Today we’d like to introduce you to David Dees.
David, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a California Wine Guy at heart. I was born in Anaheim and grew up in Paso Robles, which is where my journey in the wine world started, I just didn’t know it back then.
After surfing my way through college, I worked at several restaurants and resorts to get started in what at the time was my dream career of becoming a Pastry Chef. I was able to scrape enough money together with a friend and we went to France to study pastry for a summer.
When I came back, I was offered a position at the famed Pebble Beach Resort that would lead to amazing opportunities and professional relationships that would change my career and life. When I was working in the kitchen, I was invited to a company wine club meeting. I knew very little about wine and wanted to learn for my own education, but did not know that I was about to realize the wine industry was not only my calling but my passion. A transfer to the wine department led to another great opportunity a year later when I was invited to go on a wine trip to France.
On that trip to France, I learned so much about wine in just five days that I wound up going back on vacation each year to learn more, not just in France but in Germany and Spain as well. Over the years, I worked in many different positions of the wine industry but sales and building brands turned out to be what I really enjoyed the most. Learning the personal stories and the passion people have for making wine and wanting to share it with everyone is something that I wanted to do.
After 12 years of building wine companies, I finally decided that it was time to follow my dream and start. Wine Guy & Wine Gal. The name means if you enjoy wine then you’re a Wine Guy or Wine Gal. I wanted to create a company that would not be intimidating and would welcome everyone into the Wine World which is why our company wine line is, Let’s Pair Together.
It’s not just about food and wine or two people, it’s about bringing people together to share their stories and start their own wine journey.
Wine to me is not just a job or a career, it’s sexy, romantic, culture, passion and history.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
You have to work hard to make your dreams come true. I have been beyond fortunate and blessed to have been given a wealth of knowledge from so many over the years but the current times we live in have been a struggle because I started my company one month before the pandemic.
The current challenge is making sure my wines that are being made in Sonoma are finished in time for the Holidays.
Even though there are many components to Wine Guy & Wine Gal, all of them have been put on hold until things get better. That makes the wines even more important because they will keep the dream alive and the company moving forward.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Wine Guy & Wine Gal – what should we know?
Wine Guy & Wine Gal is a brand new company in Southern California.
We are so excited to be making our own wines in Sonoma, California. Our Inaugural Vintage will have two wines, a Zinfandel from Dry Creek and Pinot Noir from the Russian River. We will also have a Rose wine that will be released next Spring.
We also do Wine Events and Private Tastings that have been temporarily put on hold due to the pandemic.
There will also be a Wine Guy & Wine Gal Tasting Room in the future and we will hopefully start filming our fun reality show for our website soon.
I am so excited that I have been able to get all of this started and I cannot wait till we can really get things going, hopefully sooner than later.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Passion! You have to have it when you’re creating something special. When people gravitate and are drawn into your energy and excitement for what you’re doing, well I think that’s something special.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wineguyandwinegal.com
- Phone: (805)-668-1367
- Email: [email protected]
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