Napa’s Hidden Story | Jeri Hansen | Barrels and Roots

In this episode of Barrels and Roots, I sit down with Jeri Hansen, President and CEO of the Napa Chamber of Commerce, to explore the community that exists beyond Napa Valley’s world-famous wine. We talk about the farmers, winemakers, cellar teams, hospitality workers, entrepreneurs, and small-business owners whose hard work has shaped Napa into something far greater than a travel destination.

Jeri explains how Napa’s agricultural preserve protected the valley from overdevelopment, why collaboration remains one of the region’s greatest strengths, and how wine and agriculture continue to support tourism, restaurants, wellness, recreation, and local businesses. We also discuss the challenges facing the wine industry, the importance of economic diversification, and the new technology, healthcare, transportation, and entrepreneurial projects creating hope for Napa’s future.

This conversation is ultimately about honoring Napa’s roots without freezing the community in time. As Jeri says, evolution is not the enemy of preservation, it may be the only way to protect what makes Napa special.

What should Napa preserve at all costs as it enters its next chapter?

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

There is a change happening, and I know that it's that change is frightening sometimes or it's uncomfortable. And I would say that you know, we talk about preservation evolution and change is preservation. If you don't evolve, transform, um, respond, adapt, if you don't do that, then you've lost the opportunity to preserve what you've had because you stay static and you stay stagnant. And it's um that's when things fall apart. So the opportunity for our community and our you know industries to look at, you know, what are the current conditions and what are the conditions that we feel like we're now going into, how do we evolve? And that's not um that doesn't mean that we're gonna, you know, pave over things or build things that are, you know, in the wrong places and do it, you know, haphazardly. That uh evolution is the way that we preserve what we have. Honoring the past and holding on to the past in the way that we want to preserve that and keep this special place the way it is special, it is going to take us thinking in new ways and doing things in new ways and welcoming folks and ideas that are maybe different than what we have tried before, because that's the that's the the way that we're gonna save it.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

Welcome everybody back to the Barrels and Roots podcast. I am the your host, Sean Trace, 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_02 1:47

Sure. Well, I like that you say I'm awesome before we've even started our conversation. So great.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Um but I'm where we gotta start, man. The day is beginning. It's where we gotta start. Right.

SPEAKER_02 2:00

I'm Jerry Hansen. I am president and CEO of the Napa Chamber of Commerce. And I can tell you more about what I do, but we we can get into that in the in the conversation because it's a little bit of everything.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

Well, that's interesting. Like, um let's go to this. I want to ask you because you are the president of the Napa Chamber of Commerce, and like most people come to Napa for the wine. But what do you wish they understood about the community behind it?

SPEAKER_02 2:24

I think that visitors, bless you, visitors see Napa, Napa Valley as a destination and they come here for specific things. But, you know, it's very much a community. And wineries and agriculture and vineyards, it's they're working lands. And so um they are kind of the cornerstone, keystone of our economy. And then, you know, all the sectors that they uh have created and um serve. So tourism and hospitality and restaurants and wellness and recreation, you know, wine is sort of the underpinning of that. Wine and ag are the underpinning of all of that. But it is very much a local community. And I think there's, you know, wine is one story, but our community and our valley have a lot of stories. And um it's it's diverse and more than than folks might think.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

I love that. And I think that that's one of the I started this podcast because growing up in the Napa Valley, I saw the people making the wine. And not just the winemakers, I saw all the people making the wine, the people that were out, you know, doing all of the different tasks. And it is really diverse. People don't realize how many different types of people are involved in this process. And that there is just so much going on behind the scenes. You come, you have this beautiful experience, you taste the bottle of wine, but you don't understand the number of hours that went into creating this amazing product that so many people love, you know?

SPEAKER_02 4:01

Right. And it's not, you know, um, I think at the the consumer of that bottle of wine or that glass of wine, you know, typically either in a tasting room or with a meal or with friends, there is a romantic aspect to it. But as you point out, getting there is hard work. And it takes a lot of different types of skills and uh talents to get it to that point, you know, starting with, you know, the vineyard itself and all the things that need to happen every season in the vineyard to get it to a point where they're then harvesting. And then, you know, I was talking to a winemaker, um, I don't know, it was a couple of weeks ago, and um they said, you know, it's kind of lonely sometimes because a winemaker, it's not like they're sitting in front of a barrel all the time looking at the glass like you see in the the postcard pictures. You know, they're in the, they're in a lab, they're tasting different blends, they're working with, you know, folks who are testing the bricks and the sugar levels and the, you know, all of the pieces. And so it's it can also be very scientific. So it's this interesting blend of art and science, but the folks in the cellar and you know, the barrel maker, and then you end up with people in hospitality and the tasting room. And so there's a there's a lot of layers that go into um creating that bottle of wine that we enjoy at the end of whatever day that we might have had, or at the beginning of a celebration that we're having. So, um, and that's the story. That's the story of Knapp Valley.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

I think that it's so amazing. I'm sitting here at a um a table that I had made. Um, two of them. One is made for my new podcasting. This is a new podcasting table I had made, and it's got beautiful oak wood. And over here I have this desk that I use for editing videos and creating content, and I've been using it for six years now. And there's this spot on my desk where the the lacquer, the varnish has been rubbed away from all these years of me moving the mouse around, you know, and why I'm bringing that up is that, and you think about that desk. That desk, like, where did that wood come from? Who was the person who farmed that? And then where did that person, the person who harvested it, the guy who drove the truck to where it was coming, to the factory where the man, the carpenter made it for me with his own hands, you know?

SPEAKER_01 6:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

If you think about all those things, it makes the wine like even more magical to think like the simple fact that you're able to get this bottle is amazing. And it is made with the stories of the people of Napa Valley. And that to me is magical.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

Yeah. And then, I mean, I think we're lucky that we have fortunate that we have a product that people become part of that story too. So you taste a wine or you buy a bottle of wine, and maybe you're here in Napa Valley doing that and you really enjoy it, or you have it at dinner. You go home to wherever your home is across the nation or around the world, and now you're part of that wine story too. You search it out, you find it in a wine shop, you see it on a wine list, and it continues. And I think the interesting thing about the story is that it's not the same every year. I mean, there's the um, you know, the people who make it, but every season, every year tells a different story, what was happening that year in the weather, um, and you know, what was going on, you know, with watering or what happened. And so you're really tasting um a snapshot of a look back and when you're sipping one of our one of our glasses of wine. And that's anywhere. Anywhere who makes wine has that same similar story where it is a snapshot of the past and that particular season and that harvest. And and again, it's it's romantic in a way. It's a very it sounds so bucolic, but there's also a lot of sweat and tears. And as many winemakers say, it takes a lot of good beer to make good wine.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Right. I'm drinking during harvest. That's awesome. I would I would, yeah, right. I'm actually this summer or at the end of this in September. I'm actually coming back and I've talked to about 20 different wineries now, and I'm gonna be filming for each of these wineries. I'm gonna go there during harvest and film a documentary about what is actually happening. So I'm filming, I already have it all set up. All of my guests that I've been coming on have been coming on the podcast. I say, can I come there and film? Can I come in Napa, Sonoma? I'm going to both places and just showing up for a day and filming everything that happens. And we want to see what are the what are you guys putting up with? What are the challenges? What are the awesome things that are happening? Because people understand, like, it is a long, long day, you know, and the the and you know, they're just it's go time. Yeah. And yet it's so magical, you know. But I wanted to ask you this because it's a question that I think you're uniquely positioned to answer. What makes Napra different from every other wine region in the world? Wow.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Well, I have a coup a couple of thoughts about that. Um, you know, it's not, it's not just about our terroir. And it's not, you know, the the things that you would hear about our unique place in the winemaking world. Um, I would hope that every other winemaking region feels as special about their place as we do about ours. So that's that's a good thing. Um, but I think here in Napa Valley, as you know, growing up here, there is this sense of um so far forward looking. So the Ag Preserve is a great example. In 1968, you know, growers got together to create the nation's first agricultural preserve. And that is a lot of why we don't look like San Jose. Um, and created the laws around land use and zoning that preserved agriculture as the the highest and best use of the land here so that it would remain in production and not be paved over. And I think, you know, those are those are some forward-looking things. There's a saying about, you know, a man who um plants a tree knowing that he will never live to sit under its shade. And that is really how the ag preserve came together. And it wasn't easy. I mean, there were a lot of people who were against that. Um, at the time, it was really um, I think, innovative as far as creating some a land use policy around preserving agriculture. And it divided a lot of friends and families at the time. But looking back, you know, to 1968 when all of that happened, that's why we still look the way we do. We've seen photographs of a spot in Napa Valley in 1968 and the same spot now, and they are very, very similar. There might be a few structures or the landscape has changed. Maybe the river is flowing in a different direction as it does, you know, kind of meanders through. But um, and then you look at the same shot of a 1968 San Jose, it's orchards and it's whatever it was at the time, and now it's a housing development named after the agriculture that it used to be, like, you know, apple orchard or the grove or whatever it is. So um the ag mindset is different because you have to be patient. You know, you plant something in the ground at home, a tomato plant, for example, and you know, it it grows for us within the season. But, you know, with with longer-term permanent crops like grape vines, the patience level needs to be high because they don't start producing for several years. So you're just waiting and watching. And I think the other thing about the valley is um the, I will call it cooperation. These are people who are competing in the market with, you know, similar products, but there is a sense of camaraderie and connection and neighbor that really permeates everything that we do here. Even when those disagreements happen, we're all still in this together. And so that friendly competition, that collaboration, that mindset, I think is really something that has always set us apart. And I hope that other regions feel that way too. Again, I mean, I think this is why we feel we're um we're special. But, you know, maybe someone from outside of Napa would also be surprised. I mean, you see these names that are quite famous, these, you know, wineries and vineyards. But we are still a small community. We are, you know, the five towns and the, you know, unincorporated area. There's, you know, somewhat 130, some odd thousand residents here. Um, but we're not this big, we are a big name, but we're not a big place. And yet we have an outsize um recognition on a world stage for the the work that we and others uh in the community have done. But 90% of our businesses in the in the county employ less than 50 people. And so we're very much a community of small businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators, um, and that there's a lot of businesses that are either, you know, somewhat connected to the wine industry or ag industry, but there's a lot of businesses that are, you know, that are not, but that flourish here. We all flourish here because of that um that interconnectivity of uh, you know, a dynamic place to be. And people want to be here. People want to put down roots and they want to start a business or they want to grow a business. And that's that's really fortunate.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

I 100% agree. And I think that's one of the things that like I've lived around the world, but like home is home is the Napa Valley. And when I come back, I I opened up a bottle of cab last night and there's a Napa cab. And it was weird because when I popped that bottle open, I just I smelled home. And I I don't get that with any other wine. Like I've never like popped a wine bottle and just be like, uh, but I popped that cab and I was just like, it smelled like home. And that was special to me. And you know, I I think that it's the it's not just the wine, it's the people, it's the vibe. And I want to ask you this because like if you took a first-time visitor on a tour of the real Napa, where would you take them?

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Where did you take them?

SPEAKER_00 14:20

Because I got I got my places. I I grew up in St. Hena, and I'm gonna tell you the places I would go in St.

SPEAKER_02 14:24

Helena, but I want to hear where you're asking me to choose my favorite child. Um interestingly, though, you know, the you know, people say, Oh, where do real you know, does real Napa go? Or where do locals go? It is, I think, surprising that the you know, real Napa and local Napa, we go to a lot of the same places that our visitors go for the same reasons because you're getting, you know, a fabulous experience, great hospitality, a wonderful meal at a good price point. It's, you know, it's that sense of, you know, being in a place that feels like you're your third place, right? Where you're like, oh, everybody knows your name. So um those two things are often the same. And, you know, for me, if I I probably wouldn't take a visitor there unless they were a dork like me. But um, like I love going to Van Winden's nursery on the weekends and shopping for plants. Maybe I'm not even shopping for plants. I'm just wandering the the garden center, which is this old, you know, this historic business, longtime family here. Um, but there's little, there's things like that that are um that locals enjoy that a visitor probably wouldn't go to. But, you know, some of our favorite spots, I mean, we have um, it depends on the the person and what they like. I had had family come visit from Colorado um in November, and they were uh one of the couples was first time to Napa. So we're like, okay, we're just gonna go someplace that kind of gives you a flavor of, you know, what this place is all about. And so um we went wine tasting to a couple of spots that were um just so interesting, where we got a behind-the-scenes tour of the cellar, and then we ended up at the tasting room. Um, and that was St. Supre. Um, they were interested in St. Super. And then um we rolled up to um Visa Touie because they had just opened their new Mercado and they have probably the giantest cheese counter, longest cheese counter I've ever seen. Um, it felt like it was a mile long, but it was a cheese weirdo, I'm like, oh my gosh, I could stay here all day. So we just gave them kind of the, you know, um, like a different flavor of of wine tasting. But there's so many great choices for, you know, for wineries. And then um they are also into beer, and so we went over to Oxfow and had a beer over there at um the their brewery and walked around downtown and kind of showed them. But there's, you know, there's hiking and there's um water um you know, recreation, kayaking. We have a gondola, which is adorable to see it go by. And um, so there's there's so many things to do. It'd be hard to create an itinerary, but um, I think, you know, starting out like a with a local coffee shop and then meandering around downtown and then, you know, heading out for lunch somewhere. We love the, you know, Don Giovanni is this iconic space, and it's iconic for a reason because it always delivers and it feels like you're home there. But visitors love that too. So um there's just a there's a lot of choices, but usually I depend on what they tell me they want. And, you know, I try not to make them go to Van Wyndon's with me. But um there and you know, there's little markets and you know, there's there is a small town sensibility in a larger town, I think um the sort of the environment, it feels like it's bustling because it is. But every single most of our businesses are all locally owned and operated. And usually you'll see the person who owns the shop right behind the counter. Same with wineries, right? So would you tell me about tell me yours?

SPEAKER_00 18:10

I I I was saying Elena, I you know, I just um I'm I'm a bit of a foodie. And I think growing up up there, you know, after school, we'd go down and do all a Juni sandwich. And I I don't if people haven't had a Junies sandwich. Like you don't understand. Junies has the best sandwiches, and Juni Juice is literally the most. Yeah, we had to bring it, like my wife. I was like, okay, we're gonna have a Junie sandwich. And she's like, I my wife is like really picky. I mean, food in Vietnam is amazing. And I was like, you gotta try a Juni sandwich. And she's like, I am not easily convinced. Everything else you've had me try, I'm not a big fan of. And she tried a Juni sandwich, and so now every time we go back, she's like, When are we going to Junies? Like, when are we when are we hitting up Junies right now? My daughter's like, my daughter is like, oh yeah. And we had to bring back Juni juice with us and share it with all of our family. And like, yeah, it was it was wonderful. Uh, another place.

SPEAKER_02 19:01

You have a convert, you have a convert there.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

100%, 100%. And uh um, I I'm a big fan of of uh Via Corona on Main Street. Daniel's one of the nicest people I've ever met. And Daniel's got placed on a Napa, he's up in St. Helena as well. And he and his wife were two of the sweetest, most wonderful people. And the love and care. I mean, I've knew known them for 30 years. And when I walk back in there, they were like, Sean, so good to see you. And it's just like, where have you been? Like, you know, how's your life? How's your doctor?

SPEAKER_02 19:34

That's the valley, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:35

That's it.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

That's that's how it feels. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

That's how it feels. And the people there know you, and and like there's this community that is so much deeper than what everyone knows.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

Yeah, and I do. I mean, we have this. Um, I have a funny story about Villa Corona, which I'll tell you in a second. But the, you know, people talk about, oh, where do locals go? And, you know, where do visitors go? And I think showing visitors places where people are living their lives, not just the places that people think they go to on vacation. That's really what's special about Napa and Napa Valley because we have so many of those. So my Villa Corona story is I worked in St. Helena um for a while. In 2000, I can't I um moved back over here and went to work for the Napa Valley Ventures Association. So our offices were right there in St. Helena on Adams Street. So we would walk to Villa Corona all the time for lunch. And of course, now um I I've always lived in Napa, but the Villa Corona here, I have a secret, and that is in the 26 years that I have lived in Napa Valley, I have never ordered anything from Villa Corona except for the Pollo Asada special burrito.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

It's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 20:42

I am so in a rut. I am in the biggest rut, and I'm happy with it, and I don't care. And, you know, other people have other things. But I said, you know, there are days when I'll think of that burrito, and then nothing that I eat will satisfy me unless it's that. And there's like a via corona-sized space in my stomach where I was like, it's gotta go there. And I can't just eat half. I will try to eat half and put the other half away, and knowing that the other half is in there drives me nuts. And so I go into the fridge and I eat the other half, you know, at so I like, I'm just gonna eat the whole thing at one time right now. That is the only thing I've ever, except for the chips and salsa. But um, I'm yeah, that's that's the best rut I think I've ever been in.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Yeah, I I love it, and I'm also a huge fan of that. And I I understand, I understand of like not letting any of it go to waste. I um also I um Gott's Refresher, one of my favorite places. Yeah, you know, so many great like we ever we always go there and get a burger. We got uh burgers from there for ages, you know, when it was a small little mobile mop place, you know.

SPEAKER_01 21:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

And I think that that's one of the things that people don't realize is that it's a place. Everyone thinks about it as this um when I hear about uh forging. Generations in this winery, they don't realize that's four generations of family that grew up in the Napa Valley. People that have lived there and the communities that have been there for all these generations, you know? But I want to ask you another question because to me, I have a feeling about this. But I want to ask you, how important is the wine industry to the identity of the Napa Valley?

SPEAKER_02 22:21

Um, well, I mean, it's it's foundational. It's the foundation of our identity, and you know, that's how we're we're recognized, and that's kind of how the how this whole thing, you know, started. Um, but it isn't the it isn't the entirety of Napa's identity. And so, I mean, wine and ag of course, again, is forward-looking, but it it created the opportunity, it set the landscape, it brought people here who have the same way of thinking about taking chances and taking risks and seizing opportunities and wanting to be in a place that made them feel like they were home, even if they hadn't grown up here or weren't here for multi-generations. I mean, we have deep roots here, but we also have um newer folks that are coming to the valley, that have come to the valley that want to feel that same way and they want their kids to feel that same way. So um the wine industry, I think, sort of set the foundation, built that economy, and then the economy that goes around that, but it also allows for not only diversification of that economy and those those sectors that are very much tied to ag and wine, but also for other sectors around that. And what I mean by that is that we have an identity that is about wine, but it's also about this quality of life, the pace, um, where how we live, how we communicate, you know, the feeling, that sense that you're talking about and that we've talked about, that sense of neighborhood and camaraderie and connection. Um, that is why people come here too. But, you know, the wine industry really created the draw. And then people started visiting here. And I don't know, I honestly don't know, but I bet it's a larger number than we might think. How many people started just by coming here to visit and then went, gosh, I'd really love to live there. And we're going back enough. Like, why aren't we just living where we love to be? And they're starting their business here, they're buying a home and starting families. So I think um it's really shaped the landscape, but it the future really depends on you, you know, standing on that wine industry, that's that solid ground of wine and ag and tourism and hospitality, but then building a broader economy that surrounds it and that aligns with it. You know, I think that's important too. And um, so it's our signature, but it's not necessarily our whole story, as we talked about. Like you scratch the surface and there's real people behind the brands and there's people behind the counter. And so I think that's that's the story, and that's part of what the economic development strategy that you and I talked about that we just released, um, is trying to identify is how do we diversify our economy so that we are um growing that pie chart, not shrinking it or not making the slices smaller, but just growing the whole so that we are diversifying and we have, you know, um different talent here that are doing different things. It may, it may be art, it may be um wellness, it could be light manufacturing. Um, so it just it really becomes though the jumping off point. It is the reason why people want to be here.

unknown 25:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

Even if they don't drink a bunch of wine, right? It's just it's a sense of place. It's very much a sense of place and it's peaceful.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

Yeah. Well, and I mean, that is it. You know, like I have hope because I, you know, my brother and I were both we grew up there. And we started uh Odie, this is my company.

unknown 26:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

It's a sports, is it sports?

SPEAKER_00 26:02

It's uh it's it's hats, we're building apparel, we're doing gear. Um but the idea is it's named after the Oat Hill Mine Trail up in Calistoga. Like that's a tough one. It's a it is. But it's a sense of place, right? Yes. I mean, but it gives me hope that people can identify with what we grew up with. And what is something happening in Napa right now that gives you hope for the future?

SPEAKER_02 26:28

Um so I'm gonna go back to kind of the the diversification piece, but I want to revisit the what's happening in the wine industry right now. Um, because I know that's on top of mind for for a lot of people. Um so as an example, in the last month, we have seen new openings, um, new investment. And it doesn't necessarily have to do with wine, but we have a um a development project here in downtown Napa at the corner of First and Main Streets that is um going to change the landscape of downtown. There was sort of this like very sad little area that wasn't really being activated or used by the community. We have um it's a hotel and condo project, but beyond that, there's uh dynamic retail space. They're creating a paseo that stretches from First Street Napa development all the way through it into onto Main Street. So if you look down that paseo, you can see the 9-11 memorial that is in that small park on Main Street. Um I attended my first top-out ceremony, which I had never heard of before and honestly and never attended. But it is the time in the project in which the last piece is the highest point of the project is put on. And it's not finished by any stretch, but it's the toppest point. And so they had this top-out celebration, but they are investing millions and millions of dollars in our community for, you know, uh retail and commercial and restaurant and meandering and being a place where people can gather. We also have an airport that, over the, you know, the last many years that I've been here sort of languished. It's been a very underutilized asset. Um, we have two what they call fixed-based operators that are out there now, Sky Service and Atlantic Aviation have created and built beautiful terminals and spaces for hangars, for folks who are coming in on their planes to park them, but fuel up. Um, and then they also we also have Jet Suite X, JSX, running out of that airport now and doing routes in, you know, California primarily. They they tested it out last year. And so we have JSX out there. So there's some exciting things going on around connectivity and mobility and how we get people here. And um, that's a that's a huge economic impact, a benefit to the community. Um, the city of Napa is the economic development division is doing a really great program for acceler, they're accelerating um small entrepreneurs who are interested in scaling up. And the first one was makers and and artists. The second one was on culinary arts and folks who are interested in food. And then the upcoming one will be um just straight up art. But they are putting together a small cohort um every several months, supported by the local community and SBDC to help give these new entrepreneurs a start and get them out of their home office or their garage where they're meeting other people. And then we also um recently the chamber put on um with some partners a workshop called Roots and Risk. It was about wildfire detection and prevention, but one of the technologies that came up through this panel discussion is that um there is a technology that will detect fire in a home or a building, and it puts it out with acoustics. It was developed by NASA and it it's a sound response and it changes the molecular structure of the air in some way that it smothers the fire. It senses it and then it puts it out. And so no water, no chemicals. They're testing this out right now. And so Napa Valley is a place where innovation, creativity, invention, um really sort of the uh emerging trends around these things that we want to respond to, they are looking at Napa Valley as a place they might want to test these out, but then also potentially locate their business. We have a healthcare, a small healthcare company called Neurospring, and then they have another group called Odyssey. They have created and developed a virtual neurologist so that for first responders in an ambulance in rural areas who are far away from a hospital, if someone's having a stroke, this virtual neurologist can detect those symptoms and they can treat that person on the way to the hospital instead of waiting for a half an hour. Because for strokes, the first several minutes are critical. Otherwise, I think you're already kind of deep into it and it's hard to pull get back. And so they're here in Napa. And so they're not related to the wine industry at all, but they want to be here because their employees want to be here, their founders want to be here, they want to employ people here. They're bringing talent that may not be here right now, that are working within our healthcare system. And so it's exciting to hear things like that. That, but again, back to your question is that the wine industry is really what put us on that stage. And it, but if we got if folks got here and we didn't deliver on the promise of that feeling, that special sense of place, they wouldn't want to live here or work here, but they do because we do deliver on that. And so we're finding diversification in our economy that is very much aligned with the soft uh footprint that we are very used to leaving in this community with the things that we do.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

Yeah. Well, I I love that. I wanted to ask you uh a little personal question, then. Okay. If you were to pour yourself a glass right now, this is a wine podcast. What would you pour yourself?

SPEAKER_01 32:29

Hmm.

SPEAKER_02 32:33

So I love rose. I love rose. Um, that's kind of like my house wine. Um, always, always, it's not just a summer wine for me. But I will say, I grew up over in Healdsburg in uh the Russian River area. So, like you, when you mentioned that you popped that bottle of Cabernet and it smelled like home. Um, whenever I open a bottle of Russian River Pinot Noir, I can smell the ranch I grew up on. I can smell the silt from the Russian River. And so it just depends on what is, you know, on the table for dinner, but I'm always ready for a glass of rose. And the Pinot Noirs are some of my favorite wines because um they're just a little bit more restrained. And they're they're so interesting. But yes, I I can smell the silt in in the wine. And I know I'm like, oh, this is Russian River. It's got a very um very special uh aroma and uh scents about it. So um, but again, I'm I'll I will drink any wine because I think it's delightful and I love that they're all different.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

I love it. Well, I want to ask you one more question. Everyone's talking about the challenges. The uh, first of all, I love that that wine, and uh the rose is also up my alley. I love a good rose. I uh I am uh kind of a sucker for reds, but you know, rose hit right, and it's something that I think that it's an accessible wine, it's fun wine, and it's a wine that you can just sit down and have a beautiful time with. And that's one of the best things. Like we have I brought back a rose from um from Sonoma that my friend made. And uh I have a family member, my brother-in-law is getting ready to come back from Paris tomorrow, and so he's bringing me some uh Chateau Nu de Pouf. I can't pronounce French. Yeah. And uh Chateau de Pop. Chateau Neuf de Pop. I don't know how it's Chateau de Pop. That's how he's bringing me that. I've never had it before, and I'm super excited about that. Chateau de pop. And uh I can't even say it right. And he uh and I'm and I've got this rose from from Sonoma that we're gonna pop open because he just had a baby. And it's fun. It's a great wine, it's great to drink together. And I think that like when for me, like whatever wine is a wine that can bring us together is a is a great wine.

SPEAKER_02 35:08

So Exactly. Exactly. I think the story.

SPEAKER_00 35:14

Right? And everyone's talking about the challenges that the wine industry is facing. Um but what do you think, you know, what gives you hope that everything's gonna be okay?

SPEAKER_02 35:24

Well, first of all, we have a history of evolution and you know, pivoting and um kind of doing what needs to be done in the moment to set us up for the next thing. Where, you know, we are again, and we're creative, innovative, you know, the growers and vintners here have, you know, they're they have that mindset. They've done that, you know, since the since time immortal, uh, you know, all vintners and growers. But I would say that there is a um there is a change happening, and I know that it's that change is frightening sometimes or it's uncomfortable. And I would say that you know, we talk about preservation, evolution and change is preservation. If you don't evolve, transform, um, respond, adapt, if you don't do that, then you've lost the opportunity to preserve what you've had because you stay static and you stay stagnant. And it's um that's when things fall apart. So the opportunity for our community and our you know industries to look at, you know, what are the current conditions and what are the conditions that we feel like we're now going into, how do we evolve? And that's not um, that doesn't mean that we're gonna, you know, pave over things or build things that are, you know, in the wrong places and do it, you know, haphazardly. That evolution is the way that we preserve what we have. Honoring the past and holding on to the past in the way that we want to preserve that and keep this special place the way it is special, it is going to take us thinking in new ways and doing things in new ways and welcoming folks and ideas that are maybe different than what we have tried before, because that's the that's the the way that we're gonna save it.

unknown 37:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:24

But I love it.

SPEAKER_02 37:25

It's yeah, so evolution is preservation.

SPEAKER_00 37:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 37:29

And I'm not trying to quote Darwin, but you know, this is this is how we stay afloat. And I, you know, change, you know, versus growth. And um, I think there's a lot of conversations happening right that, but we're already seeing our wine industry responding and really asking themselves the tough questions, asking, you know, okay, how do we navigate this? And I'm fully confident that we we can do that. I mean, I don't own a winery, so I don't, I don't have the pain points that those who are in the industry have right now and that they're feeling, but it's really it the goal isn't to freeze Napa Valley in time. The goal is to move Napa Valley through time so that we continue to be who we are to each other and to the people who come to enjoy what we create.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

I love that. I love that. Well, where can people go to find out more about you and what you do?

SPEAKER_02 38:23

Well, I am on LinkedIn, um, Jerry Hansen. Um, you can also uh follow me on Facebook, and we have a Napa Chamber Facebook page. We have a Napa Chamber of Commerce website. Um, we have over 500 members, which represents roughly 12,000 employees across the valley, not just in Napa. Um, but we are working on some really exciting projects like our economic development strategy. We're big on advocacy and civic engagement, getting people involved in their local community and the processes that and policies that affect them, and really helping our members with um what they need in the moment, uh removing barriers and um connecting them to resources so that they get the help they need to to grow and to succeed, or to locate here if they would like. So um, yeah, anyone anyone has any questions? I'm Jerry at Napachamber.com.