Full Transcript
Doug Shafer:
Hey everybody, Doug Shafer, another episode of The Taste, welcome back. We've got, uh, a special guest today and who I was thinkin' about her last night, and I was tryin' to think the first time we met, and she has to confirm it for me. But we've got Jamie Araujo with us today. Uh-
Jamie Araujo:
Hello.
Doug Shafer:
... and- and, Jamie, welcome.
Jamie Araujo:
Thank you so much-
Doug Shafer:
And-
Jamie Araujo:
... thanks for havin' me.
Doug Shafer:
You bet. And my recollection was, I know this is gonna sound ... I think it's gonna sound romantic, but I was working.
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
It wa-, it was Paris wasn't it?
Jamie Araujo:
I see. Now I was lookin' back, and I was tryin' to remember, I thought it was Hong Kong or Beijing.
Doug Shafer:
Oh. Uh, you know it, you could have been. Listen, boy, you-
Jamie Araujo:
And I-
Doug Shafer:
... and listen to us sound like we're world travelers. Isn't that cool?
Jamie Araujo:
I know, don't we sound fancy?
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
But-
Jamie Araujo:
But we were both working at the time.
Doug Shafer:
Well- well we were, because I know you've been ... We'll get into your story in a minute, and you've worked all over the world. But, uh, I go on these, uh, jaunts and junkets with the Napa Valley Vintner's Association-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
... selling wine, and- and doing tastings in Beijing and Shanghai, and- and, uh, Paris, and Chicago, and Cleveland, and Jacksonville, and everywhere else. But, I- I know, I- I think I was on one with, uh, Annette was with me in, we were in Paris, and I think we met you in, it was a cookbook arth- authors. Was it Dorie Greenspan? Was that-
Jamie Araujo:
Dorie Greenspan, who is-
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
... one of the most awesome human beings on the planet by the way-
Doug Shafer:
I thought ... And so for sure, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
... just as an aside.
Doug Shafer:
Good. For, so, for sure that was when we saw each other that day, I remember that. Good!
Jamie Araujo:
Yes, yeah.
Doug Shafer:
So anyway, good. So, uh, we're gonna get to your story in a bit, but we've gotta start with your folks, because, uh, you're so intertwined-
Jamie Araujo:
Definitely.
Doug Shafer:
... with those guys. But, Bart and-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
... Daphne Araujo started Araujo Estate. I know your dad came fr- from San Francisco. What about your mom, where'd she come from?
Jamie Araujo:
So, um, Daphne was actually, um, she was an army brat, as a matter of fact.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
So, she, um, lived all over the world, including, um, I think D.C., somewhere in the Midwest, um, Turkey for a while. And then, uh, actually, settled over in Hawaii-
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Jamie Araujo:
... in Honolulu. And she went to high school out there, um, and then eventually came back to the mainland and met my dad in, down in Santa Barbara when she was working as a landscape architect and he was working as a real estate developer, so, match made in heaven.
Doug Shafer:
There you go, 'cause he was, uh, he went to school at SC, USC and, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah, he went to SC and then Harvard Business School.
Doug Shafer:
And Harvard Business School, got it. And, so ... And, uh, so they met in Santa Barbara. So, you grew up where, exactly then?
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs) Yes, I guess, is the question to that, uh-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... answer to that question. Um, so I was born in Boston, and then we moved back to California ... and we lived a little bit all over the place. Did settle in Santa Barbara for quite a few years, but then I went off to boarding school when I was 14-
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
... um, in Ojai, so still California. And, um, then went to Georgetown, uh, and then just, kind of, kept going, so- (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Jamie Araujo:
... into the- the U.K., and France, and everything, whereas my parents actually went from Santa Barbara, in 1990, and moved up to Napa, when-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah-
Jamie Araujo:
... they bought the Eisele Vineyard.
Doug Shafer:
So when they moved up to Napa you were already out of the house and gone, traveling around the world-
Jamie Araujo:
Y-
Doug Shafer:
... and whatnot.
Jamie Araujo:
... yeah- (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... I was in college, I was in college.
Doug Shafer:
Got it, at Georgetown. And tell me, tell me about in- in- in, around the house, uh, at home, because this is, I'm always curious about this. Was there wine on the table? Were you folks into wine before they bought the vineyard?
Jamie Araujo:
You know, it's so funny. Not really. I- I mean I do remember the- the proudly displayed bottle of, like, Cakebread Chardonnay at Thanksgiving or something. Um, but we were definitely not a wine family, um, at least, uh, certainly on my dad's side. And I think, you know, they came to it a little bit later, um, in the, more in the 80s.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
And then once they discovered it, it was, like, a long lost love, so it just sped up very fast. (laughs). And, you know, honestly when they moved up to Napa, they were truly ... You know, my dad had sold his home-building business, and they were looking to move back to the Bay area, 'cause dad's from, um, the San Francisco area. And they're not city people, so they wanted to live in the country. And, you know, the 80s, country around San Francisco was Napa- (laughs) So they started looking in Sonoma and Napa and they found a couple of places. Um, funnily enough, Jean Phillips, who most people know as the founder of Screaming Eagle-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
... was, um, a real estate agent at the time. She was their estate, uh, real estate agent, and she's the one who found the Eisele Vineyard for them. And, um, it was pretty funny, she'd already found them two properties, which they had bought and were planning to do things, I think, up on Spring Mountain or something?
Doug Shafer:
Huh.
Jamie Araujo:
And then she all of a sudden called them up and said, "Uh, yeah. No there's this thing that just came on the market, you guys have to see it." And they're, like, "Um, Jean, (laughs) we don't-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... need another property." (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
And, she said, "No- no- no, you gotta see this. This is you guys, I swear." So to humor her they went to see it and then they went, "Well, crud, okay, you're right," and they sold the other two properties and bought the Eisele Vineyard.
Doug Shafer:
Um, so Jean Phillips, who's fantastic, she's a neighbor of mine right now. In fact, I buy grapes from her. So she found this new property, they went for it, and it's, it was the Eisele, the old Eisele property. And I know about it, you know about, but a lot of my folks listenin' might, have heard the name. And-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
... maybe, can you give us a little history about the whole property and why it, why it became so famous, and then your folks just, you know, made it even better?
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah! Well, I mean I think the thing that's interesting about it is- is, first of all, I mean we hear the Eisele Vineyard, and I think a lot of people just think of it as a- a weird name for a property- ... um, that doesn't get pronounced how it's spelt and all that, kind of, stuff. But the Eiseles are actually, um, a family, (laughs) um, an amazing family. Barbara and Milt were the ones who bought the property in the 60s, they're the ones who planted it to Cabernet, and, um, they are the ones who started in 1971. Milt just felt like he had something really special there. And it had actually been undervined, but it was planted to, I think if memory serves, like, Zinfandel and Riesling-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
... something like that? So they planted it over to Cabernet in '64, I'm pretty sure. And, um, in 1971 Milt had this crazy idea that, um, they should actually do a vineyard designant, that it actually was special enough to be called the Eisele Vineyard on the bottle. And Paul Draper, in 1971, did the Ridge Eisele- ... which is the only time he ever did it, and it is still one of the most extraordinary wines I've ever had the pleasure to taste in my life. And, um, and then, you know, they, kind of, went back and forth for a couple of years. But then in 1974, started working with Joe Phelps. Um, and Joe Phelps did an Eisele, Cabernet from 1974, '74, '75, up until 1991, um-
Doug Shafer:
And I remember that. That was a really great- great wine. That got a great reputation, so, it seems like that was, kind of, happening.
Jamie Araujo:
Amazing.
Doug Shafer:
Got it, okay.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah, no, and that really, sort of, started, um, to create the reputation of- of that vineyard. And then, uh, so my parents bought the property in 1990 ... and, honestly, originally had just thought, "Well, okay, we'll just, you know, we've got some grapes, we'll, sort of, be part of the community, we'll sell the grapes to Phelps, this is easy." But you know my dad, like, that was never gonna happen, right? He- he had to get his hands in there and do it himself. So, they built a winery on the property and, um, started making wine, and- and it's pretty wonderful. I j-, I don't know, I love this story because it just says so many things about the community, and Napa, and whatever. So in 1991, the vintage '91, um, Phelps, Joe Phelps had the contract for the grapes, for all of the grapes for the Eisele Vineyard. It was the last year he was gonna have them, but he had the right to that. And, you know, I mean they had just cut off his supply to one of his most popular and prestigious single vineyard wines, right?
Doug Shafer:
Right- right.
Jamie Araujo:
One could be forgiven for assuming that Joe was, like, "All right, I hate you and I will do everything-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... I (laughs) can to undermine you." And, instead, because our winery got finished a little early, Joe came to my dad and said, "Well, this is silly. Why don't we split the harvest this year? And, so you know I'm not cherry-picking the best spots, 'cause you don't know what they are yet-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... we'll do it row by row.
Doug Shafer:
Oh wow.
Jamie Araujo:
So two rows for you, two rows for me." And, so, 1991 is the only year that there are two Eisele Cabernets, and one's Phelps and one's Araujo.
Doug Shafer:
I didn't-
Jamie Araujo:
That was our very first vintage.
Doug Shafer:
... uh, I didn't know that. How cool. And so-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... your winery was ... By that time he had built it, 'cause knowing your-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
... dad, knowing your dad, man, he- he cranks, so I- (laughs) I'm- I'm not sur-
Jamie Araujo:
Dude, he builds fast.
Doug Shafer:
Uh, yeah, not-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... surprised it was done early. That usually isn't the case in this business. And, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
I know.
Doug Shafer:
... and I know he had hired on Tony Soter and Mia Klein, right, cause-
Jamie Araujo:
Exactly, yeah-
Doug Shafer:
Uh-
Jamie Araujo:
... first vintage was Tony and- and Mia.
Doug Shafer:
... it's ... Well, 'cause I've got a story for you. You might-
Jamie Araujo:
Oh.
Doug Shafer:
... know this, you might not, and it- it's right in the same vein of, uh, you know, all of us in Napa were competitors, but, uh, we're neighbors, and we work together.
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
So, the story goes like this. At that time, the late '80s, Tony Soter had been working with us, with Elias and me. And we were just, um, we were ... but workin' together a couple three years, and he was cuttin' us loose, which was fine. And all of a sudden he calls up and says, "Hey, um, uh, you got, you got some time to meet somebody?" I said, "Why?" He goes, "Well it's a new client of mine, this guy Bart and Daphne Araujo." I said, "Well what's up?"
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
He goes, "Well they bought the Eisele place, and- and, you know, your Cabernet is the Eisele clone." I said-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... "yeah."
Doug Shafer:
So here's the story ... Go back in history, dad first planted Cabernet on our hillside here in 1975, four or five, he had the local guy, John Pina, who was his vineyard manager, and P- Pina had went, and dad said "I want cab," so Pina went- went and got some Cabernet. Pina also farmed for Milt and Barbara Eisele. So he-
Jamie Araujo:
I love it.
Doug Shafer:
... just went up, and he went up and took some cuttings from-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... from Eisele's vineyard, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
That's so awesome. (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... so trust me, and- and planted our first hillside, which turned out to be, to this day, the most wonderful wine we've ever made, Sunspot Vineyard.
Jamie Araujo:
Aw.
Doug Shafer:
And, um, and dad told me the story, it was like, about ... a year later, they're, mom and dad are at some cocktail party, and the Eisele's were there. And Milt comes up and goes, "God damn it, God damn it Shafer," and dad goes, "What?" He goes, "You got my budwood." And dad goes-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... dad was, like, "What are you talkin' about? I don't even know what you're talking about." He goes, "Well Pina came up and got my, you know, cuttings from my place and put 'em on yours." And dad was, like, "Well, sorry, uh, no big, you know, no harm no foul." And, so-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... and so, off we go making some, you know, beautiful Cabernet out of this- this- this clone, this Eisele clone. And, so, um, when your folks bought the property, I think there was phylloxera too, but they had to do some replanting. And, so-
Jamie Araujo:
Hm.
Doug Shafer:
... Tony came to me and said, "Hey, um, you know," and so I met your folks, couldn’t have been nicer, your dad, they were sweet as can be. And they say, "Hey, you know, we'd really like to get some of this budwood back because it, kind of, started at (laughs) our place."
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
And then by that time, you know, things were rockin', and, you know, people get, uh, protective of their clones, and they think-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
... they're pretty special, and we were, you know, it's our, it's, you know, it's our Hillside Select clone, uh, from the Eisele and all that. But it was, like, "Yeah, of cour-," you know, we have to, you know, so it was great. So your dad was great. You know, we gave him some budwood to get him, you know, some new plantings and, uh, all was well.
Doug Shafer:
And the final chapter of the story is about eight or nine years later, I had to replant Sunspot (laughs) and, uh, and I wanted to get-
Jamie Araujo:
No.
Doug Shafer:
And my, and my budwood would-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... had gotten a little junky with virus and all that stuff. Uh-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... so I actually called your dad and said, "Hey, Bart, do you mind if I, kind of, come up and get some clean-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... budwood?" And he was really cute, 'cause he, kind of, did what I did the first time. He was, like, "Well ..." And I said, "Come on, Bart," and he goes, "Okay-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... f-, Shafer for you, only because we've got this, kind of, thing." I said, "Cool." So that was, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
Oh-
Doug Shafer:
... that was really fun-
Jamie Araujo:
... that's awesome.
Doug Shafer:
... that's really cool. Yeah, I don't know if you-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... know that story.
Jamie Araujo:
I don't know that story. And I think it just speaks to the fact that, you know, that we're so entwined in this valley. Um, it's really funny, when people from outside come in and they're, like, "Oh you're competitors." And it's, like, "Well, kinda." But, it's, also, like, "Did you hear this story about my dad? Oh, did you hear the story about your mom," like, dah- dah- dah.
Jamie Araujo:
I was at a dinner, um, back when we thought we were actually gonna be able to host the auction at the valley this year, which, sadly we weren't able to do.
Doug Shafer:
I know.
Jamie Araujo:
Um, w-, I did a dinner down in L.A., with a bunch of people, um, and I hosted it, co-hosted it with Carissa Mondavi, Maya Dalla Valle, and Amanda Harlan, um, and it was hilarious.
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
We had the best time. And, again, you know, we hear ... You ... All of a sudden you hear all these stories that, you know, some of them are- are total, uh, like, legends in my family and include members of their families, and they'd never heard them before.
Doug Shafer:
That's great.
Jamie Araujo:
So, um, yeah. Well then, I think it speaks to the reasons why we support each other and work with each other, especially when things are tough.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah- yeah. That's- that's fun. That- that would have been a good dinner to be at. I would've enjoyed that one. Um-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs) It was a great dinner.
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
We- we are doing a redo, we've already decided, 'cause we had so much fun. (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
So, mid-90s, your folks are workin' with Tony Soter and Mia, but they-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
... but, uh, but a new winemaker comes on the scene. What ... Tell me that story.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah. So, in 1993, so only two years in, um, they actually brought in this amazing Luxembourg-ish, fabulous, incredible human being names Francoise Peschon. And Francoise started makin' our wine in 1993. Um, Tony left shortly thereafter, and she has literally made all of the wines our family has made through Araujo into Accendo ever since 1993-
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Jamie Araujo:
... which is, kind of, amazing, yeah. And she's just ... I mean you know Francoise-
Doug Shafer:
I do.
Jamie Araujo:
... she's, like, the most insanely amazing human being. She's just fabulous, and the most talented wine maker, and ridiculously humble to a fault. Um, she's, kind of, the whole package, and she makes incredible baked goods, which-
Doug Shafer:
Yes.
Jamie Araujo:
... is an added bonus.
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
Um, but, uh, yeah. So she came on in '93 and then, uh, she brought Nigel Kinsman on in 2010-
Jamie Araujo:
... and the two of them actually followed us over to Accendo, so they're actually making our wines at Accendo now too, which is great. So, it's, sort of-
Doug Shafer:
Oh that's great, keep it goin'.
Jamie Araujo:
... keepin' it all in the family.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah-
Doug Shafer:
Nice. So gettin' back to you. So your parent turned Napa, they're makin' wine. Um-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
... you're in college. I read somewhere that you got a job at Phelps at some point?
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs) Yes-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... my first job in the industry.
Doug Shafer:
Oh wow.
Jamie Araujo:
Um, Joe and Bruce Nyers decided ... I was home for the summer and, um, they created an internship for me that was three days in the cellar, three days in the tasting room for, like, two and a half months or something. And, um, God, I've never worked so hard in my whole life. I have never been so ripped, it was ridiculous-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... from working in the cellar, (laughs) like, 'cause I got to do all the really cruddy jobs that nobody wants to do ... 'cause I was the low person on the totem pole, right? Like, yes, we get to torture the intern, that, sort of, how it works. And, um, like, sulfuring barrels, and cleaning bungs, and, like, just-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... nasty stuff. But, I learned more that summer, quite honestly, then I think I've ever learned in any wine class or course I've ever done in my whole life.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Jamie Araujo:
It was amazing. And people were just so generous, you know? They really, whether it was in the cellar or the tasting room, they really were there because they love what they do, and they really wanted to share that passion. And I was, sort of, like a sponge. I mean I just ... I was soakin' it all up. And, you know, I was in college. And then I had, I had all kinds of things I wanted to do, and I wasn't ready to come back to the family business, which honestly, I think, was the right decision for me because I really believe that I bring more to the table now than I would have if I'd come straight out of college. But, um, yeah. So I went over to the U.K., I did my masters in medieval studies, which is super- super interesting and very- very useless.
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
And, um- (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
That-
Jamie Araujo:
... um, yeah, um.
Doug Shafer:
... but I got, I'm curious about when did the wine bug hit for you? Was it during that job, or was it before-
Jamie Araujo:
The bug hit-
Doug Shafer:
... once you first started? What do you think? What- what-
Jamie Araujo:
... the bug hit f-, certainly ... I mean the love for the place hit the minute they bought the place.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
I mean, and- and really, Eisele and Napa, generally, it's a place anyone in my family has lived the longest, since I've been alive-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
... and it's the place I always came back to, um, whether it was vacation, or holidays, or whatever. Um, so it was, like, the anchor-
Doug Shafer:
Right-
Jamie Araujo:
... right? But I had the anchor, and I needed ... I was still a balloon, I still needed to fly and- and I still knew I could come home whenever I wanted to, but I needed to do my own thing. So, um-
Doug Shafer:
Well and your, and your own thing. I gotta hear this, because, I'm-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... you know.
Jamie Araujo:
My own thing?
Doug Shafer:
Yeah, I tell ya, your own thing. Uh, what do you have, four academic degrees, is that it? How many did you take home?
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah. Oh, if I coulda, if I could've stayed in school my whole life I probably would have. Like-
Doug Shafer:
Okay-
Jamie Araujo:
... I love school.
Doug Shafer:
... okay.
Jamie Araujo:
I am a total- total geek-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... completely. I love, I love learning, I love all that, kind of, stuff. But, um, yeah. So I, um ... it was pretty funny. I went, I did my masters, realized that I ... You know, it- it is a fabulous field, but, basically, there are two jobs, there's one in Kalamazoo, one in your York, which was where I was. And, um, you basically go off, you get your PhD for, like, three or four years, and then you have to teach freshmen English, and wait for someone to die, and get, like, slowly every more bitter-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... and- and I just didn't see that as a dynamic career path for me. So anyway, I also had desperately wanted to go to drama school for a long time, and I-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
... never quite had the guts to do it. So I said, "You know what, uh, I'm at this crossroads, I'm 23 years old, like, the ripe old age of 23, and, um, maybe I apply to drama school, and if the universe wants me to go, I'll get in." And, um, I guess the universe wanted me to go, because I got in. So, I went to drama school over in the U.K.-
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
... and I was an actress in London for about seven years.
Doug Shafer:
No, wait a minute, time out. I-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... I, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs) Time out.
Doug Shafer:
Time out. I didn't-
Jamie Araujo:
Okay.
Doug Shafer:
Four academic degrees, acting-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
... c- career in London for seven y-
Jamie Araujo:
Yup.
Doug Shafer:
I never knew about the acting thing. Tell me more about that. Was it-
Jamie Araujo:
I know. Well, you know it's f-
Doug Shafer:
... Broadway, what? Not Broadway, sorry.
Jamie Araujo:
No, good Lord no. Um, uh, the West End.
Doug Shafer:
The West End.
Jamie Araujo:
Uh, but no I- I really-
Doug Shafer:
Pardon, I'm on, I'm on the wrong continent.
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs) Exactly, but same- same dif. But, um, I really- really loved new writing. I love working with the, um, and it's, uh, again, it's my- my academic geekdom that really gets excited with the creativity and the process. Working with writers and directors, to, kind of, create something new. And it's so artistically rewarding and so financially not. Um-
Doug Shafer:
Okay, (laughs) hm.
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... so, which is fine. When you're in your 20s, like, that's cool. Like-
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
... you can live on beans and a little bit of cheap white bread, that's- that's not-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... a problem. But, um, I also got to the point ... I started having a little more success, which was great. But as I got more success I, it was more evident to me that there were going to be, um, some ethical and physical sacrifices I was going to have to make in order-
Doug Shafer:
Oh.
Jamie Araujo:
... to have more success, particularly as a woman in that industry. And I- I just am really grateful that as much as I loved it, and as much as I wanted it, my 29 year old self, or 30 year old self, or whatever I was, uh, had the wherewithal to say, "Hm, you know what, no- (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
Interesting-
Jamie Araujo:
... not gonna do that-
Doug Shafer:
... interesting.
Jamie Araujo:
... not gonna do that."
Doug Shafer:
Well good for you.
Jamie Araujo:
Well, and the good news is, I also had this other thing, right? So I'd had the academic, I'd had the artistic ... and I was, like, "Uh, you know, thinkin' back to that summer at Phelps, like, wine, kind of, was both of those things at once.
Doug Shafer:
Huh.
Jamie Araujo:
It had the academic and it had the creative, and artistic, and-
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
... maybe this is something I-
Doug Shafer:
Hm.
Jamie Araujo:
... can do." Still wasn't ready to come back to Napa, but I fell into a job completely ... And, again, I- I am a firm believer that the universe puts me where I'm supposed to be. And when it ... When I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, it's easy. Like-
Doug Shafer:
Oh.
Jamie Araujo:
... it just ... paths open. And- and I felt into a job at Moet Hennessy. Um, and it's pretty funny, actually, um-
Doug Shafer:
How- how, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
... s- s-
Doug Shafer:
... how'd you, how'd your f-, how'd you fall into that job? I mean, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
Uh, random. I had a two-week temp job, actually, 'cause I was between acting gigs in the PR Department in London. And, uh, I loved it, it was so much fun. I loved the people, I loved the company, I loved the brands, I was having a great time, but there were no jobs available. And then the last day, my Friday, at, whatever, 11:00 a.m., the note, a note went around to everyone in the company saying, "By the way, this person has just resigned. If you know of anyone who can take her place, please go see Sue in HR." So I ran-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... upstairs and was, like, "Hi, Sue-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... you know me. You want to hire me." Um, and it was pretty funny. It was, actually, it was a PA to the, to the managing director. Um, and- (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
Now you've been employed.
Jamie Araujo:
... I said to her-
Doug Shafer:
That's a ... What a position, you saw everything, didn't you?
Jamie Araujo:
Oh I saw everything.
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
I know where all those skeletons are by the way-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
... um, but which I, obviously, because I'm a fabulous PA, would never reveal. But it was pretty funny. So I started off as ... He was the managing director of the U.K. And between the time I accepted the job and the time I started the job, which was, like, two weeks, he became the managing director of Europe.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Jamie Araujo:
So, all of a sudden I was being an aide to the managing director of Europe. Six months in they lost the area manager for Austria, so he said, "Can you do this and do your job for me as well, at the same time?" I was, like, "Sure," so I became the area manager for Austria as well. And then, um, I was doing this, um, qualification over in Bordeaux. So I was flying from London to Bordeaux, like, for three days a week- ... every week for nine months or whatever. And when I finished that I, actually, got head-hunted by somebody else in the company. And my boss was really mad, and he was like, "But you know all this stuff we have to do." And was, like, "Yeah, but I don't ... I l- ... You know, you're a great guy, you're a wonderful mentor, but I don't want to be your PA for the rest of my life-
Jamie Araujo:
... sorry." And he said, "Well, uh, write me a job description then. Have it on my desk by tomorrow." (laughs) I was, like-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... "Uh okay." And so I'm frantically in the Eurostar coming back from Paris, like, frantically writing a job description for myself. Um, and I became projects manager, uh, for the whole European team. So I was running all the cross European projects, whether they were in marketing, or supply chain, or IT, or whatever, um, I was, sort of, coordinating them between all the European countries, which was, uh, super-fabulous, like, drinking from the fire hose-
Doug Shafer:
Oh yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
... way to learn-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
... about the industry.
Doug Shafer:
And how old-
Jamie Araujo:
Um-
Doug Shafer:
... how old are you now at this point?
Jamie Araujo:
So at that-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
... point I was 32, 33-
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Jamie Araujo:
... and that's when I realized that this was, this industry was for me. Like, this is absolutely what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. And I realize that I was now in competition with people who either, um, had not been actors through their 20s, and had seven years more experience than me-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... or had an MBA.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
So, um, that's when I decided to apply to INSEAD, um, which is a MBA program over in France, uh, and Asia, actually, um, and I got in. So, I went and did my MBA, and then when I came ba-, out, uh, it was so funny. It was 2004, and I really wanted to ... I was, like, wine marketing and wine strategy is, like, such a big ... there's a huge gap in France. Like, there's ... Nobody's doing this, except for Champagne-
Jamie Araujo:
And I think I could really add value and I could be, like, this outsourced resource and ... Um, I underestimated the desire of the French to put everything in a box, like, a pre-designed box that they can check. So, it was pretty funny. I had a couple of great clients that started off with me right away. Um, so I, sort of, opened my own shop, basically.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah, you used your own shop. Terra- Terravina.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah, Terravina, yeah-
Doug Shafer:
Right, yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
... exactly.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
Whoa, look at you.
Doug Shafer:
Look at me. (laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
Um- (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
Yes, I didn't know about the acting gig, okay? Come on-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah, no, that's fine.
Doug Shafer:
... I gotta get somethin'.
Jamie Araujo:
Exactly. Um, yeah, and then one of my, um, you know, about six months in, I get a call from the Napa Valley Vintners, and they said, "Hey, you're doin' this French people, can you do it for us too?" I was, like, "Uh, I guess, sure." And by that time I was actually starting to do a lot of work in Asia, um, and particularly in China. And, uh, and that's, sort of, how I spent ... So I think the first time we met, um, which you probably don't remember, 'cause I was, uh, you know, in the worker bee space.
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
But, um-
Doug Shafer:
Oh, come no.
Jamie Araujo:
... I was organizing ... I organized the very first joint Vintner's trip over to China.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
Um-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah, that was-
Jamie Araujo:
... the first and second I believe.
Doug Shafer:
... yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
So it was, like, 2010, maybe-
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
... somethin' like that, '10 or '11.
Doug Shafer:
So, yeah, I was prob- ... I was, yeah, so I was pourin' wine, you walked up and said, "Hi, I'm Jamie Araujo." I said-
Jamie Araujo:
Uh, no. I actually- (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
I ... okay.
Doug Shafer:
All right.
Jamie Araujo:
So you were doing a special retrospective of Hillside Select, and we had this special room. I still remember, like, it was all windows on one side and everything, and we were setting it all up for you. And we got to the, like, you know, 20 minutes before showtime, and- (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... somebody, I don't remember if it was you or somebody on the team, but looked and went, "There are no spit cups.
Doug Shafer:
Oh.
Jamie Araujo:
There are no ... What are we gonna do?" And I was, like, "Oh, crud."
Doug Shafer:
Yeah. (laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
And I was workin' with Cessa Beckett at the time-
Doug Shafer:
Oh yeah, Cessa-
Jamie Araujo:
... I'm, like-
Doug Shafer:
... right.
Jamie Araujo:
... "Oh no." And we're, like ... And so we go to the hotel and they're, like, "No, we can't help you." I was, like, "Are you kidding me? Just coffee mugs, I don't care-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah-
Jamie Araujo:
... something."
Doug Shafer:
... yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
"Nope, we can't help you." And, so, Cessa and I-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... literally, like, ran around, and I'm pretty sure it was Beijing and, like, trying desperately. And we ended up finding some kind of plastic cups that worked. But I think they might even had, like, happy birthday on them or something. But, um- (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs) Either you, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
... I was so embarrassed.
Doug Shafer:
So no wonder-
Jamie Araujo:
I was so embarrassed.
Doug Shafer:
... you remember that, because you guys had the- the panic attack thing. You know-
Jamie Araujo:
Exactly-
Doug Shafer:
... I ... It was likely some-
Jamie Araujo:
... exactly.
Doug Shafer:
... another- another gig. Oh, uh, funny.
Jamie Araujo:
But you were very gracious and took it all with a, with a grain of salt, which I appreciated enormously at the time-
Doug Shafer:
Well good. Well-
Jamie Araujo:
... so thank-you.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, hey, listen, I, you know, how many times have I messed up, you know, I ... or- or missed something. You know-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... we all ... You just do the best you can, no worries. Well, well thanks for savin' the day on that one, I appreciate it.
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs) Any time, any time.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah, so you were workin' for the Vintners and then-
Jamie Araujo:
Yep.
Doug Shafer:
... uh, and some, at some point you ended up workin' with, uh, Araujo Estate, is that, is that the, was that the-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah-
Doug Shafer:
... next move?
Jamie Araujo:
... yeah. So, um, I started ... Uh, I was, I was, actually, you know, sitting around the table at Thanksgiving or something, I think, and-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... talking about some of my clients. And my dad's, like, "Why are you not doing this for us?"
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs) I said, "Well, 'cause you never asked me." He was, like, "Well, get me a proposal by tomorrow morning." You see a theme in my life here, right? All these guys-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah, uh, he-
Jamie Araujo:
... being, like, "Give me a proposal by tomorrow morning." I was, like-
Doug Shafer:
Uh-
Jamie Araujo:
... "Uh, okay." Um-
Doug Shafer:
... wait, you know, he didn't interview ya? Uh, come on. Uh, you know, I was -
Jamie Araujo:
Oh no. Wait, that came later, that came later.
Doug Shafer:
That came- (laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
Um, I was just a consultant at this point, so, um-
Doug Shafer:
Oh I see-
Jamie Araujo:
... yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... I see, I s-
Jamie Araujo:
So I consulted with them for about 18 months, two years, I guess.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
And, um, and then, you know, we, sort of, had some discussions and talked about me coming in-house. And, yeah. No, I had 18 months worth of job interviews-
Doug Shafer:
(Laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... with my- my dad and Daphne. No, for real, 18 months. And every single time it was, like, "Okay, well, we're not really sure. We need this from you, we need this." Like, I had to do presentations, I had to do spreadsheets, like, it was crazy.
Doug Shafer:
Wow, they really put you-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... put it, put it to ya.
Jamie Araujo:
Oh for sure. Well, but this is ... You know, uh, you understand, in a family business-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
... you, kind of, have two ways to run it, I guess. You either are, like, "Yup, you're part of the family, you're in the business," or, "You're part of the family, so you have to work five times as hard and show everybody that there's no way that it's, it could be a nepotism, 'cause you're so awesome. It makes total sense to hire you, right?"
Doug Shafer:
Right. No it's- it's- it's tricky. It's, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
... it's- it's- it's not ... You know, I think some people look at it and say, "Oh that's- that's easy, that's romantic, boom." It's, like, "No, there's, uh, there's lots of things goin' on." Um-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... inner- inner ... I mean, uh-
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... I'm- I'm ... Did I, did I just sigh big time, uh, a big sigh there?
Jamie Araujo:
(Laughs)
Doug Shafer:
You know what, we ... I- I tell you what the acid test for me is on- on family business stuff, it's, um- um, what's, what did it look like at the Thanksgiving table?
Jamie Araujo:
Oh my God, that's so funny you say that, 'cause-
Doug Shafer:
Do you know what I'm sayin'?
Jamie Araujo:
... I always say, like-
Doug Shafer:
It's, like,-
Jamie Araujo:
... yeah - you can fight, but you gotta sit with these people at Thanksgiving.
Doug Shafer:
At Thanksgiving. How's that work? I mean, uh, for the rest of your lives, you're going to have Thanksgiving together. And you know, together.
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
So, does it really make sense to do A or B in this situation? That's been a, that's been a guiding light for me a lot of times.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah. Uh, absolutely. And I think you're, you're absolutely ri- I 100% agree.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
And, and, uh, but in a way, I think it also makes you dig in a little and maybe look for solutions where otherwise you just like, "You know what? I'm just gonna cut bait. I'm done."
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
"I can't deal with this anymore." Right?
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
You actually say, "Okay," like you say, h- you know, Thanksgiving is in X number of months. I gotta sit down and figure this out. (laughs) We have to find a compromise and a solution, 'cause this is, this is not going away.
Doug Shafer:
Well, uh, business is great. Um, building a successful business is great. Um, f-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
Family's really important. And, um, you know, at the end of the day, we're, I don't wanna get morbid here, but at the end of the, uh, at the end of the program, you know, you know, who's hanging out? Family or, you know, the people you did business with? So.
Jamie Araujo:
Yup.
Doug Shafer:
Uh, it's, it's easy to say, and I don't always do it right. But, um, you know, if you take a moment and take a walk and think about it, you know, it's, uh, do the right thing.
Jamie Araujo:
No, for sure.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
And by the way, when you meet that person who always does everything right, please let me know.
Doug Shafer:
Oh.
Jamie Araujo:
'Cause I have, I haven't met them yet.
Doug Shafer:
No, no. No, they, they-
Jamie Araujo:
But, um, but yeah. No, I think family trump, has to trump business.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
Family has to be the most important thing.
Doug Shafer:
You got it.
Jamie Araujo:
And that has to be sort of the guiding light. Now, that doesn't mean you don't, you always agree, or that you won't have certain issues or arguments or conflicts or whatever. But, uh, you know, family has to be the, the guiding light.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
For sure.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah. Totally agree.
Doug Shafer:
And speaking of family business, then all of a sudden, c- so, so you started there at Araujo around when, 2012, 2011?
Jamie Araujo:
(laughs)
Doug Shafer:
'Cause what happened?
Jamie Araujo:
So-
Doug Shafer:
Something happened.
Jamie Araujo:
... I came on full time.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
I came on full time January 1st, 2013.
Doug Shafer:
And (laughs)-
Jamie Araujo:
Which was awesome.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
I was super excited. Vice President of International Markets. I was, like, taking care of Asia and Europe and looking to expand into South America. And, um, within six months, they sold the company. Now, this was not due to the fact that I came on in January. I just want to make that very clear.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah, I understand.
Jamie Araujo:
Uh, it was, it was outside my control. But no, you know, I think my parents have always been very clear about the fact that they felt they were stewards of the Eisele Vineyard, not owners. And I think they feel like that about, about Napa generally. I think they feel like they're, they're stewards. They are, you know, coming into the kind of mentorship roles that people like your dad, actually, had with them when they first arrived. And, and so, it's not about, like, what I have, or what I put my name on, or what I can get. But it's about, how do I make this a better place for my kids and my grandkids? And, um, you know, my dad always says, he says, "It was the right buyer, the wrong time." But what are you gonna do when you have an offer like that? Chateau Latour that comes and says, "Actually, this is the only place outside France that we want to purchase."
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Jamie Araujo:
"And we want to do it now." And you know, they farm organically, bio-dynamically. They obviously make one of the most beautiful Cabernets on the planet. Um, they have an incredible winemaking team. They have super deep pockets. It, it, for the property, it would have been to do it a disservice, and it would have been to be selfish to say no. Quite honestly.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, no, I think, I think it was a great move. And I think it was wonderful. It was, you know, I was, it was fast, and it was a surprise to everybody. But at the same time you take a look at and said, "Hey, you know, you know, good on you." It was great.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah, and I think, I think, you know, when you see it from outside sometimes, it was like, "Oh, they just cashed out." And it's like, "No, no, no, no. That's not where it came from." Um, it really was sort of doing what's in the best interest of that property.
Doug Shafer:
Sure.
Jamie Araujo:
And putting our ego to one side. Um, but it was still painful. I mean, I actually, you know, um, my family actually did a whole, like, photo album book of the little cottage where we had spent all of our summers and everything, 'cause it's like, the most wonderful little cottage on the planet.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
And we just adore it. And like, that's where our, my kids came when they were babies. And hung out, and watched the jackrabbits and, you know, ran out and ate several cases worth of grapes, much to my dad's chagrin. Um, in like, August. (laughing) He was like, "Uh, yeah, can you slow your son down there a little? 'Cause I think he's just like, cutting into our margin." But, um, you know, it's a very special piece of property. And, and we still go up and, and I love that place. I mean, I, I absolutely adore it. But in the same way, you know, when the Eiseles sold to us, I still, you know, Francie and Glennie, the, the Eisele daughters, um, Barbara still came to my wedding in France years ago, when she was like, 92 years old.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Jamie Araujo:
And, uh, Fran- Francie and Glennie are good friends, and I see them as often as I can. Sadly with COVID, not as often as I'd like. But, um, you know, we still have that bond, and I think the bond with the property stays with us even though we're not there. And it's allowed us to do something really special as a family, which is to create Accendo. And be, you know, four partners with my brother, myself, Dad and Daphne. Um, and that would not have happened in the same way.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
If we had been employees of, um, it's a, it's a different thing to be a partner with your parent, I think.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, it's, it's-
Jamie Araujo:
I don't know.
Doug Shafer:
It's neat.
Jamie Araujo:
You tell me. (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
Well, yeah, it's great. But, um, I want to jump in into the next, well, all of yours, next, the next stage here in a second. But before we do that I was thinking about you and, and looking at everything you've done. You know, in France and in this country. I mean, not many people have seen, both have seen the wine business from the French side or the European side, you know, on the inside, and, and, and conversely in, from the American viewpoint. What's it, saying, you've had that. What's it like-
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
... between, you know, the European folks and the American folks in the wine business? Are they, are they in line, same type of kind of attitude and values and approaches? Or is there a lot of differences? I'm s- curious about that.
Jamie Araujo:
Um, I think there, uh, there are as many things that make us the same as that separate us and make us different. Um, you know, I think obviously our industry out in California is more, uh, Napa more specifically is so much younger than a lot of the places in, in Europe. So, on the one hand that gives us a certain energy and dynamism and, um, a certain freedom. Uh, because we don't have so many rules and regulations in place over hundreds of years. But it also makes us a little less stable, right? And, uh, you know, especially when I think of family businesses, there are families that have been doing this for 20 generations.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
They've kind of, they've gotten the kinks out.
Doug Shafer:
They've figured it out.
Jamie Araujo:
Exactly. Whereas, you know, we're maybe on third generation. And a lot of us haven't managed it very well. You know, there's been a lot of ... Uh, I would hasten to say, though, I do think that for all the, um, family businesses in Napa that have not done well, that have made the headlines and been very splashy, uh, there are 10 to 20 that you've never heard of that are doing great.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
And, I mean, I look at, or I do still love, though ... I don't know how you feel, but it cracks me up that, like, I'm 50, and I'm still at the kids table. Um, which is kind of awesome. I mean, I love it. But, but it's, you know, my generation and, and the generation a little younger than me that's coming in right now, they're, we're everywhere. You know, I was talking about, um, Carissa and Amanda and Maya, but I mean, Shannon Staglin and, um, Alan Viader, and you, and, I mean, I could go on and on and on and on and on.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, no unfortunately, I'm, I'm in the, I'm a, I'm a step, I'm a half a step, you know, ahead of you. So, yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
Well, I still count you. I still count you.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, thank you. Making my day.
Jamie Araujo:
You have an, you have an honorary seat at the kids table if you want it.
Doug Shafer:
Good, works for me. That'd be great.
Jamie Araujo:
It's a fun table, let me tell you.
Doug Shafer:
Well-
Jamie Araujo:
No, no, I mean, I think there are a ton of us. And we're doing really wonderful things. And sort of preparing this next chapter for Napa. Uh, if you'd asked me 10, 15 years ago, I would have said that the biggest challenge facing Napa was the fact that all these next generation people were not going to come back. And that we were going to have all these gorgeous, amazing, fabulous heritage vineyards sold off to god knows who.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
And for whatever reason, we're like little homing pigeons. We all just-
Doug Shafer:
Everybody's coming back.
Jamie Araujo:
The last sort of, yeah, the last five, 10 years, everybody's like – boop, boop, boop, boop, boop. And we really like each other, too, which is bizarre. Right? I don't know, I don't know any other industry. But I don't kn- I don't know any other industry where you're like, "But I actually really enjoy all these people, like, so much. I think they're awesome."
Doug Shafer:
No.
Jamie Araujo:
I would choose to work with them. I would choose to be friends with them.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
Which is such a joy and such a privilege, for real.
Doug Shafer:
Well, it's because we get to do this really cool thing. Uh, you know, we get to grow something and produce something. And then sell it and market it, and this whole, and it's, and we're all in it together. And we, you know, we, we're all v- uh, um, at the mercy of Mother Nature and so, you know, when you're at the store, you know, if you see each other, it's like, "Yeah, it's a hot day. It's a cold day. Yeah, it's raining." I mean, we're all, it all comes down to farming. And that, that's a, that's a bond, I mean, 'cause we're all in th- we're all in this boat and we're all in this boat together.
Doug Shafer:
So, uh, you've got to get along. And, um.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
No, it is good. So.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
So, with you guys, you have, so, Araujo Estate sells.
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
You, I think you helped out with the new owners for a while. Um.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
But, but now, but wh- ... Tell, how'd you guys and your folks get to the next step? You know, Wheeler Farms, Accendo, I want, I need to hear all about that.
Jamie Araujo:
Oh, wow.
Doug Shafer:
Because it happened. It's cool. Tell me that story.
Jamie Araujo:
(laughs) Yeah. Well, um, so, Dad jokes that he retired for 24 hours. Um, I think he's being extremely generous. I think it was like 24 seconds. Um, and, and basically, you know, we sold in July of 2013. Araujo Estate, and Accendo was founded in August of 2013. Um, we actually had our first vintage in 2013, and it's a testament, honestly, to the relationships that my parents have created over 30 years in this Valley. Um, that, you know, they put the call out and said, "We've decided we're going to do something new with our kids. And we need some grapes. You got anything going?" Like, right before harvest to some of the most iconic vineyards in the Valley. It's completely insane.
Jamie Araujo:
Um, but the idea was that, you know, we'd been, um, we'd had the, the great privilege and good fortune to drink some of the older, uh, Napa wines. Sort of '50s, '60s, '70s. Um, mostly at Press, uh, honestly. The restaurant here in St. Helena.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
That has the, had ... I actually think we've drunk most of their reserve list. But, um, they had, you know, this just incredible reserve list. And we were drinking these wines, and we're like, "Uh, excuse me, can you please explain to me why these wines are fresh and elegant and stunning, and we thought they'd be over the hill and they're just not?" And so, we started doing a little research. And found that actually, a lot of them were not single vineyard. A lot of them were mix, uh, a mix of several different vineyards, mostly on the sort of western, what we call the Benchland.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
Which for those who haven't been to Napa or don't know it, um, is sort of not the hillside, not the valley floor, but in the middle. Um, the, the gold, I always call it the Goldilocks Coast. Right?
Doug Shafer:
Right, right.
Jamie Araujo:
It's like, not too big, it's not too small. Um, and it, oh, really, oh, sort of Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville, sort of heart of the Napa Valley. And so, um, then we started looking. We're like, "Hang on, but we know all those people. They're really cool. They're good friends of ours we could talk to them, and maybe we could do that and." And it sort of, one thing led to another. Um, and it's pretty ironic, you know. I mentioned before, like, my dad can't do anything by halves, like, he just can't. And, you know, it, we all have known him for a very long time. Some of us, all of our lives. And we should know this by now. And he was like, "I just want to make, like, 50 cases."
Doug Shafer:
No, no, no, no, no.
Jamie Araujo:
And Daphne was li- ... Daphne's like, "Okay."
Doug Shafer:
No, he didn't say that. I know Bart, there's no way.
Jamie Araujo:
50 cases.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah, okay.
Jamie Araujo:
Exactly, right? And then he's like, "Okay, well, 50 cases of each wine." And then this and that and that. And then, you know, they were looking, actually, 'cause one of the things, they sold their house when they sold the, the Eisele Vineyard as well.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
'Cause they lived on the property. So, they were looking for a new home. And the (laughs), on the, bizarrely, on the residential listings, they find this 10-acre property in the center of Napa Valley, just south of St. Helena, with a fully grandfathered permit for a 50 thousand gallon winery. Um, and you know, I mean, red rag to a bull, my dad's like, "Uh, yeah. I could do that."
Jamie Araujo:
So, Wheeler Farms was born, basically.
Doug Shafer:
And-
Jamie Araujo:
Um, and the reason it's called Wheeler Farms is it's the last 10 acres of what was the Wheeler Farms, which was a two thousand acre property, kind of that was most of the center of Napa Valley, when it was originally founded.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Jamie Araujo:
And got sold off bit by bit over generations. Um, and again, you know, and this whole idea that, like, it doesn't have to have our name on it. Like, our ego is good.
Doug Shafer:
Sure, yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
Like, my, you know, my parents have ... They have very little to prove, although it doesn't stop them from wanting to prove to themselves every single day that they're doing better than they did yesterday. But yeah. We felt it was more important to honor the heritage of the property rather than our family.
Doug Shafer:
Well, it's beautiful. It's, it's right there on Zinfandel Lane.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
I watched ... That's the road I, I drive that road every day coming to work. And, uh, I watched that thing go up. It's an absolute beautiful facility. And, uh.
Jamie Araujo:
Oh, thank you.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, it's, it's, I mean, it, it just fits. It's not, it's just gorgeous. So.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
But I'm not surprised, knowing you guys and the Araujo family. You know, that's, you guys do things, everything first class. So, so, but it's, it's , is it, is it ... So, is, there's a Wheeler Farms label, correct?
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
So, basically, 50 thousand gallons was way bigger than anything that we needed at Accendo.
Jamie Araujo:
But you know, along that kind of, um, community and mentorship spirit, we said, "Well, wouldn't it be kind of cool to open our doors to a few select people who we think are making some really great wines, but don't happen to have a home for their project?" And sort of have, you know, like, uh, an estate winery, but also kind of like a cooperative ... Uh, not a cooperative. Like a, uh, what's the word I'm looking for?
Doug Shafer:
Well, uh, custom crush, right? Is that basically-
Jamie Araujo:
Well, but it's more than custom crush, right?
Doug Shafer:
Is it more than that?
Jamie Araujo:
Because it's, it's not just the wine making side. We also have the hospitality side.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, I see. Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
And I think it's also about exchange. I think it's, it's sort of like, not an incubator per se, but it's, it's really wonderful to have, you know, these three or four or five winemakers now, um, who are able to talk to each other and learn from each other. And, and, and not be in a vacuum, in their own space kind of going . Um, and, and to really have an exchange of ideas and, and wine, too. Right? I mean-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
... we always say, in our family, that we have to guard against a house palate. Now, that may just be an excuse for drinking too much. But, um, we, uh, no. We always, we do comparative tastings all the time. We really think it's important. Uh, and so, having all these other wines around, and then we decided to make some wine under the JH Wheeler name. Again, sort of as, uh, an homage to that family and to this property.
Doug Shafer:
Okay. But Acce- but Accendo. What's Accendo mean? help me.
Jamie Araujo:
So, Accendo, the, the name of the w- ... The name of this project, I swear to god, was literally the hardest thing of the whole. I mean, b- ... You would think, like, getting the grapes, making the wine, building Wheeler Farms. Nope. Nothing was as frustrating and difficult as getting the name.
Doug Shafer:
Well, you've got four people, four really strong willed people have got to agree, right?
Jamie Araujo:
No, in fact, it wasn't even that.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
We agreed on all kinds of things. But, like, we even made up a name and went to the lawyers. And they're like, "Nope, nope. There's, like, a brewery in Wisconsin that has that name." We're like, "We literally just made that up. That's not possible." Anyway.
Jamie Araujo:
So, um, we tried and tried and tried-
Doug Shafer:
By the, by the way, the-
Jamie Araujo:
Everything was taken.
Doug Shafer:
The breweries, it's the brew- it's the microbreweries that have all the good names.
Jamie Araujo:
They do.
Doug Shafer:
That's been, that's been my experience. 'Cause 20 years ago, Jamie, I could, I could cook up a name and, you know, it was pretty good. And the la- ... I've had a couple go arounds in the last eight or 10 years, and it's like, all these brewpubs are killing me, man. They've got everything. I mean, I mean.
Jamie Araujo:
It's totally true.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, oh well. Um.
Jamie Araujo:
I love it.
Doug Shafer:
I was, I was-
Jamie Araujo:
I love it.
Doug Shafer:
Oh. But I'll tell you those stories later. But anyway.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
Carry on with Accendo.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah, no. So, um, so, it was actually our operations manager who went home with a bunch of dictionaries one weekend and came back on Monday and said, "You guys, I think I found something." And she said, you know, "It's c- it's Accendo. It's a Latin verb. It means to illuminate, to inspire, to, um, arouse and excite." And it, you know, and I said, "And it starts with an A and ends with an O, and nobody can pronounce it and nobody can spell it. Wow, sounds familiar." Um.
Doug Shafer:
Ha.
Jamie Araujo:
So, yeah, we went from Araujo to Accendo. Uh, but it does have a very specific meaning to us. Um, for sure. We think of it as a way to remind ourselves that, you know, like you said, the, we're all in this together. And it's important to inspire each other to try and, you know, light up the dark times. And, and hopefully to get people excited about the wines we're making and what we're doing in this Valley.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
So, there you go.
Doug Shafer:
And, and you guys, family business, I know what it's like. Um, in your opinion, you know, when it works well, what, what makes it work well? What helps the, what makes it succeed? What do you think?
Jamie Araujo:
Um, you know, it's interesting. When I did my MBA, um, and at the time I had no concept that I would ever work in the family business. Um, but I took a family firms course. And I remember them saying that family business, when it works well, is literally, like, the most efficient and, um, the businesses that make the highest profit. And they are just, they literally, they just run well. And when they don't work well, they are literally the worst. Like, they are the worst kinds of businesses on the planet. Um, so, so I think there's a big, um, responsibility there on all family members.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
To, um, to do what they can to, to do it right. And I think, for us anyway, um, we have found ... And, you know, it's been a, it's, it's been a really interesting journey because we've had the double whammy of working together as a family and starting a whole new business. Right?
Doug Shafer:
Right, right.
Jamie Araujo:
At the same time, which is crazy. I, I, you know, when I look back on it, I'm like, "What were we thinking?" But I'm glad we did. But holy moly. Anyway. So I think for us, communication has been, if I had to choose one thing, communication is the most essential thing. Um, and you know, we have weekly meetings, the four of us. And we, you know, do our best to make sure everybody's copied on everything.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
So, we have very large inboxes. But it really, it's so, so important. Because, um, uh, I think the biggest trip up or pitfall that you can have with family business is assuming that you know what the other person's thinking because you know them so well, because they're your family. And assuming you guys have the same vision or viewpoint on something, when you have no idea. Just because you know that yeah, they're definitely gonna want this on the Thanksgiving table for dinner, going back to Thanksgiving. You can tell it's a very seasonal podcast.
Doug Shafer:
It is.
Jamie Araujo:
Um, (laughing) ... But, no, you know, just because you know what on the table for Thanksgiving does not mean that you know exactly how they feel about the cashflow projections for next year.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
Or whatever it is.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
Or this decision to bring on another vineyard or to make an investment or to go travel to a market. You really have to be very explicit. And it's, it feels a little unnatural sometimes, because you know, you're, you're explaining things that sound so obvious. But I think it really is, um, for us, anyway, has been an amazing way to avoid pitfalls, um, is to be extremely open with communication. For sure.
Doug Shafer:
I, yeah, I would definitely agree. I remember, um, and not just, just the straight business communication. I mean, I had so many times with my dad, it would be, um, oh, casual conversations.
Jamie Araujo:
Hm.
Doug Shafer:
You know, we're, we're in the, you know, we're, I, running him in the k- ... Run into each other in the kitchen and getting a cup of coffee. And it's like, you know, "Hey, you know, um, did you see the game yesterday?" "Yeah,". "Did you notice what was going on, you know, on the sidelines or that ad or," you know, all of a, which all of a sudden it kind of works into a kind of marketing idea for the winery. I mean, it's crazy. I mean, it was stuff like that-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... going on. And it was just kind of, um, I miss him a lot because, um, it's just those, uh, those casual exchanges. And, um, would, uh, would be the seeds, oftentimes, a seed to new ideas, which was really, was really cool. Really cool.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah. Well, and he was such an extraordinary man, too. We all adored him.
Doug Shafer:
Well, he was a-
Jamie Araujo:
So much.
Doug Shafer:
He was, he was a tiger. (laughing) Reminds, minds me, reminds me of your father.
Jamie Araujo:
No, for sure. I think you and I have a lot in common.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah. We (laughing) ... So, with the new operation, what, I'm, I'm assuming you're doing the marketing and sales. Is that correct, or what, what are you involved with?
Jamie Araujo:
Um, you know, it's interesting. The way we've sort of worked it is, I mean, everybody has certain things that they're in charge of. So, I'm, you know, I am sort of spearheading the social media, mainly 'cause nobody else wants to. Let's be fair. But, um, you know, and things, you know, the marketing ideas and things like that, I do y- have my sort of two cents, because obviously that's what I was doing professionally for a long time. Um, but we all, you know, I'm working with my dad on the five-year plan right now. So, we're working with budgets and numbers. And, um, my brother's really involved up at Wheeler Farms, so he's looking at our hospitality program and, and how we do visits and all that kind of stuff.
Jamie Araujo:
And so, uh, I think this is, again, we're trying to stay tight as a team and make sure that whatever squeaky wheel gets whatever grease we have. So, we, we haven't really divided it up by functional area per se. Um, it's more sort of like, "All right, can you take this? Can you c- ... Have you got, how much have you got on your plate right now? How about if you take this?" And it's, it's, I love it, because it actually allows me to work in tons of different areas, which is what I really enjoy.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
Rather than being sort of siloed. And I think it's, you know, that's where I personally find that you get innovation and creativity. Right?
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
I always try and go to at least one seminar or trade show or something that has nothing to do with wine every year. Something in a completely different category, because sometimes that's where all of a sudden, it's like, "Holy mo- ... What? Hang on, we can totally do this."
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
Like, why aren't we doing this?
Doug Shafer:
That's a great idea.
Jamie Araujo:
Because we actually can get very, our vision can get very narrow, because yeah. And I think it comes from being an agricultural project and pr- product, rather. Sorry.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
Um, to your point about Europe, I think for a long time it was a huge issue for them. Um, because they were kind of s- ... They didn't just have their feet on the ground. They were stuck in the dirt. And they kind of could see nothing outside their own property. Um, ironically, I think things have switched. I think Napa has a little more of that problem at the moment. Um, and like, Bordeaux and Burgundy have these new generations that have done their, you know, they didn't just go to Davis and come back to Napa. Right? They've gone to Australia, they've gone to New Zealand. They've gone to Argentina. They've come to Napa. And, um, have then come back to Burgundy, Bordeaux. Um, Italy, wherever.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
And they have this vision that is much wider.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie Araujo:
So, I think that's gonna be a big challenge for us in Napa moving forward, is to avoid ... Espe- and you know, it's hard for us, because we could totally sell everything Napa makes in the United States and be done with it. Right? We don't need, in quotation marks, um, international markets. Except we do.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, we definitely, we definitely do for the brand. We have to.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
That's, uh.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah, and also just, I think in terms of our culture and our, our, the way we see the world, I think it's so important to open your mind to the fact that, that we're just not alone.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
We feel very isolated in the U.S. 'cause we're enormous and we have oceans on two sides. Um, despite the fact we do have neighbors to the north and south. Um, but, uh, we really are not, and, and I think in a, in the global world that we live in today, whether it's the economy or the climate or whatever, we need those relationships. As much as, as they need us. So, I think, um, you know, on, in our little tiny microcosm of, of the universe, I think it's super important for Napa to be present, um, and thriving in international markets, too.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah. Totally agree. So, help me on the, Accendo, are you guys just making cabernet? Or what varietals?
Jamie Araujo:
Nope, so, we're making cabernet and sauvignon blanc.
Doug Shafer:
Got it, okay.
Jamie Araujo:
'Cause that's kind of our wheelhouse.
Doug Shafer:
Got it.
Jamie Araujo:
And this next year, so the 2018 vintage which is going to be released next year, 2021, um, we do have a second wine as well. So, at Araujo, we had the Altagracia. Which was our, our second wine, and it wasn't ... I mean, I think a lot of people think, like, with the second wine, that it's like, "All right, whatever didn't go into Accendo, dump it in a bucket and that'll be the second wine." And that's not how we do business. So, what we do is we make our first cut for the first wine. Um, which is the most excellent wine we can possibly make. And then with everything that's leftover, we start the exercise all over again. And we taste everything again, and we start blending again. And we make the absolute best wine we can make. So, it's the absolute best of whatever didn't go into Accendo. But, um, it often has some components that are in Accendo. It's usually, um, uh, it's also, we try and make something that's maybe a little more approachable, a little younger. A little more on the red fruits rather than the black fruits. A little fresher, I mean, even though our whole style is about being fresh and balanced and elegant. Even the first wine. But, um, the second wine, so, it's actually going to be called Laurea, which is the, um, Latin version of the laurel. Um, and the Greek version of the laurel is ... Does anyone know?
Doug Shafer:
No.
Jamie Araujo:
Daphne.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, Daphne. Mom's name. Cool.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, good.
Jamie Araujo:
Exactly.
Doug Shafer:
So, d- do me a favor-
Jamie Araujo:
So, Laurea is sort of named after her.
Doug Shafer:
Good. And t- tell me the name again, 'cause I missed it.
Jamie Araujo:
Laurea.
Doug Shafer:
Laurea. Beautiful.
Jamie Araujo:
L-A-U-R-E-A. Yeah, it's really pretty.
Doug Shafer:
Okay, and then-
Jamie Araujo:
Um, and the wine is really pretty, too.
Doug Shafer:
There's something else. You know, not that you're not busy enough, but you started something, you, what, you're doing your own, your own label. Right? On top of this. What's-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
Tell me about that.
Jamie Araujo:
I don't know.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
Why not? So, um, no. I started, um, honestly, uh, it's a project called Trois Noix. Um, and it's sort of my little passion project. Uh, and yeah, really kind of started off as a way to use up, um, some of the lots that Accendo just had no use for. And has morphed into this whole thing now. Uh, which is pretty wonderful. So.
Doug Shafer:
Cool.
Jamie Araujo:
My whole goal with it was to, to use wine as, um, a vector for change. And, um, positive force in the community. And so, um, just hired a new GM this year, and, um, a fabulous, uh, e-commerce person. Um, amazing new consulting winemaker. And, um, yeah, we're working with some great little vineyards and, and doing a couple of fun things. So, it's been, it's been an exciting ride this year. 2020, I was telling somebody, like, "2020 is bipolar." Right?
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
It's either the highest high or the lowest low.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
There's like, nothing in the middle. So, and I've had a lot of both. So, thankfully, you know, I've had a lot of high highs, which is nice.
Doug Shafer:
Good.
Jamie Araujo:
I'm gonna focus on those.
Doug Shafer:
Do, uh, do me a favor. How do you spell the, your, the new one? 'Cause I can't pronounce it.
Jamie Araujo:
Oh. Trois Noix. Sorry. It means three nuts in French.
Doug Shafer:
Three nuts. Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
It's T-R-O-I-S.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Jamie Araujo:
N-O-I-X.
Doug Shafer:
Beautiful.
Jamie Araujo:
And if you imagine it like T-W-A N-W-A. So, Trois Noix.
Doug Shafer:
Trois Noix.
Jamie Araujo:
There you go.
Doug Shafer:
Got it. And what and what flavors in, in that one?
Jamie Araujo:
Um, so, it's a little more, um, (laughs) little more, uh, yeah. Different. So, we do the cabernet and the sauvignon blanc.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
And the chardonnay. And coming out next year, we actually have a red blend and a Cab Franc.
Doug Shafer:
Good.
Jamie Araujo:
And, um, a rosé coming out as well. So, a pinot noir rose, which, and it's, you know, our, our sort of motto is, um, "Community, poss- opportunity, possibility." So, um, I think the rosé is the perfect example. I had a friend from high school who randomly sent me an Instagram message after seeing all my stuff about harvest this year. And he said, "Uh, have, do you have any use for, like, three tons of pinot noir? 'Cause I've got this stuff at my house in Sonoma, and the guy who usually takes it says he can't use it anymore. And I don't know what to do." It's like, "Okay." So we have this opportunity, and I went to the winemaker and the GM, and I was like, "What do you guys think? We're getting three tons of pinot noir for free. We could make a rosé." And they're like, "Awesome, let's do it."
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Jamie Araujo:
And so we-
Doug Shafer:
Fun.
Jamie Araujo:
... grabbed a crew and went over harvested and are making Sonoma rosé of pinot noir.
Doug Shafer:
There you go.
Jamie Araujo:
Um, so, anyway. Yeah, so, but you know, I can be a little more nimble with Trois Noix.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
Because the stakes aren't quite as high, and also I'm a little more ... There aren't as many decision makers, I guess.
Doug Shafer:
Of course, that's fun. It's your own thing. That's good to have.
Jamie Araujo:
It is fun. It is fun.
Doug Shafer:
S- so, tell, how can people find all these different wines? What's the best way for them to, if they're wanting to check them out?
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah, absolutely. So, Accendo is, um, you know, we really, we don't make very much. Um, and so, we do have, uh, our wines on allocation. Um, but if you come onto our website, so Accendo Cellars dot com, A-C-C-E-N-D-O. Um.
Doug Shafer:
Thank you.
Jamie Araujo:
You can sign up.
Jamie Araujo:
Uh, to the mailing list, and- and get those offers sent to you, which is great. Um, our amazing Director of Private Clients, uh, Mikael Tigrett is awesome, and he will take very good care of you. And Trois Noix, um, we actually have our Troixnoiswine.com is the website, and our wines are actually for sale on the website, so you can buy them directly from us.
Doug Shafer:
Um, good. Sounds great.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
So, I- I- I'm gonna, I'm a little hesitant to ask, but is there any- anything else going on? Any new projects? (laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
(laughs) I think I'm good for now. I think I'm good for now.
Doug Shafer:
You're good for now.
Jamie Araujo:
No, I'm just sort of, you know, it's funny. I'm just, I cannot get over the fact that I have not been on a plane since March.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah, I'm-
Jamie Araujo:
I-
Doug Shafer:
... with you on that one. That- that's been a real-
Jamie Araujo:
I mean-
Doug Shafer:
... strange one.
Jamie Araujo:
It's crazy. I usually travel two weeks a month.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
So, um, yeah. It's been very weird, but it's also kind of been wonderful to be here and kind of have boots-on-the-ground, um, constantly-
Doug Shafer:
No, I- I'm-
Jamie Araujo:
... for such a long time.
Doug Shafer:
... I'm with you. It's an adjustment. It's definitely-
Jamie Araujo:
It is.
Doug Shafer:
... it's been one and- and, uh, it's, I, uh, just can't think about what's gonna happen. We'll just figure it out. It'll happen.
Jamie Araujo:
We will, indeed.
Doug Shafer:
So.
Jamie Araujo:
And I think, you know, it's interesting. I- I was thinking about this as I was driving up today, knowing obviously, that I was gonna speak with you. Um, and thinking about your dad and my dad, to your point earlier. Um, and I was thinking, you know, it's so interesting, and I think you're a lot further along, your process in this, so I would love to take you out to lunch sometime and hear all about it. But, um, I was just thinking it's, we're on such an interesting position where we're trying to find that balance between ... I mean, these are dudes who like have a big shadow, right? Have a big footprint.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
Their, what they have accomplished is absolutely extraordinary. They're very strong personalities and- and- and they've done incredible things. I mean, it, the respect is just, y- you know, well deserved and- and- and mind blowing. And how do you keep honoring that shadow and keep respecting that space, and also have your own ... 'cause w-, you know, obviously we're the s-, we have some of our, the same of our parents' ideals and ways of working and being, and-
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
... and the wines, and things like that, and we all are on the same page as far as that's concerned. But we're also different people. We also have different personalities. And I just think it's so interesting because I think sometimes in our, whether it's in our companies or our families or ourselves, we sort of get caught up in that or- or knotted up in that. And I'm wondering if it's actually kind of a wonderful thing for people outside our organization because they can sort of see our brand, our wine, whatever it is that they love, and that they continue to love, but they get a whole kind of fresh person, like a whole new layer to it with the next generation. I don't know.
Doug Shafer:
Well, you st-, you do-
Jamie Araujo:
Thoughts I have in my car. (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
You do, you do a couple things. You- you make good wine, as good a wine as you can every year, no matter what. That- that goes without saying.
Jamie Araujo:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Doug Shafer:
And- and you be yourself.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
That's what my dad always told me. I'd be, I'd be going out to do a winemaker dinner at, back in the early days, I'd be all nervous. It's like, you know, "Dad, how do you do it?" And taking my notes.
Jamie Araujo:
(laughs)
Doug Shafer:
And he looks at me and goes, "Just be yourself." And trust me-
Jamie Araujo:
Aww.
Doug Shafer:
... a Winemaker Dinner with John Shafer versus Doug Shafer are- are like night and day, but they both-
Jamie Araujo:
(laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... but- but (laughs), tr-, it's a true story. But they both-
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... worked. They both worked.
Jamie Araujo:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
And, um, for different reasons, and for even the same type of crowds, so. So, just be yourself.
Jamie Araujo:
Well, that's great advice.
Doug Shafer:
Be yourself and make good wine. It's easy. (laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
Right.
Doug Shafer:
Well, the-
Jamie Araujo:
That's awesome.
Doug Shafer:
... the first part's easy. Second part's a -
Jamie Araujo:
(laughs) Yeah, for sure.
Doug Shafer:
All right, you. Jamie, Jamie. So good to talk to you.
Jamie Araujo:
Well, can I tell you one quick-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah, yeah.
Jamie Araujo:
... one qui-, sorry.
Doug Shafer:
Please.
Jamie Araujo:
There's one tiny little Hillside Select story that I have to tell you.
Doug Shafer:
Sure.
Jamie Araujo:
And you can edit it out later if you want, but.
Doug Shafer:
No, it's fine.
Jamie Araujo:
So, um, my brother and I were just first back in the Valley, and working with Accendo, doing all this stuff. And we (laughs) went to the Barrel Auction. Auction Napa Valley, right? Barrel Auction on Friday for the first time.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
And so, we're walking in, we're looking at all this stuff, and I look at my brother and of course, w-, you know, we know what the Barrel Auction is, right? 'Cause our family's been doing Auction Napa Valley for years.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
So, we walk in and I'm looking at the numbers, and I'm like, "Greg, this is a steal." Like, "This is crazy."
Doug Shafer:
(laughs) Oh, that's-
Jamie Araujo:
"For a barrel of wine, this is so cheap. We totally-
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... have to bid on this stuff."
Doug Shafer:
I do remember this.
Jamie Araujo:
And he's like, "Good idea." So, (laughs) we go in and we bid on two things. The only two things we wanted to bid on, uh, were, uh, Covert, uh, which is made by our friend Julien Fayard, and-
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
... Hillside Select.
Doug Shafer:
Right. (laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
So, we put a bid in on, and so we put bids on both of 'em (laughs)-
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
... and then all of a sudden found out that it's a case. It's not a barrel.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs) I- I-
Jamie Araujo:
And we're like-
Doug Shafer:
... do remember this.
Jamie Araujo:
... "Oh, no."
Doug Shafer:
Oh, 'cause you-, oh.
Jamie Araujo:
Anyway, and then, you know, you sort of, your name drops off if your, if 10 people bid over you.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Jamie Araujo:
So, we're watching our name go down. We're like, "Drop off, drop off. Come on, drop off. Come on."
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Jamie Araujo:
Anyway, very happy now-
Doug Shafer:
Aw.
Jamie Araujo:
... to have won our Hillside Select, which is sitting snugly in my cellar. And my brother actually had a bottle of it the other day, and he wanted to let me, he wanted me to let you know that he said it was absolutely (laughs)-
Doug Shafer:
Good.
Jamie Araujo:
... delicious.
Doug Shafer:
Well, I'm glad.
Jamie Araujo:
And he's gonna have a really hard time leaving it in his cellar now 'cause he knows how good it is.
Doug Shafer:
You know, I'd- I'd forgotten that story, but I do remember because I remember you coming up to me and saying, "Hey, Doug, let me get this straight. Is it ..." (laughs) I said, "Yes, Jamie-
Jamie Araujo:
(laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... it's just a case. It's not a barrel." And the look on your face was like, "Oh, man. This is not good."
Jamie Araujo:
Oh, crud.
Doug Shafer:
All right. Well, hey, it's was for gr-, it's all for a gr-, it was for a good cause, so.
Jamie Araujo:
Definitely, definitely.
Doug Shafer:
Well done, well done.
Jamie Araujo:
Well, well done you, 'cause the wine's gorgeous.
Doug Shafer:
Thanks so much for taking the time. It was great to hear your story. I learned a bunch of things I've never known before and, uh, take care of yourself. Say hi to your mom and dad for me, okay?
Jamie Araujo:
You too. Take very good care, and we'll see you soon. Thanks again for having me. I really had a pleasure.
Doug Shafer:
All right. Thanks, Jamie. See ya.
Jamie Araujo:
(laughs) Take care. Bye.