No matter how much we love where we work and where we live, sometimes the time is right to spread our wings a bit and leave the 'hood. And you just never know what lessons you'll learn when you do.
Last Sunday we were invited to accompany friends to a wine tasting and a tour of the Hafner family winery and wine caves, set in the beautiful Alexander Valley near Healdsburg. Along with the wines, set under spreading oak trees, there was a beautiful array of local area cheeses, almonds, olives, hummus and crackers. Chefs at the barbecue prepared tri-tip and other hors d'oeuvres, along with garlic prawns. Everything was exquisite.
A family member greeted us and about 100 others warmly and invited us to partake of the bounty. No one asked us to sign in, or asked for our phone number or email address.
The tour was lead by another Hafner family member, who gave us just the right blend of information without overload. Wines were available for purchase, as a discrete sentence at the bottom of the card we were handed when we arrived mentioned. That was all -- the wines spoke for themselves.
The entire afternoon was one of casual elegance; we relaxed, we smiled, we laughed; we felt honored to be there.
We purchased one special bottle to save for a holiday dinner. It is packaged exquisitely with a wine stopper included, along with a note about the wine signed by the head of the Hafner family.
The afternoon was delightful and relaxing, with lots of laughter and chat as we shared all that was prepared for us. The day was a prime example of how to treat customers and clients, how to make them feel valued.
Sometimes getting out of the 'hood is just the right thing to do, and you never know what lesson you'll learn along the way.
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