PlumpJack Winery is always a favorite stop! Meet Melissa from the Tasting Room...
Hi, there… My name is Melissa, but everyone here knows me as Mel. I work in the tasting room at PlumpJack Winery and have been here about two years now. If you had told me even five years ago that I would be working at a winery in Napa, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Back then I had just graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (the New York campus) and had accepted a job in Texas, a little closer to my Louisiana roots. After two years there, my husband surprised me by taking a job close to San Francisco. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of amazing restaurants all over Napa and the Bay area, but after cooking long hours in hot kitchens and people’s houses, I decided that I wanted to focus on wine, and from the moment I walked through the door for my interview, I knew that PlumpJack Winery was the place for me. I mean, come on—Duran Duran’s “The Reflex” was playing!
Working at PlumpJack has been a blast. We are fortunate to have a small close-knit staff—sometimes it even feels like a second family. I truly believe that everyone here loves what they are doing, and the enthusiasm is infectious. Plus, there is always great music playing in the tasting room. I’m kind of a new wave 80s gal myself, but I’ve been know to dabble…
Being behind the bar takes me back to my bartending days, although people are generally a little less rowdy… well, except for maybe the last hours on Saturdays! I have met so many amazing people, and whenever I’m feeling a little homesick for the south, it really doesn’t seem long before another Texan appears through the door. That is one large state!
Now that it is officially May, we are all gearing up for the summer. For me, that means also getting our retail room well stocked with new t-shirts, wine gadgetry, and other fun gift ideas. We definitely have some fun new items, so if it has been awhile, stop in and check out our retail shop—how many other places can you sip wine while you shop?
So, whenever you want to taste some killer wines, talk food and music, or find the perfect PlumpJack t-shirt, come by and see me and the rest of the gang here at the winery. Make sure to say hi!
Working at PlumpJack has been a blast. We are fortunate to have a small close-knit staff—sometimes it even feels like a second family. I truly believe that everyone here loves what they are doing, and the enthusiasm is infectious. Plus, there is always great music playing in the tasting room. I’m kind of a new wave 80s gal myself, but I’ve been know to dabble…
Being behind the bar takes me back to my bartending days, although people are generally a little less rowdy… well, except for maybe the last hours on Saturdays! I have met so many amazing people, and whenever I’m feeling a little homesick for the south, it really doesn’t seem long before another Texan appears through the door. That is one large state!Now that it is officially May, we are all gearing up for the summer. For me, that means also getting our retail room well stocked with new t-shirts, wine gadgetry, and other fun gift ideas. We definitely have some fun new items, so if it has been awhile, stop in and check out our retail shop—how many other places can you sip wine while you shop?
So, whenever you want to taste some killer wines, talk food and music, or find the perfect PlumpJack t-shirt, come by and see me and the rest of the gang here at the winery. Make sure to say hi!
1 comments:
Mel -- great post. CIA and a wine expert? Wow! I'll ask for when visiting the PlumpJack winery's tasting room, for sure.