Giving Thanks to Mom and Pop Businesses
Friends,
Those of you of a certain era, probably like me, grew up during an age of commerce very different from today's norm. As a kid I remember going to "Ma Shaner's" to pick up some groceries, to "Bart's" to get the car worked on, and "Michael Angelo's" (yes, that was really his name) for a haircut. All those small businesses had a few things in common--they supported their community, they did the work themselves, and they knew your name as soon as you walked in or they picked up the phone.
Call me nostalgic, but over the ensuing 50 years, I've worked really hard to continue to do business with people just like Ma, Bart, and Michael. Plus, it is how I've tried to model my own business over the years--with personal attention, a focus on quality over quantity, and making sure the little guy always gets their shot. It could be that during that time I've paid more for lots of things other folks find for far less, but I'm clear on one thing--shopping this way has provided more value. And that has been worth a fortune to me.
As someone reading along here, you're already a member of the choir. I get that. But now and then I think it's important to remind ourselves that the wheels of commerce that roll along a very enormous global highway are loaded with millions of tiny ball bearings. Without them, the ride starts getting bumpy and eventually leads to big problems.
Let's all make sure we continue to grease our wheels, shall we?
I heard about Didier and Céline Sanzay through a restaurant guy we know, who incidentally is also the chicken farmer for the Elysée Palace. (see, even the French government buys their chickens from a mom and pop business!). The Sanzay winery is in the Loire appellation of Saumur-Champigny in the small hamlet of Varrains. They are 5th generation winemakers with a superbly neat winery and garden-like vineyards. This is Cabernet Franc country and along with Chinon, there's simply nowhere else like it on the planet.
The Sanzay wines are among the newest additions to the Cru portfolio and have made fast friends with many of you already. Sébastien and I paid them a visit at a trade show in Montpellier over this past winter and even among a daily intake of 10,000 visitors, they recognized and remembered us immediately, invited us "behind the counter" for a personal tasting, and showed us the same warm, jovial selves that they exude when we visit them at the winery. That they managed to stand out in a crowd of 1500 exhibitors as sunny and authentic exactly drives home the point I'm making above--that theirs is the kind of small business we should all be trying to support!
We have two Sanzay wines that have just arrived in our warehouse last week. Please snap these up at will before threats of 30% tariffs and a weakening currency start to put them out of reach.
Domaine des Sanzay
• Saumur-Champigny Cuvée Domaine 2023 •
The wine that has become the Beekley "house red" over the past year (they're only about 30 minutes from our place). This is pure, scrumptious, velvety-textured Cabernet Franc at it's ripe, succulent best. Stainless steel fermentation preserve the juicy blackberry and pommegrante fruit. And, this wine is complimented by a slightly chill, for those warmer days. We open a bottle for just about any reason and now you can too.
Domaine des Sanzay
• Saumur-Champigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2023 •
The Sanzays own some of the nicest parcels of old vines in the appellation, an important element anytime we want to talk about sustainability and longevity. It doesn't hurt for the wine quality either! Unlike the first wine, this cuvée spends a year maturing in older barrels to add silkiness and complexity to the old vine fruit.
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A lot of you may already be familliar with these two wines - you snapped them up when we first offered them last fall. So here is your chance to restock. And if you're not yet familiar, this is a great chance to try them for the first time.