Two of Palisade’s top wine pourers share what really happens behind the scenes at your favorite tasting rooms. Amy DiMarzio and Michael Martin – currently pouring wine at Blue Beryl Winery, formerly at Mesa Park Vineyards – join me over a couple bottles of local red to share their favorite stores and lots of laughs.
Hear all about how Amy and Michael got into the wine industry, their funniest horror stories (Merlot man, anyone?), the best tips they’ve ever gotten, why they absolutely love working in the industry, what the best $13 Amy ever spent in her entire life was spent on, and how a gravel patio almost ended them both.
We also get into how Mesa Park’s closing broke their hearts, how friendly the Palisade wine industry is, who the most pretentious person in the valley is, the only French word Michael knows, used oak, and how they deal with unwanted advances from behind the tasting bar.
Go see Amy and Michael at Blue Beryl Winery: theblueberylwinery.com
Music by Romarecord1973 from Pixabay.
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Transcript:
Lisa: Welcome to Postcards from Palisade, the podcast about the people and places that make this slice of western Colorado Wonderful. I’m Lisa McNamara. I recently sat down with two of Palisade’s top wine pourers over a couple bottles of local red to find out what really happens behind the scenes at your favorite tasting rooms and wineries. Let’s get right into it on today’s Postcard from Palisade.
Michael Martin: Welcome to K-Rock.
Amy DiMarzio: I used to be a DJ.
Lisa: Yay! Really?
Michael: Did you really? Amy? The more you talk to Amy, the more things she’s done in her life. She’s raced sailboats. Bike courier. See? I told you.
Lisa: That’s so cool. We can do a whole episode about, like, all these things you’ve done.
Michael: She did warranty work on dirty underwear at Patagonia.
Amy: Patagonia.
Michael: That will require a second glass of wine.
Lisa: Well cheers. Thank you so much for coming in.
Michael: Yes, cheers. Absolutely. Our pleasure.
Lisa: Clink clink. Not a very satisfying sound here. So, I like to start off just by having people introduce themselves. You don’t have to use your last names if you don’t want. because it’s up to you.
Amy: I’ll start. I’m Amy DiMarzio from Colorado, Grand Junction, born and raised.
Michael: I’m Michael Martin. I’m an Aquarian and I like long walks on the beach. I’m originally born in Wisconsin. Been in Colorado for almost 30 years.
Lisa: I’m Lisa. Everybody knows that. Well thanks so much for coming in.
Michael: So you secret shopped me, though. See, I didn’t know who you were.
Lisa: I sure did!
Michael: So Lisa came in and made me go through an entire tasting with her and her guests.
Lisa: Well, it was my mother in law
Michael: scouting me out the entire time. And then at the end, she goes, I’m Lisa. I do the podcast.
Lisa: No I was like, are you Michael? Because I didn’t. I’ve never met you. I didn’t know. I didn’t know what you look like.
Amy: That what I said, Michael, has do it because we’re the A Team.
Michael: Well, well, then I had this flashback. I’m like, oh, my God. Was it. Was it, like, a good tasting? Was it okay?
Lisa: It was wonderful.
Michael: You just made me nervous after the fact.
Lisa: Oh, I’m sorry. Well, I really like the way that you do the tasting there and how it’s just like you bring everything out.
Michael: I learned everything from Amy.
Lisa: Well, so tell me, what do you prefer to be called? Like, as. Are you a, wine pourer? Are you a tasting room associate? Like what are you called?
Michael: That’s a good question.
Amy: It’s funny. When I first started working at Mesa Park, Laura and I went out and said, what is my official title? She’s like, whatever you want it to be. Because all these people were there from, like, the bigger wineries. They were like, I’m a twa. I was like, what’s a twa? What is that? Like, everybody had all these official. And I was like, what am I? And Laura was like, number one. That’s where number one came from. No, I don’t know what. We’re just working the tasting room.
Michael: Tasting room. Yeah. There was a, review. a Google review left. And someone referred to me as a vintner. So I’m gonna go with the vintner.
Amy: isn’t the vintner wouldn’t that be the winemaker?
Michael: Well I don’t even know what it is.
Lisa: So do people ever assume that you’re the owner?
Michael: Oh, my God.
Amy: All the time.
Michael: They assume we’re married. They assume I’m Courtney’s dad. they thought I was, When we were at Mesa. They thought I was Brandon Black numerous times. So, yeah, I think they see an older male, and there’s an assumption. And I’m like, no, trust me. I am hired help.
Lisa: Yeah, I worked in a tasting room in New York for almost a year. So I definitely, This was only 10 years ago, and only once did somebody assume that I was the winery owner. But there was an older guy, probably like 65, 70, and everybody assumed he was the owner.
Michael: Yeah, no, it’s. Yeah. it’s kind of a shame. Well, you know, I mean.
Amy: at Mesa Park Laura was a blonde, so if I wasn’t the owner, then they’re like, oh, you’re her sister. And I. No, I’m just. Just paid help. Just here. Good friends.
Michael: Well. And then people find out it’s, you know, it’s Jacki and Courtney, and then they find out that Courtney’s 27 years old, and their jaw drops.
Amy: Yeah. They think I’m her mom.
Michael: So. And that’s a credit to, you know, what Laura and Courtney have done.
Amy: Yeah. 27. I was not anywhere. No.
Lisa: Oh, no.
Amy: I was sailing in the Caribbean.
Michael: you were racing sailboats.
Lisa: Awesome. Well, how did you get around to this, then? Amy? Like, how did you find your way to working in a tasting room?
Amy: So, I stayed home with my daughter Kylie after we moved back. She was one and kind of had the opportunity to do that and helped out her school quite a bit. I taught her art and then was like, all right, it’s time. Like, she’s getting older. It’s time for me to get a job. But she ski races in the winter, so I have to have my winners off because she travels a lot and stuff. So I was talking to my husband. He was like, what about working in a winery? You love wine? Like, it just all made sense, and then it just happened. It’s like one of those weird things. I saw Mesa park popped up on one of my social medias, and I was like, oh, this is it. And I had been to Mesa park before a long time ago, and I had this great story for it. So I was like, it just seems like it’s supposed to be and it was, and the rest is history.
Lisa: How long did you work there?
Amy: Four Seasons.
Lisa: Okay. Before they closed.
Amy: Yeah.
Lisa: How about you, Michael? How did you get around to it.
Michael: I started and ran a business in Denver for 24 years and sold it. And we, my wife and I started kicking the tires on where we wanted to retire in Colorado. Number one was to stay in Colorado, you know, cut to the chase. We chose the Grand Valley, of course. And when we moved here, I thought, wow, there’s this cool AVA, like, right next door. How?
Amy: So you didn’t know that there was an AVA here before you moved here?
Michael: I did, but I didn’t spend much time on Palisade.
Amy: Yeah.
Michael: But then, we got here and I thought, well, we had always. We were big hikers, so we would do trips, and inevitably the trip would be close to some wine region, whether it was Bordeaux or whether it was Southern Rhone or wherever. And so we always enjoyed wine. So we picked up wine knowledge from our travels. But, I saw the ad for Mesa park, and I looked at the qualifications that Laura was looking for. previous tasting room experience? No. Bartending experience? No. Waitress or waiter experience? No. So I thought, I’m completely qualified for this job. To Laura’s credit, she took a chance with me, and it was funny because I thought I would be there maybe two weeks, and I was just doing completely on a whim.
Amy: You thought you would only last two weeks?
Michael: I’m surprised I lasted that long anyway, but. So I was hired a month after you, Amy, does that sound right?
Amy: I started in May, and I think you started, like, August, so. Couple months.
Michael: Yeah. So we’re both, you know, in our fourth season of doing this now for a job that I personally thought would last 10 days.
Lisa: What kept you coming back? What got you hooked?
Michael: Oh, my God. I just. There’s something so endearing and so relaxing, going from a business environment to pouring wine and conversing with people and people who are coming from outside the area. So now you’re a tour guide. You’re, helping people.
Amy: concierge
Michael: Yeah. You’re helping people on their wine journey. They ask questions about how I got in the role, how the grapes are grown, when do they harvest them, where do we pick the strawberries for the strawberry notes in the rose. so it was just all of a sudden it became 100% fun. And then you have the opportunity to work with people like Amy, which makes it even more fun because we just sort of gelled with how we worked in the tasting room. Mutual respect and taking care of people
Amy: super fun, laughing
Michael: selling wine. I mean, how can you not love a job like that?
Lisa: I know yeah. So are you like a package deal now?
Michael: It was funny, when the whole thing came to Amy got like, offers from every winery within a 100 mile range. so for me, it was a little more difficult. I reached out the Blue Beryl and I talked to Courtney and Courtney said, you know, we could probably agree on maybe a couple hundred bucks. For it to work. And I said, I think I can come up with that the next day. So.
Amy: I was like what happened. I’m like, you have to pay Court? They paid me.
Michael: so they I met with, Courtney, and Jacki and it went really well. And they said, yeah, you know, come on board. And, I said, I’m really gonna try to get Amy to join. So I kept texting Amy the next day. I said, Amy, it’s God. Come to the Blue Beryl. Amy, it’s Buddha. Come to the Blue Beryl. Come to the Blue Beryl. Amy, it’s the ghost of Christmas Past. Come to the Blue Beryl.
Amy: He literally texted me, I think, like six different times. And I was like, doing something. I kept laughing and my friend was like, what’s going on? I’m like, nothing. Michael’s being.
Michael: it all worked out.
Amy: It all worked out. Yeah
Michael: it’s great. We, yeah, we’re I think we are a really good team.
Amy: So.
Michael: And I think, I think, I think, knock on wood, we’re appreciated.
Amy: So. Yeah.
Lisa: Yeah, absolutely. You’re doing an awesome job there. in my incognito not incognito test
Michael: You the secret shopper. The secret. The secret wine drinker.
Lisa: Right. But the wine there is awesome too. So I m mean, you must I assume you have some criteria of, like, you want to work somewhere that has good wine.
Amy: Oh yeah I couldn’t drink. I couldn’t drink somewhere I don’t like the wine. I couldn’t work somewhere I don’t like the wine. It just, it’s hard, like selling something you don’t believe in, you know. No, we definitely had been there before, like, so Jacki grew our grapes for Mesa Park. So we kind of knew their backstory a little bit. And I knew that Jacki or Courtney had worked under Ken at Hermosa. so I knew this winery was coming a couple years ago. Like, we were all, like, so excited. Like, I think that me and Laura and Brandon went day one. We were probably, like, the second or third people to go in the doors. And we were like, wow. Like, Courtney for being. I mean, what was she, 26 when they opened? Like, imagine what she’s gonna. I mean, she’s already killing it, but imagine in 10, 20 years where it’s gonna be.
Michael: Funny story is the, very first winery my wife and I went to in the Grand Valley was Hermosa, upon recommendation. And when we walked in the door, there was this blonde behind the tasting room bar, and it was Courtney, so it was funny. So Courtney, served us, and then, she would come over to Mesa park, and I had the chance to serve her. And now we work for her.
Amy: Full circle. I know. It’s just crazy that we all have these, like, little stories about how it started.
Lisa: so have you ever. Either at Blue Beryl or anywhere in the past, have you ever poured wine for a famous person?
Amy: I have not personally, that I know of.
Michael: I thought there was that woman that was on Below Deck, the reality series
Lisa: oh my god I love that show.
Amy: who?
Michael: wasn’t there? The woman that came in that one day. She was on Below Deck.
Amy: So my. One of my friends, Nikki, was on Below Deck was,
Lisa: No way.
Amy: She was like. Her whole family went. They live here. And they were on, like, two or three episodes
Lisa: as the guests?
Amy: As the guest. Yeah. it’s funny. It’s a good one.
Michael: There was a. There was an autographed picture behind the bar at Mesa Park.
Amy: oh that was the country singer
Michael: And I would always flash it out, and I’d ask people, who is this? And every once in a while, people would get it right. It was rascall flats. and so they were in the winery. Not when I was there.
Amy: So there was one famous person. What is that? So I’m not a huge country sing country music person. Brooks and Dunn. Is that right? Is that this country? So anyways, I guess they have this huge winery in, like, Tennessee or something. And one of them came in and he’s like, oh, and blah, blah, blah. And it was like, oh, nice to meet you. Like, and it was just like nothing. And I. He was like, oh, I have a winery. Like, blah, blah, blah. He’s like a country music singer.
Lisa: like you should know who I am.
Amy: Yeah. And I’m kind of glad I didn’t it because I was just like, whatever. And then I think he left and I was like, Laura, like, she’s like, oh, my gosh.
Michael: Oh, my God.
Amy: Like old school country music.
Michael: There was a gentleman. I’m, not gonna remember his name because I am really bad with names, but he, was one of our wine club members, and he was a former NFL referee, so I don’t know how high up on the celebrity scale that is, but at least it was an interesting job.
Amy: I’m actually surprised that we never have. Courtney had Barbi Benton come in.
Michael: Really?
Amy: like the Playboy, yeah.
Michael: Oh, that’s funny.
Amy: I was like, what? That would. I would have been like, so tell me, Tell me all the things. All the playboy mansion secrets.
Lisa: Oo that would be interesting. Yeah. So, for the most part, it’s people from out of town, though.
Michael: Yeah
Amy: 95% of the time. Salt Lake or Denver.
Michael: Yeah. Big, big Front Range groups. Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins. second, I would say people from Utah. And then, third.
Amy: Now, in the last year, you’re getting more destination people. People that are like, oh, I read about it in USA Today or whatever.
Michael: Oh, yeah. I’ve had people come in and they’re like, we came out here to ski powderhorn. And I’m like, where are you from? Oh, Atlanta. Like, how did you find out about powderhorn in Atlanta?
Amy: Yeah our little secret is getting out.
Michael: Yeah, no, there are people. Yeah, there’s also kind, of a third group that I think are, like, people driving from, like, Vegas to Chicago or Vegas to, and they realize, oh, there’s this wine region. So they spend the night and they have no idea, and they walk into the first winery they see, and then they realize there’s, you know, 30 some odd extra wineries here and then had no idea there was a wine region. Then I blow their mind and tell them that there’s a second wine region in Colorado.
Amy: I think what’s so fun is just like, educating people about Colorado wine and what there is to do and see here besides just everybody’s like, sweet wine. Like, I get so tired. You don’t hear that as much anymore, but it’s just drives and crazy that people are like, oh, well, it’s always been sweet wine. And I’m like, actually, it hasn’t always been sweet wine.
Lisa: Right. And I mean, the percentage of that sweet wine today, it has gotta be what, 5%?
Amy: Yeah, it’s Talon St. Catherine
Lisa: fruit wines.
Amy: Few few places that’ll always have, like, a dessert wine or something. For the most part, you have to search out the sweet wines.
Michael: No offense to the chamber of commerce, but I think what Amy and I do probably enhances the, travel in the valley more than what the chamber does.
Lisa: Oh, my gosh.
Michael: Love you, Chamber.
Lisa: Do you want that on the record?
Michael: Well, because people come in and are like, where should I hike? Where should I eat? You know, what else should I do? What other wineries should I go to? And that’s. People bring it up all the time that there is, camaraderie amongst the wineries. No one is out to dump on anyone else. Everyone is wanting guests to have a great experience. And, you know, what kind of wines are you looking for? What kind of experience are you looking for? And then we can guide them to wherever they want to end up. there’s some phenomenal wineries.
Amy: and then people are always like, what’s your favorite? Well it depends on what day it is. What’s the weather like, outside? I love them all.
Lisa: Yeah. I think everybody in town is like an unofficial tour guide. I’m always overhearing people giving advice. Like, if you go into the bike shop and they’re doing the bike rental, it’s like, they’re like, well, where should I go? You know, so. Yeah, I hear you. I think everybody in town that interacts with the public.
Amy: well that’s the thing. I want to be treated how. Like when I go on vacation and go to a winery or go to a restaurant, like, and I ask. I want. I want to have that experience that I want, you know, so people feel fun and also be like, this is where you have to go. These are the things you have to see.
Michael: That’s true.
Amy: How much time they have what they’re looking for. But yeah, just treat people like you want to be treated. It’s pretty. Because we’ve all been on that trip. We where like a snobby wine pourer, and you’re like, really? There’s not. You’re really not even busy.
Lisa: Yeah, definitely. So, how about horror stories? What’s like, the worst thing that’s ever happened?
Amy: Merlot man.
Michael: do I tell the merlot man?
Amy: you can start it, I’ll finish it.
Michael: I’ll start. So we just this is at Mesa park. And we just bottled, a phenomenal Merlot. It had, Daryl the dog as the picture on the. And so it was just bottled. Complete bottle shock state. And, it was available to purchase, but not to taste.
Amy: We didn’t even have it. We had just. It wasn’t even available for purchase.
Lisa: Right.
Amy: We didn’t have it on the menu. Like, it wasn’t even.
Lisa: Right cause at that stage. It’s not gonna taste good.
Amy: Yeah.
Lisa: And it’s not gonna be like what it’s gonna be like in a couple weeks even.
Michael: Yeah. It wasn’t great.
Amy: Yeah, but it wasn’t even on the menu. It wasn’t available for anything.
Michael: It wasn’t available but a gentleman and his wife walked in, and he was a pilot. And the old story is, how do you know when someone’s a pilot? They tell you.
Amy: They tell you.
Lisa: They tell you.
Michael: So he wanted to taste the Merlot because he said. He said to me. He said, what if I want to buy a case, I have to taste it first. And I was trying to impress upon him that, it was just bottled, and it would just be really astringent, and, you know, it’s not gonna make any sense. And he got a little ornery about it, and he said, well, let me talk to your manager. And out of the corner of my eye, I see this flash of blonde hair and Laura Black, the owner, has blonde hair. And I thought, okay, there’s Laura. She can take this dude. I turned to my left, and I said, well, that’s her. And there’s Amy standing there.
Amy: I’m like, bring it on. I’ll take it. You don’t scare me much. So he was not friendly. He had obviously been day drinking. I mean, doing heavily day drinking. And his wife. I think you could clearly see the embarrassment in her face because he was making a scene. He was pissed. And we’re just. Finally, I said, listen, we’ll sell you Merlot, but we’re not opening a bottle. Like, how much do you want? And he bought a case.
Michael: but then tell them the rest of the story.
Amy: So that was always a good thing, like, about training or just, you know, just the Merlot man. So it was just a big inside joke with the Merlot guy, because 99.9% of the people you run into are happy and traveling. You’re drinking wine. You might get a crier here and there, like that have been too many people drinking.
Michael: But you ran into him again, though.
Amy: So I ran him, like, probably a year later. We were flying. It was right after Covid, like, when we were flying to Florida. And we did. We drove to Denver. We were doing a park and fly thing, and my friend came that lives in Denver, came to meet me for, like, the free happy hour at the hotel. Really bad wine, right? And we’re sitting there. We were talking about Palisade, and she was talking about my job, and somehow Mesa Park. And I hear this guy go, that’s how I know you. You work at Mesa Park. And I made eye contact with him, and I was like, Merlot man! And he goes on to tell me on and on about how much he loves our wine. And that was the best Merlot he’s ever had. And he is traveling to Hawaii with his family and blah, blah, blah. Come to find out, like, he had just recently retired from, like, oil field work or something. And he just got his pilot license, so he does, like, the little, like, puddle jumper flights. So he’s not this big guy that flies all over. Once again, I think he had been drinking too much. Just talk. So the next day, we’re all getting our flights and taking the shuttle and he’s in his full uniform, pilot uniform. I was like, oh, so you’re actually flying to Hawaii? He’s like, no, I wear this so we don’t have to go through security. And I’m like, of course you do. Like, that’s, so Merlot man. That’s who you are. So, yep. So that was. And then. Again he came into our lives. He came in when to Mesa park and thought Laura was me. And sat there and was like, don’t you remember me? I saw you in Denver. And Laura was like, I don’t know who you are. Because she had never met. She had never had the privilege of meeting with him. But then she quickly figured it out and was like, you’ll never believe who’s here. And I was like, Merlot man. She was like, yup.
Michael: The reality is, you know, you serve a thousand people, and 999 of them are enjoying the experience.
Lisa: Yeah.
Michael: Yeah. So they really aren’t that many
Amy: Well and he enjoyed it after. But he was just very like, there’s those people. They’re like, I want this and I want it now, and there’s no. And he was just. He got what he wanted. It worked.
Michael: Yep. Absolutely.
Lisa: Well, I’m impressed that he bought a whole case of wine.
Amy: Yeah.
Lisa: Yeah. He kind of put his money where.
Amy: I don’t think he tipped us at all.
Michael: No, That’s a whole other subject. We could do a podcast just on tipping.
Lisa: Well, I was curious about tips. Yeah. Like, what’s the best tip you’ve ever gotten? I know a lot of people don’t tip at all. It’s like. Like when I came in and Amy gave me a glass of wine, and I was like, Amy, I don’t have any cash. so I still ow her a margarita. But anyway. Yeah. What’s the best tip you’ve ever gotten?
Michael: I know the best. We Got together. And I know the best I got individually.
Amy: the best we got together probably was that night the guy came in. We kind of know his family, but I didn’t know him at the time. And it was like closing, and I had a Christmas party to get to. And I was like, we. I think it was like wine and pie. We did something that day. So we were pretty tired.
Michael: It was a big day. And it was, we were closing.
Amy: It was like, close. Like, I mean, we were like, shutting down. And he came in and I was like, hey, we’re closed. We’ll sell you bottles or whatever. And he goes, he grabbed a hundred dollar bill and put it in the thing. And he said, are you still closed? And we’re like, no, we’re open.
Michael: We are open.
Amy: Sit down. Let’s do a tasting. And I was like, are you okay with that? And he’s like, yeah that was fun. And he bought a couple bottles of wine, I think. And he still tipped us on his credit card too.
Michael: He came back a few times after that too. He was a really nice guy. He would always have a different girlfriend with him though, I remember that.
Amy: Yeah.
Michael: But, biggest tip for me is, I got, 200 bucks one day. And Laura could see because we use, the square system. And, so Laura sees every transaction. And she came flying out into the winery. She was like, it’s a mistake. It’s a mistake. And I’m like, no, they had a really good time. It’s true.
Lisa: Don’t say anything.
Michael: No, no, no.
Lisa: But like, you were just like, shhh right?
Amy: but don’t you know him?
Michael: I knew them. And, they all joined wine club. And it was just like everything. It clicked on all cylinders and they left, just smiling and giggling. It was one of those perfect things. and then I thought about it that night and I told Laura the next day. I said, but maybe you’re right. Maybe it was a mistake. She was like, nope, you completely convinced me it’s correct. And it was like, great. Thank you very much.
Amy: I don’t know what my biggest tip was. I mean, it’s just always nice when people actually tip. Like, and I noticed it when I was at Maison. People would tip on food, but not on wine, which I think is so weird. Like, we would literally carry people’s wine out to their car. Like, tasting. As being a wine tasting room associate or whatever you want to call us, whatever name you want to put on it. Like, especially Michael and I, we do all the classes. I mean, Laura was amazing. She would pay for most all of our classes.
Michael: Yes
Amy: Vinco we’d always split it. There’s a lot of education that goes into this. We’re just not, like. I mean, sometimes you have to fake it till you make it, but, like, for the most part, we know what we’re talking about.
Michael: No, we went through, we went through a sensory tasting class to understand where, you know, different, flavor notes hit on your tongue and how important the nose is in tasting.
Amy: At least once a year, we do a class with Jenny Baldwin Eaton.
Michael: try holding your nose and tasting anything and see what you get. You get literally nothing.
Amy: Yeah, so it’s a whole thing.
Michael: So I have an extra advantage.
Amy: You’re educated on this wine. The way we do wine tastings. There’s so many where they just pur them in a cup and send you on your way. I want to tell you that story. I want to be part of your wine tasting experience. I want to answer questions.
Michael: It’s individually poured and explained wines. And that adds to the whole experience that the customer has.
Lisa: absolutely.
Michael: Right, Amy.
Amy: I think we deserve our tips.
Lisa: I think so, too.
Michael: Yeah. No, actually, the majority of our compensation is tips. And we. We hoof it to get tips. And not everyone tips. And I still don’t understand that. And that’s okay. but, you know, we do appreciate it when people tip.
Amy: even bringing water to the table and pouring your water glasses. So many people just feel like, oh, the water stations over there, like, help yourself. Like, I like having that service. Like, wine’s not cheap. So let’s make it worth it.
Lisa: It makes it a different experience. It’s a whole experience instead of just
Amy: And it used to really hurt my feelings when somebody would, like, stiff you. Like, you’re like, I just. Like, somebody will buy a case of wine, a tasting. And there’s this thing, what we call verbal tippers. They’re like, this is the best. Loved it. You deserve a raise. Blah, blah, blah. And they leave.
Lisa: And then, you know, like that. Then you know they’re not gonna tip.
Michael: And you get nothing.
Amy: And I’m like, if you can’t afford to tip, then go to a liquor store. You can grab whatever you want. You don’t have to deal with me.
Michael: wine is one of the few things, in my opinion, that can take you back to a time and place. So you open a bottle that you may have had on vacation or whatever. And that’s the experience that we give people when they come to Palisade. They’ll buy a bottle, they’ll take it home, they’ll open up Thanksgiving. It’ll be like. That’s right. We had that great time at Blue Beryl in Palisade.
Amy: Michael and Amy were amazing. They’re like my best friends.
Michael: Yeah. So it’s a quick connection back to a. Hopefully a good time in someone’s life, and that’s part of the experience that we deliver, and that’s the role we play. Right?
Amy: Yeah, oh yeah.
Lisa: Yeah. And I wasn’t saying, shhh, like, quiet, like, we’re not disturbing anybody. No, it was more, just in the context of. Just so you know, it wasn’t about. No. I was not shushing you. I was not shushing you. So don’t. Don’t feel.
Michael: I didn’t. I thought maybe there was, like a doctor how the hall or something.
Lisa: No, I think I think Hannah’s here, but I don’t. I mean, she’s all the way at the other end of the hall.
Michael: She’s just like, Lisa’s got guests over drinking and they’re jibber jabbing, popping wine.
Amy: Popping bottles already.
Lisa: No. So you don’t. You don’t have to worry. Gosh. Anyway, sorry. I just want to make sure you knew that I wasn’t shushing you. Please don’t be self conscious.
Michael: I’m hard to offend. Except by Merlot Man.
Amy: Oh, Merlot man.
Lisa: Well, I will tell you, I never got a very good tip. Because the tipping culture wasn’t the same. Although we did still make minimum wage.
Amy: Where were you at?
Lisa: in upstate New York.
Amy: Okay.
Lisa: one time I thought I got a $10 tip, and that would have been the best tip I had ever gotten.
Michael: Wow.
Lisa: And I woke up in the middle of the night, and I was like, you didn’t give them their change. The tasting was, like, $4 apiece, and she was like, oh, that covers it. You know, like, they gave you a $2 tip. So I had to go in the next day, and I was like, put the $10 in the cash box, take out $2.
Michael: see, that’s good, though. See you were honest about it, though.
Lisa: But I woke up in the middle of the night I was just like, oh, my God!
Amy: don’t you hate that.
Lisa: Yeah.
Michael: I’ve woken up in the middle of the night so many times, and it usually happens, like, big parties where, like, they’re ordering glasses and bottles. Yeah. And, I wake up the middle of the night, and I’m like, they ordered one more bottle, and I forgot to charge them for it.
Amy: Yeah, that’s the worst when you’re like, Laura or like, Courtney, I think.
Michael: And you always remember it at 2 in the morning.
Amy: Yeah, that’s when all the important stuff comes.
Michael: Can I tell you a funny story?
Lisa: Yeah, please!
Michael: So when I worked At Mesa Park, 90% of the time I would wear, a baseball cap that said Mesa park on the front. So one day I go to work, and I decided not to wear the hat that day. So this couple comes in, and I recognize them. I’m like, oh, I’ve served you guys before. And they’re like, yeah, we were here last fall. We had a really good time. There was this really personable gentleman that served us, and I was like, oh, that was me. I’m, the only guy that works in
Amy: I’m a personable gentleman!
Michael: I’m a personable gentleman! I’m the only guy that works in the tasting room. And she looks at me and she goes, no, he had a hat on.
Lisa: Oh, my God.
Michael: like, okay, yeah, you’re right. That wasn’t me.
Amy: My favorite. Twice I’ve been asked if the Grand Mesa is still an active volcano. And, I’m like, yes, yes, it is.
Lisa: It could blow at any moment!
Michael: Amy has told people that we have to have volcano insurance in the valley.
Amy: Just so you know, we need all the money in the tip jar because we have to pay the volcano insurance.
Michael: Well, it is an ancient volcano.
Lisa: That sounds really expensive.
Amy: so expensive so expensive.
Lisa: That’s too funny. Well, so, like, what’s the best part of the job?
Amy: The people. Getting to meet people from all over. You never know what you’re gonna get every single day. People are like, how was work today? I’m like, it was weird. Like, it was never. You never go in, and you’re like, if you think it’s gonna be busy, it’s dead. and if you’re like, today I just need, like, a chill day to get some stuff done. Like, I want to label and just do stuff around, and then it’s, like, so busy, you don’t even know what’s going on.
Michael: Yeah. I say people number one. It’s, everyone has a different story. Everyone has interesting things to share. 80% of the people you serve are from somewhere else.
Amy: Yeah.
Michael: so that’s the best part. it definitely fills my social bucket. at the end of the day, I don’t really feel like talking anymore. But the second thing that I find enjoyable is I’m a wine geek at heart. And to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with someone like Brandon Black or Courtney, who makes the wine and makes decisions on what goes into that wine.
Amy: Tasting the grapes before they’re made, like, harvesting the grapes, like, doing the whole thing bottling, like watching them press. Like just knowing the whole thing and getting to be part of it. And then seeing how many hands touch one bottle before it’s actually handed off to that final home. and you never know. It might be given as a gift to put away and how many more hands are going to touch it.
Michael: You would bow down and give homage to every bottle of wine you drank if you knew how much work went into that one.
Amy: Especially these small family owned and operated. I mean to the like, you know, the hard field workers, to the. I mean the planting of the grapes. It’s just. It’s amazing to me that bottles of wine are only like $40.
Lisa: Right, right. Everybody says that is so expensive. Like it’s amazing to me that a wine can be like 3 buck Chuck. Like how is that possible.
Amy: Because it’s such a production.
Michael: they make them in like these industrial tanks.
Amy: Well, even when you go to like Colterris or like Carlson and you see how many cases they do a year, but they have like whole bottling lines. Like it just everything happens all at once. Like we’re literally at Blue Beryl. We literally peel off a label hand. Like no crank machine right now.
Michael: No wrinkles allowed.
Amy: Yeah. Like I am hand labeling right now. Like it’s a whole.
Michael: Yeah.
Amy: I’m like this bottle is. Somebody walked in. They’re like what are you doing? I’m like labeling. I’m like. I thought there was. I’m like there usually is, but it’s just not working. So guess what? I’m doing hand labeling.
Michael: So I was more involved with the bottling at Mesa Park. But a bottle gets gassed, it gets. So it goes from one hand to another hand, gets filled, goes to another hand, gets corked, goes to another hand. It goes in the case, case gets put away, goes into another hand later when the bottle gets put on the shelf, then it gets sold. I mean think about how many people have touched that one bottle. Ew!
Amy: well we label it then we have to.
Michael: Oh, it has to be labeled too total and a capsule put on it.
Amy: I’m so glad we don’t do capsules.
Michael: So just think about how many people have touched that.
Lisa: Yeah. I was in really great shape then. because like carrying cases of wine around up and down stairs, things like that, it was a good work out.
Michael: Yep. Absolutely.
Amy: Yeah.
Michael: Yep.
Amy: And if people haven’t been to Blue Beryl yet, the whole wine elevator is so cool. I love that.
Lisa: So cool. Can you explain what it is for people who haven’t been there yet?
Amy: So Courtney and her husband Zach had this house and lived in it for, what, two or three years before they decided that was the perfect spot for the winery. They thought about trying to renovate the old house, but it just didn’t make sense. Like, it was built in 1902 or something.
Michael: It was one of the original houses in Palisade.
Amy: so they ended up tearing it down. And when they tore it down, they didn’t realized that there was a water cistern there. And she was like, no wonder. The floor was wonky. It still had, like, two feet of water in it.
Michael: from 1902.
Amy: Yeah. I’m surprised they didn’t have, like, mold problems. But anyway, so they were like, all right, we have this huge hole in the ground. We’ve got to do something cool. So, they. Jacki and they all came up with this idea to do a wine elevator. So it goes up and down. And they also took a bit of the idea from the Mandalay Bay and the Wine Angels and Vegas kind of how they were all. The wine bottles were stocked there. It’s gorgeous. They did such a good job.
Lisa: So they’re kind of suspended in wire
Amy: Yeah, yeah.
Michael: There’s a whole, lighting system in there that can change colors.
Amy: Yeah.
Michael: A disco ball drops down. No just kidding.
Amy: Oh yeah, that would be cool. A little climate control in there.
Lisa: Oh so the Mandalay Bay place? This is funny. I went, I was there for conference. This is like, forever ago, probably when I was 27 or 28. And I was like, I gotta go there, and I got to see the Wine Angels. I gotta, like, order some wine. So, yeah. So I went. And I was like, okay, how do I get wine that comes from that thing? And they were like, you can’t afford that.
Amy: Don’t you love it when somebody says you can’t afford that.
Michael: What are the price points?
Amy: don’t they start at like, three or four hundred dollars to get the Wine Angel to go up there. But then you have to tip her.
Michael: But then you have the whole experience with the Wine Angel.
Lisa: I think it was like a thousand bucks or something
Amy: by the time you, you have to pay a fee.
Lisa: I was like okay, well, I’ll have something by the glass, please.
Amy: Like trying to watch. somebody order a bottle of wine.
Lisa: I know. Nobody did. I actually I drank, like, three glasses of wine there. And, I hung out for a while just waiting to see somebody go up. Nobody went up, like, that whole night.
Michael: Maybe we can get Jacki or Courtney to hang out in the elevator. Just be like a Wine Angel.
Amy: suspended.
Michael: Yeah.
Amy: You should be the wine angel. Oh, can I tell the funny story about the guy that came in? So this guy came in and walked in and was very disciplined. He said I heard that only hot blondes worked here.
Michael: And there I’m standing behind the bar and I’m like wah wah.
Amy: So mind we had had a couple glasses of wine. I went on Amazon immediately and ordered the best $13 blonde wig you’ve ever seen in your life. And we should post a picture now we have it in case that ever happens again. Michael can go in the back and put on his blonde wig.
Michael: So if you ever come in and want to be served by a blonde and I’m there. I got that covered.
Amy: It is the best. It’s the best $13 I’ve ever spent in my whole entire life.
Lisa: Oh yeah. Oh my gosh. That’s amazing. That’s a really nice wig for 13 bucks. Oh my God.
Michael: 13 bucks! And it came with a comb. No extra charge.
Lisa: You gotta send me that picture. Yeah, we gotta post that. It’s probably gonna have to go on Facebook. You can decide if you feel like it.
Michael: No, that’s fine. No, I have no problem with actually having hair for a period of time.
Amy: It was worth every penny.
Michael: Yes.
Lisa: I love it. So like what’s the worst part of the job?
Michael: Slow days.
Amy: I don’t mind slow days. Like I get things done that I know that I’m like you know, like emails.
Michael: Eating lunch.
Amy: We get to work at 10:30 and Michael’s eating his lunch by 11. Every time.
Michael: No, it’s yeah. Slow days.
Amy: I would say getting in the weeds. I hate like I love when we’re busy, but I hate it when I feel like I’m not giving people the service they deserve. Yeah, besides that, I really can’t think of like terrible. I mean you get that person that tries to like you just don’t click with, you know. But I don’t hate it. I don’t think I hate anything about the job.
Michael: I like talking to people and when there’s no people to talk to, then it’s kind of like.
Amy: I think it at Mesa Park. The thing I hated the most. Well, when it was 2020 when we’d have to wear our mask and everyday we had to step outside and it was 106 degrees out that I hated.
Michael: That was hard. It was hard working with the masks.
Amy: We had a little swamp cooler. You’d literally walk in and you’d be like, just kind of hold your breath and you’re trying to talk and you can’t talk cause you’re running out of breath because it’s so hot.
Michael: There really isn’t. I mean bad is relative. I mean we’re pouring wine. What can be bad about that?
Lisa: Good point.
Amy: Nothing. Even like, when you get the really, really drunk people, I find it because we’ve all been there. We’ve all, been over-served or over drank too much and like, you just have to go with the flow. And you’re like, all right, well, how about you should do some water.
Michael: How about a little water for you?
Amy: When you get that group of girls, they’re laughing, and the next thing you look over, they’re all crying.
Michael: There are a lot of bachelorette, parties at come through the valley, and they’re all just having fun.
Amy: Well you know, in the morning, they’re fun. By the afternoon, you’re like, we should just do a bottle. I’m not gonna go through my whole spiel. Y’all been drinking all day.
Lisa: Yeah. You can tell. Can you just tell by the look?
Amy: Read the room.
Michael: Yeah. That’s what we were talking earlier about the TIPS training, that the biggest part of TIPS training was recognizing people who have had too much. And it’s, really not all that hard to do.
Amy: No, no, it isn’t. Like we’ve all been there. We’ve all done it. Like.
Lisa: Yeah, yeah.
Amy: As long as they’re not driving or. Yeah, they have somebody. And most all the bachelorette parties they have a driver, they do. Like Pali Tours.
Michael: They have a limo service, Pali Tours or Trolley.
Amy: Yeah, Pedicab. See, that’s what’s fun. We get more of that down here than at Mesa Park. It was more of a destination.
Lisa: Yeah.
Amy: Where here you get more down at Blue Beryl because we’re down in town. You get more of the.
Michael: Get more cyclists, Pedicabs, trolley people.
Amy: People just coming in for a glass and kind of like, what would you say? It feels more like a wine bar than a winery.
Michael: I agree with that.
Lisa: That makes sense.
Amy: A lot of more locals.
Michael: Yeah, locals use it as kind of like again, growing up in Wisconsin, it was a tavern culture. And, a neighbor of mine said that he enjoys coming to Palisade because the wineries have sort of taken that spot. You can show up and you probably are gonna run into somebody you know.
Lisa: Oh, man, I didn’t even think about that. But we lived in. Paul and I lived in Wisconsin for about a little less than two years because I couldn’t handle the winter. But I love that tavern culture. I’ve missed it.
Michael: Yeah.
Lisa: And I actually didn’t connect that until you just said that, that that’s a really similar feeling.
Michael: Yeah.
Amy: I always work Sundays usually because it’s Sunday fun day. It’s all locals usually that come in in the afternoon you’ve been in, we’ve done it. And then we’ll sit and by the time I close, I’ll sit and have a glass of wine with all the people and then we close up. And Fridays too. Friday afternoons it’s FAC. Sunday fun day.
Michael: I don’t think I’ve ever worked to shift where I didn’t have a friend, a neighbor, or multiples thereof stop in. And then they. Those folks know each other too, so. I mean, the Valley’s not that big.
Amy: Yeah. All the locals stay away on Saturdays for the most part.
Michael: Yeah, Saturdays are tourist days.
Amy: Saturdays, yeah. Let the things happen that will pay the bills.
Lisa: Friday, Sunday afternoon. Those are local times. Awesome.
Michael: Is this on?
Amy: you’re so funny.
Michael: Are you recording?
Lisa: You know what’s funny? My first thing on my list is are you recording? I usually put in bold. But I didn’t put it in bold in this one because like, that’s my biggest fear is that, you go through this whole thing, you take people’s time, you get all these good stories. And then I’m like, oh, shit.
Michael: did I get any of that?
Amy: Like oops. Can we do it again?
Lisa: No, I totally. Right.
Amy: Then we’d need a bottle of Tequila.
Michael: Except better this time.
Lisa: We’re gonna have to go to the liquor store! Yeah. So, what I mean, everybody has their expectations for what a winery is like, you know, they think you’re the owners, whatever. But like, what s something that happens behind the scenes that people wouldn’t expect.
Amy: For I think a winemaker. So much cleaning.
Michael: Oh my God.
Amy: So much cleaning.
Michael: Yeah.
Amy: I’ve had people ask me before, you interested in making wine at all? And that’s a big fat no. I don’t even like to clean my own house let alone. Getting in like these huge vats.
Michael: We asked for a microwave. Nope. Because you get food smells and that affects the tasting room.
Amy: Because at Mesa Park. We made the wine in the same facility where the tasting room was and stuff. And even people with perfume, if they had too much perfume, we’d ask them to be outside just because it can go into the wood barrels.
Michael: we asked for an espresso machine. We thought, wow, we would get more, effectiveness out of the workers. Nope, no espresso for you. Just because all those things will affect. And they were really careful about introducing odd things into the wine space. But they let me in.
Amy: But just how much like even like we talked about this before, it goes into everything but like bottling, like how dangerous it could be. Like the bottles can explode. We did a class on sparkling wines and this guy was like, yeah, my friend lost a hand bottling sparkling wine. And I was like, my first instinct was me with a hook, but perfectly held a bottle. And they’re like, what happened? I’m like, champagne accident. Sparkling wine accident. But I’m fine.
Michael: I have another hand.
Amy: I can go from bottle holder to glass holder. Bottle holder to glass holder. Perfect little robot here.
Lisa: Oh my God that’s too funny.
Michael: And I think just the activity of making wine. I mean, barrels breathe. it’s called the angels share. And they, dissipate alcohol and water. And so barrels have to be topped off. And there’s just all kinds of interesting things. If you’re really a geek about the wine process that happens that people just don’t even think about.
Amy: Yeah. No sleep. The freezes. No, like the weather. The weather’s scary even in the springtime, which doesn’t really. It doesn’t affect grapes at all. But like the peaches and all the things. And like I’ll wake up and look at the temperature. Even though it’s really not gonna affect me. But it affects all of us. Yeah, we, our tourists like, you know, in tourist season I’ll be like, oh my gosh, it’s 32 degrees.
Michael: I think we were down to. I think this was last year. The grapes were looking voluptuous. That’s the best way to describe them. I was talking to Brandon and I said, know when are you gonna pick? And he said, well, you know, we’re coming up to the window. And then he said, the next three weeks are the scariest three weeks of any wine. Because he said anything will screw it up. Now if it’s too wet, that screws it up. If it’s too hot, it screws it up.
Amy: When you got.
Michael: We get birds, it screws. So like you have this three week window where you don’t sleep because you’re crop is like almost perfect. And anything can ruin it.
Amy: We have those freak frosts in September where we didn’t nobody harvested last year. I mean some people were like pushing it all the way to the end of October. Like. I don’t know. It’s just stressful. It’s a lot of stress. You think that your whole season can go (snaps fingers) bam.
Michael: Yeah. Any of the fruite growers in the valley. I have the utmost respect for because. There’s so much out of their control.
Lisa: Yeah, no, I wouldn’t be able to deal with it. It’s too stressful. Yeah. Cause you can’t control it. There’s nothing you can do.
Amy: And people come in and they’re like, oh, are you the owner? I’m like, no, I still go on vacation.
Michael: Yeah. I sleep well.
Amy: I sleep at night most of the time. Like, I was like, no, no. Or when people are like, I think we should move to Palisade and open a winery. I’m like, I know a few for sale. I think every single one’s for sale. You just have to know…
Lisa: The right person?
Amy: Right. Just put the money, show the money.
Lisa: Oh man. Well, so for somebody who wanted to get into doing what you do, what would you tell them?
Amy: Do it.
Michael: Do it.
Amy: Springtime. Start pounding the pavement. Get that resume out. If you’re a people person, like, the rest will come. You don’t need to know everything about wine because you’ll learn. If you know the basics. Like red between. What’s a red wine? What’s a white wine?
Michael: Yeah, I think, the social aspect of it, if you have that sort of nailed down, everything else can probably be taught to you. It isn’t. It’s a fun job. It’s not without it being tedious. I mean, you. Like right now we have six wines that we pour.
Amy: You have to multitask. Yeah. You have to know who’s on first, who’s on second.
Michael: Yeah, yeah.
Amy: We had somebody that worked with us with them, that would write them all down. And I’m like. But we have like, we all kind of like work together. So it’s just. If you don’t remember, just be like, hey, what wine are you on?
Lisa: Yeah, yeah.
Amy: But no, like, you have to be able to be like, I know what’s coming next.
Michael: Yeah.
Amy: And it’s weird. You. I mean, we just get it.
Michael: It happens pretty quick.
Amy: multitasking, I think is the best word.
Michael: Where it’s just too. You have to have the ability to deal with a lot of balls in the air simultaneously. And it all comes so. But no, it’s a fun job. I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a part time gig and likes people and likes wine.
Amy: Yeah. Be able to do like. I mean, I think that last Saturday you and I worked together, we were busy. I think I did like 14,000 steps that day.
Michael: Oh, yeah, no, you’ll get your steps in.
Amy: You’re picking up cases of wine. Like, it’s definitely a little physical also. Besides not only the mental, but also physical.
Lisa: I like that though. I love a job where you can just get like, I’m not a go to the gym person or workout person like you were talking about. Like, I like how you can just kind of get activity as part of your job. Without going to the gym.
Michael: Yeah, you’ll get activity.
Lisa: Yeah.
Amy: Oh, you will get activity. And then you love when you get home. And, like, especially at Mesa park, because we had rocks and so you’re walking. You could wear the most comfortable shoes. I’d get home and, like. And once you stop walking, then your feet, like, get up. My husband’s like, you’re walking like you’re 90 years old. I’m like, shhh. I am. My feet are 90 years old right now.
Michael: It was like walking through sand, like, the next day. My hips would always be, like, tight.
Lisa: Yeah, yeah.
Michael: The patio at Mesa was gravel, but. And that was one of the things when I was talking to Courtney and Jacki at the Blue Beryl, I’m like, your patio is a hard surface.
Amy: You don’t have to walk as far, but you still get as many steps. I feel like? I don’t know. It’s weird.
Lisa: Yeah. That makes a difference. When you’re, like, sinking in the gravel. It’s like walking on the beach. You know, walking on the beach is so much harder.
Michael: I had really defined calves, right.
Lisa: They’re still defined!
Amy: And then one year, Brandon, they were getting more gravel, but I think it was supposed to be for, like, the driveway or something, but had it all dumped, like, in the tasting room area. And Laura and I were like, why Brandon? Like, so before, you know, disperses out a little bit, you know, and it is. It’s just like, you’re walking and ugh. What did you say you thought at Mesa park, the end was gonna be the gravel for you?
Michael: Yeah. So when Laura gave us the heads up that they were gonna just concentrate on being wholesale fruit growers, I was kind of sad about the whole thing, and I said, you know, I wasn’t really sure how this gig at Mesa Park was gonna end. I said, I thought the gravel was gonna eventually be the end of me.
Amy: I can’t do it. I physically can’t walk through the gravel anymore.
Michael: I can’t walk through the gravel.
Lisa: So you would have worked there until you couldn’t physically walk anymore.
Michael: That is. That is wine server dedication.
Amy: I thought that I would be there until Laura was like, you’re too old for this. You should probably retire.
Michael: But I’m older than you, so I would have had to go first.
Amy: Yeah but you’re in better shape than me. you ride your bike in the monument.
Lisa: Do you want to open another one or how do you guys feel about that?
Amy: sure.
Lisa: We’ve, okay.
Michael: Is this on?
Amy: I’m sure if we don’t drink it you can take it home.
Lisa: Yeah, exactly.
Michael: That looks like a Sauvage.
Lisa: Yes.
Michael: Have you been down to the Sauvage Spectrum tasting room in Ouray?
Lisa: You know what? I’ve been to Ouray a few times and every time I go there it is not open.
Michael: Oh, it’s cool. It’s a really great place. I mean. Take the Palisade experience and put it in Ouray.
Lisa: Yeah, yeah. So yeah, when my parents visited, they visit when we first moved here like October and we took them down to Ouray and because I mean they love it and my dad and they’re like looking around, they’re like why didn’t you move here?
Amy: Like there’s nothing to do here.
Michael: I’ll bring you back here in January.
Lisa: I know.
Amy: But January’s busy too because you have the ice climbing.
Michael: I have. You have snow up your ying yang. And they have black truffle potato chips from Spain.
Lisa: Oh, I love those.
Michael: At the Ouray tasting room.
Lisa: They have those somewhere else.
Michael: They have them at the
Lisa: Oh, they have them here!
Michael: What’s the, what’s the little gourmet store in Grand Junction called.
Lisa: Hog and Hen.
Michael: Hog and Hen has them.
Lisa: They have them at Sauvage here. Because I got them like two weeks ago. I love those chips.
Michael: You will inhale the bag.
Amy: I like anything from Spain.
Lisa: I mean the, it’s like the, the truffle flavor that they got into those chips is out of control. You’ve gotta have them.
Michael: No, you know who
Amy: Lisa Ness? Lisa’s awesome.
Michael: Yeah Lisa Ness, and she was pairing them with like the wines.
Lisa: Gosh, this table is very jiggly.
Michael: Thank you.
Lisa: Yes, you’re welcome. Thank you. Cheers.
Amy: No, we just spent 4th of July there with Patrick and his family. It was fun.
Michael: When I lived in Denver it was you know, seven hour drive and now you can go to Ouray for lunch.
Lisa: Right? Yeah. Like a couple weeks ago we just went down. I tried to do the via ferrata climb down into the river and I was like nope.
Amy: Really? You didn’t do it? This one’s much more fruity.
Lisa: Yeah.
Amy: Much more jammy. Well Syrah’s more of the first one. Mine was a Syrah from Bookcliff. It was definitely more. You like get that spicy.
Lisa: And what’s tough about this office as you can tell. So we’re right above Slice of Life and then we’re right by Fidel’s kind of exhaust. So like at this time of night it smells like hamburgers and meats or whatever. So like definitely messes with your smell. And then in the morning, it smells like powdered sugar and bread.
Amy: That’s not a bad thing.
Michael: There’s a little more pepper in this one too. I like that.
Amy: I get the jammyness.
Lisa: Yeah, I like it.
Michael: it’s ripe, but it’s dry ripe. Does that make sense?
Lisa: Yeah.
Amy: So I get. After we leave here, I get to go to the American Wine Society meeting tonight. And we’re doing Southern Rhone Valley.
Michael: Yeah.
Amy: So with all the greats. Julianne, Jo Sauvage, Jenny Baldwin Eaton.
Michael: That’s the other thing about Palisade is there’s these. When you think of the Colorado wine industry, your mind goes to like, it’s thousands of people. No. It’s a couple hundred at most. Right. And the people who make that go are salt of the earth people. I mean, they they’re just great.
Amy: Like if I could have a quarter of the knowledge that those ladies that I just mentioned have about wine, like, that would be happy at one day. Like, I sit there and I’m just in awe when they talk about wine. Like, especially Jenny.
Michael: Yeah.
Amy: Mind blown. Smartest lady I know.
Michael: Yep. I agree.
Amy: And so down to earth and so sweet.
Michael: No, absolutely.
Amy: I was so nervous when I first met her because I was like, oh, she’s gonna be so pretentious, like. And I was like, oh, I think I can hang out and have a glass of wine with them. And it’s happened.
Lisa: Nice.
Michael: So who’s the most pretentious person in the valley?
Lisa: From me. Oh, I think it depends on how you define pretension!
Michael: Loaded question! Next question.
Lisa: I was just gonna go into, like, how I feel like the wine is not ever as good when you’re drinking out of plastic versus glass. So maybe me right now. And that it has to be thin glass. And. Yeah.
Amy: Oh yeah it has to be the crystal. Yeah, it does make a difference.
Michael: It does. Glass shape makes a difference.
Lisa: and material!
Amy: stem versus stemless. What do you guys think?
Michael: Stem.
Lisa: stem! So you don’t warm the wine up.
Amy: Yeah.
Lisa: Though I always grab it by the top.
Amy: I’m always like, tell my husband like, babe, you gotta hold it by. And he’s like, shh! Stop being so pretentious. I’m like, no.
Michael: Stemless is to make it easy to wash the dishes.
Lisa: Yeah. And, those go in the dishwasher.
Michael: Yeah.
Lisa: So there’s the plus.
Amy: Like, when you’re, like, hanging out at home barbecuing or whatever. I mean, we’ve all drank plenty of wine out of solo cups. What’s that scene in Sideways where he pours his like. I forget which Bordeaux or some bottle that he had.
Michael: Oh. His chevignon blanc and he’s at the chicken restaurant or something.
Amy: And he pours it in a solo cup.
Lisa: You know, the first time I saw that movie, I hated it. And it took me because I was so fixated on how annoying of a character he was. It took me a really long time to kind of watch it again and appreciate it.
Michael: Yeah, he. He was so neurotic. He made you nervous. So here’s the quick, cute story. My wife had never seen that movie before. And we were staying at a little bed and breakfast in San Luis Obispo which is right where the whole movie was filmed. And we watched the movie and she was enthralled with it. She was like, oh, my God. Because it had the love story element to it. And I’m digging it for the wine part of the movie. And yeah we. We were within 20 miles of where the entire movie was filmed.
Amy: That and bottle shock. I feel like you can watch over like Bottle shock’s my favorite but.
Michael: And all the soms. I like the soms.
Amy: I like the soms. I like sour grapes. Have you seen sour grapes?
Michael: I have. That’s the whole thing where the guy, all has all the counterfeit wines. Or faked wines.
Amy: Or like he’s a thief. Pretty much.
Michael: yeah.
Amy: You know, if I could go back and do it again, like, because I was really into beer at first, you know, like when you’re in your younger days, as we all are and I worked at breweries and all the things. And I wish I would have put all that energy into wine, and been like a wine broker or something. One day I’d have been able to actually really get edumacated on that.
Michael: That’s an interesting point. When I started at Mesa Park from traveling and so forth, I thought I knew quite a bit about wine. And then I realized I didn’t know jack about wine.
Amy: When people come in and they’re like, you know so much about wine. But I really don’t. I know a little bit about Colorado wine. A little bit. I know a little. I mean, not even like a tip about Bourdeaux wines. I just basically know what they are. I know where the region is.
Michael: You know the five varietals that go into it.
Amy: I do. I know the five nobles. There’s just little things and you know, you feel like, you know a little bit now, like I’ve been to Spain. I feel like I know a little tiny bit, but I mean there’s just so many. I don’t know how these master sommeliers these do it. You’d have to have such a brain.
Michael: It’s yeah.
Amy: I mean what are there 250 in the world or something.
Michael: The masters. Yeah. Yeah. So what kinds of wines were you pouring in New York?
Lisa: So, I worked at, I worked at an awesome winery. I gotta get some of this wine, but my goal is to. I gotta get a case, have a party, everybody over and come try it.
Michael: Okay.
Lisa: but, yeah, no, I mean, I had just. I loved this winery, and that’s really the one I wanted to work at. So I got lucky enough, I started at another one that was more of, like, a party reputation. That kind of did everything. But their famous. This famous party place was. They had a wine called Red Cat, which was Red Catawba, and they called it the Hot Tub Wine. And that place was just out of control.
Michael: Was it sweet?
Lisa: It was so sweet.
Amy: Yeah, it.
Lisa: It was just, like, coats your throat.
Amy: What’s it called?
Lisa: Red Catawba. So Catawba is a native grape for upstate New York or in the northeast. East. yeah, just like. That was a place where there was. There was like, a pond outside. I worked there in January. And people walk, despite signs saying, do not go on the pond. People walked out on the pond, fell through the ice. There’s people in the pond. Yeah. So I worked there for, like, five weeks. And then I. lukcily got this offer from the other place that I really wanted to work that was more like serious about wine. So they, there’s definitely still a lot of kind of like, the native varietals, which do really well there.
Michael: like the Rieslings and so forth?
Lisa: Well, so. And then there’s the European varietals, like Riesling, which are do really well there. So, like, Riesling Pinot Noir does well there.
Amy: Muscats?
Lisa: Yeah. Muscats. Absolutely. Like, they do a sparkling. and they. The place I worked, though, I really thought they did a good job with red wines. Like, their Merlot, like a cold climate Merlot.
Michael: really?
Lisa: It was so interesting.
Michael: Wow.
Lisa: Some years they could get a cab sauvignon to grow.
Michael: Were they real earthy?
Lisa: Yeah, really. And really fruity and jammy, like strawberry, which is. It was different. And then the Cab Franc. Riesling and Cab Franc are the two that are really, really good there. but the Cab Franc there is totally different than the Cab Franc here.
Michael: Yeah. What would be the, flavor notes that you would associate with a New York Cab Franc?
Lisa: Much more peppery.
Michael: Really?
Lisa: Yeah.
Amy: Green pepper or black pepper?
Lisa: More of a green pepper, but not in, like, a flawed way. Like, in, more of, like an earthy way.
Amy: Yeah.
Lisa: and definitely Fruity always like, like strawberries. fruit like blackberries, blueberries.
Michael: Do you know what kind of oak they used, was it.
Lisa: They usually use French but it would be like used French. I mean not used.
Michael: neutral.
Lisa: Neutral. Yeah. I always thought in my head, used.
Michael: Well no, it’s so funny you said that because I’ll introduce a wine, I’ll say this was made in neutral oak and they’re like what does that mean? I’m like used oak. previously used.
Lisa: Not too oakey. But they do Chardonnay. Sparkling wines are really good also because it’s kind of like the low sugar
Amy: isn’t Bulgarian like a neutral oak too
Lisa: or like Hungarian.
Amy: Or Hungarian.
Michael: So the cab franc, if you happen to get one from Aspen Peak, I think it’s American oak and it’s spectacular. it adds like a smokiness to it.
Amy: That’s great. Like American oak. Sometimes I don’t like because it can be too of that.
Michael: It’s a little spiky but it can add that kind of smoke layer.
Amy: But I think then you can lay it down a little longer. Right it has that big.
Michael: Yeah it has those bourbon-esque qualities.
Amy: Do you have any of the Cowboy cabs from Mesa Park?
Michael: No, no, but I have tasted them.
Amy: recently?
Michael: at the last pickup party when Laura pulled out all the library wines. it is either you love it or you hate it.
Amy: I have one and I also have a Merlot.
Michael: A Daryl?
Amy: A Daryl.
Lisa: What’s the cowboy?
Michael: It was Cab Franc Merlot. And the previous owner of the winery was Chuck. And he kind of
Amy: Him and Brandon made that wine together. It was the first wine that Brandon
Michael: he kind of look viewed himself as like a cowboy. And Laura did this beautiful label of a cowboy walking through the vines into the sunset. And it was, it was homage. That’s my only French word I know to Chuck’s farewell. So. And people, people would
Amy: people would have him sign the bottle.
Michael: People showed up a year later asking if we had cowboy cab and it was like, sorry.
Amy: they’d be like where’s Chuck and Patty?
Michael: Yeah, sorry.
Amy: Patty used to make us bread.
Michael: Did you ever meet Chuck?
Lisa: No.
Amy: You have to meet Chuck and Patty.
Michael: Chuck is Chuck’s a great guy. Yeah. he would show up on Friday afternoons and he’d sit at the tasting room bar and have a glass of wine and he would tell you the history of the valley. You know, firsthand history of like who planted what and where and how. So it was good.
Amy: Well, the one to talk about that with is Bennett. Bennett knows.
Michael: Bennett. Yes.
Amy: Bennett knows all the things. Bennett’s been around for a minute. Chuck didn’t come to the valley until a little later.
Michael: But he knew like I think Bennett
Amy: Ken also.
Michael: Yeah, Ken. Bennett planted. didn’t Bennett plant the vines at Mesa?
Amy: Yeah. Bennett planted, I would say probably 75% of the vines in the valley.
Michael: I mean, did I just hear that Debeque sold?
Amy: Debeque sold a while ago yeah. I mean, not a while ago, like a couple months ago. I think one night you and I, we were all talking about buying it. We’re like, oh, yeah, let’s just get together and
Lisa: I know, I would just love that.
Michael: Is it, Mesa Parks neighbors that bought it?
Amy: It’s investors. I think is what the thing said.
Michael: Okay.
Amy: Yeah.
Lisa: Did it actually close?
Amy: Yeah, it’s been closed for awhile. I think that Bennett would try to keep it open. They just did a big yard sale.
Lisa: And oh, I mean like the sale closed.
Michael: Oh, I saw that they were selling the stuff from the tasting room.
Lisa: I really wanted to go to the yard sale. I missed it.
Amy: Yeah, I did too. But I was in Denver.
Lisa: It yeah.
Michael: I’m looking to you for guidance.
Lisa: I know you’re looking at me like.
Michael: Ask me a question.
Lisa: I guess. I mean, I really just had two official questions left, but you can talk about whatever you want. But do you just foresee yourselves kind of continuing to work, at Blue Beryl? Like, would you love if you were gonna retire from Mesa park when the gravel got to be too much? would you love to just retire from Blue Beryl or what’s your future like, you think?
Amy: I would like to stay at Blue Beryl as long as they they’ll have me. It’s a beautiful family. It’s a beautiful property. I loved Mesa Park. I was very sad when they. I totally understand their decision, but that was kind of. I felt like the Blacks were family too. Not only friends, but family. And I feel like that’s kind of probably hopefully happens with the Wells and Kiels. But like, yeah, love. I love working at Blue Beryl.
Michael: Yeah. That’s the way I feel then. That’s one of the reasons why I think we both ended up at Blue Beryl as it has that same, it’s a small uber boutique. Not just boutique, but like super boutique.
Amy: They’re doing what, 500 cases a year?
Michael: Right yeah.
Amy: Hopefully. Which will, go up to 800, 900 next year.
Michael: Family. I’ve always told Courtney that my greatest fear is a family member’s gonna walk in the front door of the winery and I’m not going to recognize them.
Amy: That oh, well, like the men kind of stay away. It’s cute. Like it’s the women’s. It’s Courtney and Jacki pretty much. And her sister has her own thing going on, but the boys have their they do all terrain. They own a different company, so they have their thing.
Michael: Yeah.
Amy: Zach’s there a lot. Zach’s very hands on.
Michael: Yeah Zach and Courtney are great the whole family’s great. I loved working with the Blacks and Maya, Brandon, Laura. So, yeah, no, it’s there’s something about, I think the personality of Amy and I is that we’re more attracted to more that family environment.
Amy: I never thought I would leave Mesa Park. They had to literally, like, push me out the door. Like oh wait I get to stay here!
Michael: Laura would give me grief for this because she said I’m too nostalgic one time. But, I was kind of. I was in a funk for a couple weeks after.
Amy: I know when she told us I was like, don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. And I was like, I think I need to order a drink. And I totally started crying.
Michael: That’s right. We went out to lunch and I was like, I need a cocktail.
Amy: She broke up with us in public.
Michael: Yeah, it’s not you, it’s me.
Amy: And I kinda knew something was coming. But like. Oh, yeah, it was hard.
Michael: Yeah it was.
Amy: And you go through like, the like whole emotions. Like it was sad and I was angry at them. And I mean, I understood always. But I. You’re like you guys are my life.
Michael: Well, they went out on top. I mean, and I told this to Laura. they had 4.9 Google reviews, which is unheard of when you’re in the hundreds.
Amy: Hundreds of them. Yeah.
Michael: Brandon had double gold. Gold. Almost every wine he made let’s put it this way. Every wine he submitted medaled.
Lisa: Right. And the governor’s Cup.
Michael: Yeah. they sold out of every vintage they ever manufactured ever produced. people loved Mesa park. And I get it.
Amy: we got winery of the year. We got Google Winery of the year.
Michael: We were Best of the West Winery. So I mean, you know, Lauren and Brandon did it right. And I get why they, made the decision. They did. And I respect that.
Amy: it’s funny when people come in and they’re like, so what happened? Why did they. And I’m like, they make it sound like something happened. And I’m like a baby happened. Their life happened like things like it got all like. I’m like they were just done. They were tired. Like, it’s a lot of work. This is like the classic when you go into this farming thing, it’s not for the weak it’s not. And not that they’re. You know. You know what I mean it’s, it’s a lot.
Lisa: Yeah. No, and well, so I. I think I told you I talked to her. So she’s like the next episode that I have coming out and ah. But I think what’s hard about it is like.
Michael: what did she say about us?
Lisa: You’re wonderful. No, but like they’re so good at it. It’s hard to understand when you’re so good at it why you would.
Amy: That’s what I always said if Brandon sucked at making wine. I would have been like, eh.
Lisa: But they’re so good. Like the. The awards that you mentioned. There are not many. Yeah, they got. They won something for everything they submitted which does not happen.
Amy: I love Carboy, but we should have got Wine of the Year. And I will stick to my guns through thick and thin. Equilibre was one of the best wines ever.
Michael: Laura was just about to have Maya and we were sitting at the Best of West presentation. The Grand Junction Sentinel Awards and they announced Best Winery and it was Mesa Park.
Amy: And we never. We were like they forgot us. They did third second. And they’re like. And we just never even thought like we never thought we’d get winery of the year.
Michael: Well. And Laura was like holding back tears and when you talk to her about it, she was like, if you only realized how much work it took to get to that point.
Lisa: Yeah.
Michael: And it was an affirmation of everything that her and Brandon had done. So I mean you can’t. I mean all you can do is just respect and honor those two for what they did. And Courtney and Jacki are on that same path I have never seen when I. When I’m at the winery and I look out in the vineyard and I see Jacki out there and it’s like 98 degrees and she’s weed-whacking. I’m like, you go girl.
Amy: Jacki’s a badass. I’ll say it said it once, I’ll say it all day long. I mean they both. They’re all. The whole family is such hard workers.
Michael: The work ethic in. Yeah.
Lisa: and you can taste it in the wine.
Michael: and that was in both wineries the work ethic is off the charts.
Amy: I know sometimes when I’m home and I’m like, oh, today maybe it’ll just be a little lazy. Watch a little Bravo TV before I start my laundry. And I’m like, what would Jacki do.
Michael: What would Jacki be doing?
Amy: Yeah, I’m like, what would Jacki be doing right now I’m like, shit. I should probably get up and start weed-whacking something. Go for. And you too. Like, she’s like it’s 106 out. But I went for hike today. Where did you guys hike?
Lisa: Garfield.
Michael: Oh, you did?
Lisa: Yeah, on Sunday.
Michael: Oh, my God. Good for you. Wow.
Amy: Wow.
Lisa: To me, it’s hot. It’s hot. It’s hot. Like, it doesn’t feel any different to me.
Amy: not me. Yeah, I’m at that magical age too, where I’m just hot. Like, if it’s not hot, I’m hot.
Michael: It’s a dry heat thing. No, it is. we’ve gotten used to it. My wife and I are big hikers and we’ve gotten used to it too. And you just, you know, you hydrate and you wear big flappy hats.
Lisa: big sun shirts.
Amy: So you would go out and hike in 105.
Lisa: I mean, it wasn’t 105 when we did it. We did it in the morning.
Michael: No.
Lisa: Yeah, but I mean, we got done at one. Which was too late.
Amy: Well you with Kristen and Ed. You guys did a hike one day.
Lisa: Like, which I was like, I hope Kristen doesn’t die. Because it’s going to be my fault. Yeah, but she did fine. Yeah, it. But it was like a hundred, so, you know, I don’t know. I mean, I guess my opinion is, like, it’s hot here, so I need to train myself to deal with it. Because I don’t want to sit inside.
Amy: Heat’s different for different people. It’s just like wine.
Michael: But it’s switched in the last day or two. It’s also gotten humid. Like today.
Lisa: you think it’s humid?
Michael: Today I went for a bike. I can always tell humidity because I went for a bike ride in my upper lip
Amy: well probably because the monsoons are starting everywhere around us.
Michael: My upper lip was dripping, and that’s a sign of humidity.
Amy: What time did you go for a bike ride?
Michael: It was like 9:00. It was only like 83, but it was like, really, like, humid.
Amy: I’m surprised you’re not, because you are up at like, five.
Michael: Oh, we gotta walk the dogie. We have a new puppy and so we gotta walk the dog. But it all comes together. It’s fine. It’s fine. I’ve adjusted.
Lisa: What kind of dog?
Michael: A, miniature poodle. A purebred miniature poodle. His name is Ansel and he’s an absolute godsend. So we love our little doggy yeah.
Amy: It’s your son.
Michael: It is. It’s our son.
Lisa: that’s adorable. Well, okay, I don’t want to take up your time forever.
Michael: Last question. Make it a good one.
Lisa: Well, the. Well, okay. Maybe it’s not gonna be that good. It’s the one I always ask everybody because I like to hear across every episode, people do different things or whatever. But still, we all live here in this area.
Michael: This is edited, right?
Lisa: Yeah.
Michael: All the bad stuff is gone. Okay good.
Lisa: I don’t think there was any bad stuff. I think it’s all good.
Michael: Can Amy swear?
Lisa: No, but, like, so what’s your favorite thing about Palisade? Like, I ask that. I ask that of everybody.
Amy: The people.
Michael: Yeah.
Amy: The people and the wine and the culture
Michael: the sense of community here
Amy: everything. I love Palisade.
Michael: it is this little gem in the state of Colorado. And, a lot of front rangers don’t even realize how cool Palisade is. Maybe it will always stay like this cool little town.
Amy: I remember when Palisade was kind of like a Clifton. Like, it was kind of like you would be like, oh, we’re going to Palisade. Go to the bar. And I’m like, I’m good. I don’t want to go to the livery, but but y’all have fun. And now I’m just like, gosh, it’s such a cute great. It’s just what it’s become. And you always hear the old timers be like, oh, back in my day.
Michael: It’s 3,000 people. It’s been 3,000 people for 50 years.
Amy: And I’m sure we’ve all seen, like, on the things, like, the arguments about the bikers and, like, the people. And it’s just let everything has to evolve. Change is good. It’s hard. Change is good. Palisade’s beautiful.
Michael: It is. And here’s one where the rubber meets the road. points of evidence. And I know Amy will back me up on this almost every shift. People that come from outside the area will inevitably ask, what’s the real estate like?
Amy: Oh, everybody
Michael: cause that’s a huge signal of like, oh, my God. Palisade oh how cool it’d be to live here.
Amy: yeah like everybody else.
Lisa: Right.
Amy: One time I was like, western slope’s closed. You can come visit but. We’ve closed.
Lisa: There aren’t any houses left. That’s a problem.
Michael: That is the problem. There’s not a lot of houses here.
Amy: But we both live in junction. I’m close to. I’m northern. I so I’m easy. It’s 12 minutes, 13 minutes to get to work for my house.
Michael: I view that I live in the Grand Valley. I mean, I look at Fruita, Grand Junction, Palisade as one big spot. And, No, I absolutely love Palisade. I love the people, by far, the environment, the fact that it’s Colorado’s fruit bowl.
Amy: The school’s good everything all the things.
Michael: Yeah. I just wish it had more restaurants.
Lisa: I know.
Michael: That’s the only thing about Palisade.
Lisa: I hear you. That are open for dinner.
Michael: Are you guys gonna open some?
Lisa: No. But I would like other people to open some, please. So are you guys gonna start your own podcast?
Amy: We talk about it. We always laugh about it, but I think we talked about that we need to talk about.
Michael: I think we’re done. Yeah, I think we’re one and done.
Lisa: I got one more for you. I’m sorry. I think this is the good ending one.
Amy: Okay.
Lisa: This might be a little dark.
Michael: No.
Amy: oh I love dark.
Lisa: Has anybody ever hit on you before? And how do you deal with that?
Michael: That’s an interesting question. I bet you’ve had a bunch.
Amy: Definitely.
Michael: I’ve had like, creepy old ladies.
Amy: I’ve had a creepy old guy that was much younger, but still older than the wife. And, it was, it was awkward and like he got up to go to the bathroom and she was like, you know, he’s clearly hitting on you. And I was like, I don’t know you’re talking about like. I was like, everyone don’t thinks so.
Lisa: definitely play dumb.
Amy: but it’s just. I mean, it’s. It’s weird. It’s awkward.
Michael: and it’s usually somebody that’s had too much. And I remember it like being like busy Saturdays, and all you do is like, I’m going back to my job now, you know?
Amy: Yeah, I don’t think I did it as much now as when I did when I was younger. Obviously when you’re wearing a wedding ring and all the things.
Michael: Yeah, I remember I asked. I forgot who I asked this question. I said to say, so give me your tales of the tasting room. Oh, maybe it was the guy at sauvage. Anyway, he said, oh, I remember like a group of ladies trying to talk the pedicab driver to come back to their hotel room with them. So are you gonna record this? I have a suggestion for the Valley.
Lisa: Yes.
Michael: The alternate forms of transportation, the pedicabs and the trolleys, they’re great to get people around the valley. From the winery standpoint, though, it’s an impediment to. For people to buy wine. There’s no way to transport wine. So my suggestion, and this is free, no copyright, would be if there would be some sort of central storage throughout the day that people could like dump wine or have the pedicab biker store the wine or have the trolley driver store the wine. So at the end of the day you would have like your six bottles that you bought during the day.
Amy: I think that the trolley should do that anyways like in the back have like a big cooler and you can have like a section.
Michael: Yes. You get a box with your name on it and it’s gonna go in storage location a wherever that is in the village. And as you buy wines, you put your little sticker on it that says Amy DiMarzio’s wine. And it goes in Amy DiMarzio’s box. And at the end of the day you take your box. Because what happens now is if you’re on a pedicab or the trolley, you do a tasting and you leave even though you enjoyed the wines you don’t buy. Because what do you do with these bottles that you bought?
Amy: I mean I love people, but there’s a little bit of ignorance being like, well, I’ll get it next time I come in into town. I’ll be here in three weeks. I’m like, sweetie, we are a small winery. This may not be here three weeks. Like I hate see that. And people get mad that the Syrah, our beautiful Malbec, like any of these wines. And we just came out with two new wines by the way. Let me plug this. We have a beautiful new oak aged Chenin blanc.
Michael: Used oak. Neutral oak.
Amy: And then we have a new rose that’s amazing. But both of those, she only did 45 cases each. This is just cause we’re trying to play catch up from that 2020 freeze. So yeah, people are like, oh my gosh, I’ll just get it. Like this is gonna be amazing in the fall. And I’m like, I no, it won’t be here in the fall.
Michael: 45 cases is a pallet and it’s gone in a blink of an eye.
Amy: So many people are used to the bigger wineries where it’s always there. It’s just not always gonna be there.
Lisa: Yeah, that’s a great idea. And I kind of don’t want to share that because that feels like our million dollar business idea. Not million, maybe hundred thousand dollar business idea.
Michael: No yeah don’t. It’s yours. Because I talk about this all the time. So Mesa park got.
Amy: Laura and I were talking about.
Michael: We were like they got. They got destination. They got destination tasters who would buy. The people in the village get all these alternative forms of transportation, which I completely encourage. But they can’t buy.
Lisa: right, it’s safer.
Michael: They have no way to transport wine.
Amy: But what you have to do when they do that. Let me just do it, you know. Buy now. We’ll store it for you. Come pick it up tomorrow.
Michael: correct. So anything else you need to ask us. Let me check my notes.
Lisa: No I don’t think so. Anything else you want to share?
Michael: I have one story that Amy will enjoy that we didn’t share.
Amy: All right.
Lisa: I love that you took notes.
Michael: So, we were talking about Wisconsin, right?
Amy: Oh, I know which one this is.
Michael: So people buy wine and I ask, would you like to take your wine home in a bag? And the lady looked at me kind of funny, and I was like, would you like your bottle in a bag? And she looks at me. She looks at Amy and she goes, I don’t know what he’s saying.
Amy: She’d been drinking a little bit. Like, you can tell. She was like. She looked at me, she goes, sweetie, I don’t know what he’s asking me. I was like, he’s asking you? Cause I always give him shit about the bag. And I was like, sweetie, he’s asking me if you want a bag. And she’s like, u big bag. She’s like, I think I’m okay. And I was like, should I carry your bottle of wine out for you? Her husband was waiting in the car, like, honking the horn. Like, she just kept. I mean, the eyes were there. It was just like nobody was home. Like, she’s like, I don’t know what he’s asking me.
Lisa: I mean, to be fair, when you said bay, I wasn’t sure either. Just now.
Michael: I understand.
Amy: See? Yay!
Michael: And I have told people numerous times, just hang out and I will butcher the English language in many ways.
Amy: No, Michael and I laugh. I mean, we have so much fun. Like, we laugh to the point of tears sometimes over the.
Michael: it is funny because people who come in from, like, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, that within like four seconds, they’re like, where are you from?
Lisa: Yeah, I think you’re from the midwest, aren’t you.
Amy: Yeah. And sometimes the yeah comes out.
Michael: So I just got a text from my neighbor and it says there was a terrific article on Sunday’s about the Blue Beryl. It was disappointing, though, to see that they did not feature the most popular server.
Amy: Oh was I not in it? This one?
Lisa: Aw
Amy: you’re like, poor Amy. She knows.
Michael: Yeah, I’m gonna say that. I’m gonna say Amy already knows. Amy knows she’s number one.
Amy: Which neighbor was it?
Michael: All my neighbors have been to the winery numerous times. And Amy knows all my neighbors.
Amy: Like, we’re definitely like. What do you call it? Like, work spouses or whatever. Like, we have our own banter and like, Brian and Cheryl think it’s hilarious. Like, there’s no, like, jealousy.
Michael: No, I was thinking about that the other day. Even at Blue Beryl, there’s this. When you work with people that you respect. And it just. It takes. It’s a different. The relationship takes on a different level cause you look at each other as equals.
Amy: Well, you said something the other day. So we went to his for dinner, and he said, you know, we’re not friends. We’re family at this point.
Michael: Yeah, definitely. Absolutely.
Lisa: So you’re the siblings of the tasting room.
Michael: Yeah, that’s true.
Amy: So we always call. So there was this big joke at Mesa Park. Since I got hired first, I was always number one.
Michael: I was number two.
Amy: Number two. So I’m the big. He’s literally the big brother. But I had that little sister mentality.
Michael: Yeah, it’s been good. And again, going back to your questions about what makes Palisade great. Everyone sitting at this table.
Lisa: Go see Amy and Michael at, Blue Beryl Winery for laughs bags and great wine. If you’re enjoying this podcast, please consider leaving Postcards from Palisade a review or a rating on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening. With love, from Palisade.