My New Home At Michel-Schlumberger

by Jim on July 1, 2009

Life continues to amaze me.  Two years ago, I had what I considered to be the last job I would ever have.  I was hired to run a small winery that had just been launched by two of the most respected people in the wine business on a tastingroomproperty that I helped develop with the previous owner.  Their business plan was rock solid, our visions for the property and winery were aligned, and at last funding was in place to create a very special place.  There was one small thing that was left out of their business plan, a crippling worldwide recession.  As the business world goes, you need to do what you can to keep your business afloat and alas, with a very heavy heart, I found myself very underemployed in a very downtrodden business market in the industry I loved.  How would I land on me feet after that sort of loss?  It was truly the darkest of times I have ever known professionally.  I lost what I loved.

 

Michel Schlumberger EntranceThree months later, I found that love again.  To a higher level than I even dared to wish for (sorry, I hate dangling participles too).  Working with Michel-Schlumberger is one of those once in a lifetime opportunities that come around, oh, say, once in a lifetime.  From their audacity to produce Bordeaux and Rhone varietals in an appellation best known for King Zin, to their organic farming practices that are truly understated but pure and true, to their passionate and quiet owner who loves his bees most of all, to the intense beauty of their Estate, Michel-Schlumberger is the kind of place most in the wine business can only aspire to be part of (yes that’s another one).  Now I come to them with the goal of creating the ultimate customer experience.  It is my job to share this place with the outside world.  Just you wait.

 Whether it is through the myriad of events we have and are considering, to our Winebench packages you receive, to

The Ultimate Customer Experience

The Ultimate Customer Experience

 your visits or stays at the winery or the bottle of amazing Michel-Schlumberger wine you are enjoying right now, I want you to always be thinking about the next time you are coming to visit us and recommending us to your family and friends.  I want your experience to be the best there is to be had in the wine business.  Heck, if it means that I have to start offering winemaker massages with every case then…..well maybe not. 

 We love what we do and it will show through everything we do.  I am honored to be part of this crew and I do believe lost love is now found.

At your service,

Jim Morris
Director of the Consummate Consumer Experience
(Or something a bit more formal)
jmorris@michelschlumberger.com
Twitter – @m_schlumberger
Facebook – Michel-Schlumberger
707 433 7427

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{ 9 comments }

Jim Morris – “Human Terroir”

by Judd on June 30, 2009

Jim Morris - Web

Welcome Jim Morris!

As the General Manager of Michel-Schlumberger, I am often the guy behind the scenes trying to connects the dots linking the vineyards, winemaking & commerce of the Estate.  In theory, my job is to do this profitably, sustainably, efficiently & seamlessly.  In reality, the first thing you learn in a job like this is that you simply can’t do it alone. 

What is needed is a strong team – one that is galvanized, inspired, motivated & communicates well with each other.  There are a lot of moving parts & one person simply cannot micro-manage every element.  When you find people who just ‘get it’ — you are blessed.  I gravitate towards people who, even though they do not own the company, act as if they do.  And at Michel-Schlumberger, we truly do have a ‘human terroir’ as I’ve called it before, that is unparalleled, and one that complements our distinctive physical terroir.  We have people here  who create a ‘flavor’ to the place as much as the land creates a flavor to the wines.

Blind PigAnd every once in a while, even a blind pig can find an acorn  — and this blind pig (me!) just found an acorn.  Allow me to introduce to you the newest member of our family, Jim Morris.  Picking up onacorn my exceptionally corny habit of creating acronyms for just about anything that moves, Jim created one for himself — he is a self  described ”ACORN” (Absolute Customer Opportunity Recognition Numerologist).  Or more simply, he is The Director of the Consummate Guest Experience (also known as the Director of Consumer Sales & Marketing — but thas sounds so…corporate).  Jim is responsible for all Retail Operations, Wine Club, Events, and anything related to ”Having (the) Ultimate Guest Experience” at Michel Schlumberger (’H.U.G.E.’ – sorry I couldn’t resist!). 

I first encountered Jim in the wild world of social media.  For those of you new to social media (aren’t we all!?), it is those strange unknown worlds hosted by Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace among others.  We met through the Wine Bloggers Conference in 2008 and the activities therein that involved his winery and Michel Schlumberger.  He ran a small winery located in Dry Creek Valley owned by a friend of mine, Paul Dolan.  Our paths would cross on occasion and I always enjoyed our interactions.  When a position opened up at the winery recently, I was contacted by Jim who found himself in an underemployed state.  Once we met and the rest of the staff had a chance to get to know him, we realized it was a great fit and brought him on board. 

As a member of the team, he will now also be a contributing member of the Benchland Wine Blog (named the Best Winery Blog in the Country by the way by people who know winery blogs) and an invaluable member of the Michel-Schlumberger family.  Should you find yourself at an event or the winery, make sure you welcome him aboard, and enjoy the latest ‘flavor’ in our human terroir.

judd

“GM Judd”

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Bees Flying High

June 29, 2009

 

 
I don’t know about you but I’ve always wondered –What happens if you give a honey bee cocaine?  Well, fortunately, researchers at the University of Illinois have recently come up with the answer.
The study was fairly straightforward.  Scientists applied tiny drops of cocaine solution to the bee’s backs and then monitored their dance communication system, [...]

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I Love a Good Tradition…

June 18, 2009

…I love the annual Michel-Schlumberger Wine Bench Picnic even more. I already know that you do too. Or you would if you haven’t been able to attend one of our club picnics before. These undemanding, but famous gatherings are always held on a Saturday in early June, when the air starts cool in the morning [...]

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What’s That Smell?

June 9, 2009

Grapevine bloom, and the pollination that follows, is one of those amazingly simple but ridiculously complicated things.
First, the basics: Before bloom the only visible part of an individual grape flower is the fused cap of petals known as the calyptra. Once the calyptra is shed, pollen is liberated from the anthers of the stamen. [...]

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What’s With The Rain Today?

June 5, 2009

We have taken a roller coaster ride here at the winery with the weather. The last few weeks we have seen temperatures over 100 degrees and today we woke up with showers and clouds. We certainly need the moisture, but those cooler temps are going to make the garden slow down its great [...]

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Music in the Cellar

June 3, 2009

I mentioned in a previous post that the vines seem to do better when they have a little company. Hogwash? Well, if that was a stretch for some of you, this may be way over the top. What influences do you think music has on wine, if any? I’m a firm believer that music shapes [...]

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Tiny Fuzzy Hummingbirds

May 22, 2009

I just got back from an afternoon in the vineyard, hiking around and keeping track of bloom (underway in the chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot blanc right now).  Have I mentioned that it’s incredibly beautiful out there in the vineyard?  And although it’s quite easy to get caught up in the grand scheme of things [...]

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Gardens Gone Wild!

May 6, 2009

Last spring, at one of the many fun festivities under the oak tree at Michel-Schlumberger, I overheard a bemused young woman as she wandered through the organic vegetable garden.
“This garden is a mess!”
Ouch.  That wasn’t one of the better compliments I’ve received on my gardening but it did get me thinking.  And I can kinda [...]

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Seeds and Spring

April 22, 2009

If you have any interest in gardening, and have gotten on a mailing list, you should have already received enticing catalogues that showcase vegetables and flowers to plant for Spring.  I put all the other materials aside, and spend my time reading the descriptions for these plants during the cold and rainy months of the [...]

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