I have always been enthusiastic about the world of commerce. I was born and raised in it, as both my grandfathers had shops (Cafés la Mulata and Droguería de la Lonja next to the famous steps of the Lonja de la Seda in Valencia).
They sold their businesses and I ended up working in the same sector, but in macro companies such as Disney, Starbucks and Apple. I specialized in business openings, recruiting, training and developing people, management, product and customer.
Valencian by birth, I was involved in a great variety of traditions related to this land: Fallas, dances, festivities such as San Vicente, Corpus, village festivals, orange, olive and almond picking .... I adored it all!
But I was also interested in languages and other cultures, and eventually I went to work and live abroad.
From France, I brought a love of oenology: I was 23 years old when I visited my first winery and learned that tasting a good glass of wine for dinner is a unique experience. From Holland, I brought my love for decoration and details: any gift looks better if you put the perfect packaging on it.
From the USA, I always look for "the story" behind it: I'm sure that "that bottle" is the result of many hours of work and love. And from my passion for Italy, several grape harvests behind me and the certainty that it is possible to create that magical corner if you want it very badly.
Paulo Coelho wrote in his famous book The Alchemist:
"When you really want one thing, the whole universe conspires to help you get it".
And this is what happened.
A thousand times I had passed that ground floor of the Plaza Mayor in Sagunto thinking: "how nice it would be to open something here", "how I would like to bring more life to this square", "one day I will find out who rents it", "how I would like to see it", etc. etc.....
And suddenly, one day I said: "YA!...it's time to close one cycle and open another.
Life is two days and I want to fulfil my dream"!
The next day I got a call asking me if I was interested in the bass guitar....
Literally: "I was perplexed!", "But how did you get my phone number?
From then on everything - and I mean everything - was leading me to VIVAVINS taking shape.
The train was on the move and there was no stopping it!
Signal after signal, I decided to listen to them and put an end to 25 years of assured salary.
I plunged into uncertainty, the unknown and the insecure, but with the excitement of someone who is about to embark on a wonderful journey.
Giving birth to VIVAVINS has not been easy anyway: The permits, the remodelling of the ground floor (at times I felt like I was in the Sagrada Familia and not in a twenty square metre space).
The key dates such as Christmas, Fallas, Easter were passing and it was never-ending!
But again, I want to paraphrase Paulo Coelho:
"Everything happens for a reason".
During this wait, I have had time to "try" to train myself (and I say "try" because the world of wine is so wide and exciting that it is fantastic that you are missing many things to learn and learn), to meet people who introduced me to their best products, to discover vineyards, wineries, food companies, to attend wine and gourmet product fairs, to travel around the peninsula tasting grape varieties, to select boxes, cards, bags, paper, stickers with the design of the website, to define those shelves that will present our products... In short, it's non-stop! it's non-stop! ...
And for what?
So that the day would come when YOU could read these lines.
Forgive me, dear wine lover, because I know I have spoken at length, but I have not known how to best summarise the story of this dream. A dream I want to share with you.
Because I don't just want to open a business...
I want to make you happy!
I want you to come and enjoy and be surprised by our products.
I want us to discover together more characteristics of that wine, that oil.
I want us to spend some time talking about that bottle, that brand or that region that interests you.
I want you to organise a visit to Sagunto and take part in a tasting.
I want you to propose that after work before going back home...
I want you to have a picnic ready for when you get to the top of the castle, for when you go to the beach, for when you go to see a concert.
And if you live far away and cannot come:
I want to be able to bring the taste of the vineyards to your home with the boxes of experiences that I can help you choose myself.
I want you not to have to leave your sofa to get some candied oranges covered in dark chocolate.
I want to help you put together that perfect gift for that special someone.
Ambitious? Yes... Possible? Also...
Are you up for a trip with me?
Well, come on! Don't think twice!
Make it a "Pensat & Fet" as they say in my country!
I'll be waiting for you!
Comentários