Hey Elizabeth Warren - I'm not a Billionaire, But I love Hanging Out in Napa Wine Caves

I do everything I can to stay out of politics, and I especially don't write about them, but Elizabeth Warren has me hopping mad. By trying to slam Pete Buttigieg by saying during the debate that "billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president" she probably didn't hurt Mayor Pete's chances but actually hurt her own. By going after an industry that is so important to voters who depend on the wine industry to feed their families, and live in a community where people visiting and supporting the wine and hospitality fields, her comments hurt the people she says that she is the best choice for. With all of teh fires and issues facing this beautiful area of the world, tourism is down, and they need for all of us to visit more than ever.

I'm one of those people who love visiting Napa Valley and learning about the wine industry and its history. I had never been there until a year ago, and now I'm fortunate enough to have clients there who keep asking me back. By working with them and going behind the scenes, I'm now looking at the wine industry in a different way. Napa Valley is about so much more than just drinking wine, it's about hospitality. It is such a joy to visit a winery and learn all about the amazing people who work so hard to make each bottle better than the last, and they take great joy in sharing the bottle and the stories behind it with you. Everyone is treated with respect and warmth and is treated the same whether you are enjoying a complimentary "splash" or buying cases of wine to ship home.

With over 500 wineries in Napa Valley alone, it's a real treat to tour some of the better-known wineries, and the smaller, more intimate ones as well. Many times you can tour or have a meal in their wine cellars, and people from all walks of life do that daily. If I had a wine cave I would be entertaining in it as well!

Craig and Kathryn Hall are the owners of Hall Wines where the dinner took place, and I am proud to say they are very active in Dallas - especially when it comes to giving back to the community. Kathryn is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier  - a group that I am also very proud to be a member of. Our Dallas chapter has raised over one million dollars in scholarship funds for women to study in the culinary fields. We have so many success stories of giving women a hand up who have gone on to be extraordinary culinary talents. Kathryn and Hall Wines have always been very generous in helping us raise these funds.

Even if you aren't a billionaire, if you travel to Napa you might be able to enjoy a free tasting of their highly rated, internationally known wines. For a modest sum, you too can tour their beautiful winery including their wine cave and have a splash (taste) of some of their better wines. The Halls are also patrons of the arts, and it's a treat just to tour the grounds and view some of their very special art acquisitions.

Hall Wines and other Hall businesses are women-owned businesses. Kathryn is a founder of these businesses. In fact, her family purchased their first vineyard in the 1970's and has been involved in California winemaking ever since. She also co-founded the North Texas Food Bank.

The more I learn about the Halls and Hall Wines, the more I understand why Pete Buttigieg chose to have a fundraiser at their beautiful winery, and why I'll be spending more money and time at their winery to support them and what they believe in.

Thanks, Elizabeth Warren for pushing me to do my homework before I spoke out. I'll always support women-owned and run businesses, and even though I will never be a billionaire (or millionaire!) I'm glad that there are beautiful places like Hall Wines where I can enjoy and appreciate the finer things in life.


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