The Wine Guy

I bought this Mesta Tempranillo at the Wine Outlet today because I liked the orange label, of course!

In my first-ever blog post a couple of weeks ago I promised to follow up at some point about “the wine guy.”  Well, today is the day because I had an experience with the wine guy this afternoon. Actually it is a different wine guy than the one who originally inspired the mention, but my point is still the same.

When I was on my walk that fateful day a couple of weeks ago when the idea for my blog came to me, I saw the original wine guy – the owner of Madison Park Cellars. I have bought wine from him a few times and we always have a very lovely, long-ish chat. And for some reason each encounter is memorable. For one, he always confuses me with "that mom from Seattle Prep." Each time I say, "No, that's not me." He politely apologizes and we continue talking about the wine I am buying, or my dinner menu, or our travels, or our neighborhood. But I think it’s more than that. It’s his slow pace, calmness and interest in engaging with me and having a conversation. Not just a quick transaction.

Today I stopped in the Wine Outlet in SODO, just a couple of blocks from Starbucks headquarters where I worked for eight years. I was always curious about the Wine Outlet since it was opened a couple of years ago by former Seattle Times wine critic Richard Kinnsies to much fanfare, but I never had (made?) the time to go in. Today I had the time, and I had a similar experience with another “wine guy.” He promptly offered me a good-sized taste of Richard Kinnsies’ own Tempranillo red as he described the grape I had not heard of before. He walked me around the well-laid out store and we had an interesting conversation about the high-quality wines offered at discount prices and his background as a local caterer for 30 years.

To me the wine guy represents the local shop owner who moves at a slower pace and has all the time in the world to chat. He slows me down, which is good. And helps me appreciate the small things – like a great bottle of Tempranillo – or tells me about a fabulous venue for a friend’s wedding. I always leave feeling like I made a new connection and that I want to go back – when I have the time.  

It is like stopping to smell the roses. Life is so much more interesting when you slow down and take the time to really connect with people.