Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Queen.
Heather, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started my company in May of last year (2019). I have worked in the hospitality industry most of my life and became engaged in the wine world about 15 years ago. Five years ago, I decided I really liked wine. Last year after much pulling from lots of people close to me, I decided to take the plunge and begin my own business. I took all the different parts of the wine world and created a job that I would like to do. This included managing cellars, sourcing wine for clients, working with wineries, creating a wine club! I wanted to take everything that I did on the restaurant floor and personalize it. I work with a great chef, Adrien Nieto (Master Chef), a great mixologist April McEuen and many other people who believed in me and what my vision is. On that note, my vision changes often. Wine is an art. Its Monet, Van Gogh, Leonardo Da Vinci, Maya Angelou, The Bronte Sisters. And as art changes so does my vision.
The Pandemic has created a different way of thinking and a different way of creating hospitality. My job is to make people smile and enjoy life and I do it thru wine, bringing people together even if it is virtual, so that we all will have a little joy in our lives. Or a lot of joy depending on how many glasses you might drink.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Is anything a smooth road? I think my biggest challenge has always been myself. I am really good at shooting myself in the foot. I am definitely a “late bloomer”. It took a lot of people believing in me before I believed in myself and there are still days where I wonder what I am thinking. In the end this has been one of the best decisions of my life. My two best decisions are my daughters! Everything I have learned over the last 35 years that everything that has happened has happened to create this time! I wouldn’t change any of it because to change it would mean I wouldn’t be doing this now!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Queen of Grapes – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Queen of Grapes is a multifaceted business based on four legs. Leg one is the wine club. The wine club consists of 4 levels. At each level you get a certain number of wines that are featured that month. In 2020 I am focusing on female winemakers and female winery owners. Leg number 2 is wine sourcing. I have 50-60 current clients that I source wine for and deliver or ship to them. They each have what they like and I go get it for them at the best price. Leg number 3 is cellar management. I organize, digitalize and maintain several different cellars. A lot of people think a cellar is a lot of bottles. It’s not. anyone with 20 or more bottles has a cellar! Leg number 4 is special events. These are private dinners, virtual wine tastings, private wine tastings, to go food and wine boxes, and many others.
What sets me apart from others. I am a concierge. Think about the Ritz Carlton. The concierge gets anything and everything to make your stay enjoyable. I do the same with wine. I am most proud that my monkey mind was able to organize all of this!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I am working on a YouTube channel with my counterparts. I can’t divulge all of that info right now but maybe when we get to the printing stage. I will say this. It is fun, funny, informative and no one is doing anything like it right now! I am growing my wine club every month and looking forward to being able to travel to all the wine countries in the world!
Pricing:
- Wine Club. Introductory Level $40/month, Tier 1 $65/month, Tier 2 $150/month, Tier 3 $250/month
Contact Info:
- Website: thequeenofgrapes.com
- Phone: 404-579-2876
- Email: heather@thequeenofgrapes.com
- Instagram: queenofgrapes
- Facebook: queenofgrapes1
- Twitter: queengrape2019
Image Credit:
Melissa Hennings Photography the first picture
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