Wine and The Rest

My name is Harry Ballmann. For me, wine and hospitality are more than vocations, they’re a way of life. I live and breathe them. That isn’t the crux of what I have to say here, but it gives a useful starting point. This small piece isn’t about me at all. Neither is Cépage. I’m keen to make distinction between my wine business and the rest of the wine industry. I feel the industry is self-centred, and self serving.  I will stand by this. It’s only ever good at looking inwards, seldom taking a steps towards empathy, and understanding your palate, and what you like to drink. Instead, it sells you what it wants you to drink.

However, the wine industry is still a beautiful one, central to many brilliant conversations, stories and bright ideas. Though, there are plenty of other industries which are equal in beauty. Indeed, it’s not only wine that I enjoy in life; I try to eat regularly in restaurants; I am starting to collect watches; I listen to an alarming amount of music, I take an awful lot of photographs; I purchase ornaments and art I find aesthetically pleasing to me, to name a few. We are spider webs of experiences, and interests. They are all beautiful industries to be a part of too, I would expect; vocations which pull people out of love and passion, be it sculpting, cooking, painting, composing etc etc. They are industries which forego traditional societal norms, are typically hard grafts. True labours of love, just like wine.

Cépage has continually evolved over the past 5 years, having not come anywhere close to it’s final form. It probably never will. Cépage is my playground, for want of a better description, a test bed of different and sometimes wild ideas. Some have worked, some haven’t. But that’s part of the fun, and why I started the business in the first place.

I’m of the impression there are a number of people in the same boat as myself and Cépage, small business owners who have decided they would opt for a life of instability, in favour of pursuing a vocation they are obsessed with, and sometimes, even along side full time work too. These individuals and entrepreneurs, in industries which are similar to wine are deeply inspirational and all have unique stories to tell about their passion projects and hobbies which, in some cases have turned into extremely successful livelihoods.

For a long while, I have been trying to explore ways of making Cépage community led, since Cépage has had an ethos which transcends wine, and always has done. Cépage is very much about you, what you like to drink. I’m led by my customers, and input my experience and palate within that, meeting them halfway. Though, I want to take this further. I am proud to say Cépage has always tried to look outwards, gaining inspiration from other industries in order to improve our offering and service. Since, we all have lives and interests beyond fermented grape juice. I don’t know why this industry always appears so introverted.

So, I’ve reached out to a number of phenomenal individuals. This originaly began as a 'Wine Professionals Around the World' concept, in an attempt to demonstrate how diverse the beautiful wine industry is. It quickly evolved and developed to people beyond the world of wine, but who still enjoy a glass, or several. Crucially, all these people outside of the world of wine are in industries which have called to them, so to speak. A few of these people I know very well, others less well. In a few cases, it’s my first time chatting with them. However, we all have passion in common, we all share love for our vocations, including wine.

Each week, they’ll be sharing their stories through Cépage. They’ve written pieces about topics which stimulate them, a broad spectrum of themes, opinions and vocations, coming together. This is with the ultimate goal of launching a few events in the early stages of next year for you: avid wine lovers, subscribers of Cépage, and those just here to enjoy the ride to, sip, explore, and hopefully learn something new together.

This is wine, and the rest. A community series. Santé.