When you think of country clubs, what comes to mind?  Are you thinking of how your parents or grandparents would spend their leisure time? For most of us, this is the case.  Unfortunately, the country clubs of days past do not really appeal to today’s business person. While there is interest in going to private country clubs, the next generation members are looking for an environment that better addresses their needs.

If you’ve visited the Brown Estate Winery, you know that it is a worthwhile trek. Unfortunately, the winery’s remote location does not make it easily accessible to all visitors. Very aware of the situation, the Brown Estate Winery did not want to turn anyone away and found the best way to solve the problem was to provide a more centralized Napa destination to offer wine tastings as well as a more convenient location for patrons, visitors and employees. This Nordby Effect post discusses the new Brown Estate Tasting Room, an urban wine oasis located in downtown Napa.

In my wildest dreams, I never imagined the Wine Country would evolve into the destination it has become today. Raised in Sonoma, I take for granted what so many find to be a desirable place to live and work. Residing in the Wine Country is a lifestyle – many people are drawn here to live out their dream of owning and operating a winery. Seduced by the lifestyle, I think it is all too easy to want to ignore sound business judgment. In this post, I offer up some helpful insight into the key areas that need to be considered for living your dream of owning a winery.