more of that in our world. We need more of that context, we need more of that passion, we need more of that understanding. And whatever you can use to get there, that's a beautiful thing. So it it where can people go to find out more about you and what you do?

SPEAKER_01 47:21

You can go to GaryFarrellwinery.com to learn about our winery and all the wonderful things that we're up to. Uh, I personally am on LinkedIn, so Stephanie Wyckoff, and I am just starting a little venture to into something. You were talking about short short form versus long-form content. Um, I just started a substack, so it's called the Lead Wise Lens. Leadwise is spelled like W-Y-S-E, like my last name. And, you know, it's just kind of a place for me to reflect and and sort of talk about what's going on beneath the surface of leadership. Um gives myself a reason, honestly, to slow down and reflect and and be present in what I'm doing.