Posted on

The Good Drop Girl Bosses

Hello Wine Lovers,

Welcome back to The Good Drop Wine Shoppe’s wine blog. It’s Katherine, again, here to to spotlight the original Good Drop Girls, Sarah and Beckie, and to tell you the story of how The Good Drop came to be.

I’ve worked at The Good Drop for two months and I can safely say that Sarah and Beckie’s infectious love for life and wine has rubbed off on me, big time. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I’ve become considerably more sassy now that I have them in my life… but what do I know? Because I know I’m not the only person these amazing women have affected, I thought I’d help you get to know The Good Drop Girl Bosses.

Tell me about your story…

Sarah and Beckie’s story began 5 ½ years ago when they had both recently moved to Bend, OR, and their sons were trying out for the same soccer team. A big thanks is owed to those two young boys because they brought together the power duo we all know and love. Owning a wine shop had been a dream of Sarah’s and once she has an idea in her head, there’s nothing stopping her. After meeting Beckie, Sarah’s dream had the chance to be realized and the rest is history at that point. The two of them fit perfectly together, Sarah being the world-traveler, entrepreneur, and master of wine she is and Beckie being her sweet, sassy, and organized missing piece to the Good Drop Dream. When I was interviewing them yesterday for this story, it dawned on me that this is what cannot be taught in business school: the genuine heart these two have for life, their business, and each other. The foundation of the unique shop we all know depends on this heart. If there’s one thing you take from Sarah and Beckies story, I hope it’s the value of friendship and the lifelong dreams it can bring to life.

Now that the first few years of curating The Good Drop, the blood, sweat, and tears are behind them, Sarah and Beckie expressed to me that they are happy to have their full friendship back. It’s hard for me to believe that the spunky, Flo Rida dancing queens were ever not themselves but that’s the nature of building a business. The Good Drop today survives by all the loyal clientele that have quickly become family and friends to Sarah and Beckie, and as I hope they will become to me.

How do you pick the wines that are featured in the shop?

No surprise here, Sarah and Beckie have hand-picked all the wines in the shop by traveling and researching to find obscure and unique wines that tell a story.

What are your favorite wines at this moment, and, why?…. (And you better believe you can get both of these wines in the shop)

Sarah’s favorite wine, as of yesterday, is a 2017 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino. This wine holds a special place in her heart because of the story behind it and, of course, because it’s the best Malbec she’s ever had. The label of this wine pays tribute to Malbec’s history in France and its rise in Argentina. Four female figures embody different landmarks in the history of the grape. Today, the Catena family’s fourth generation leads the high-altitude renaissance in Argentina. In the words of the Catena family, “We are returning Malbec to the sky, where it belongs.”

Beckie’s favorite wine is a 2017 Antica Terra Ceras Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. Although she would argue with me on this… some say you are what you drink, and, in this case, I believe Beckie embodies this elegant and ripe Pinot Noir. Beckie loves this wine because of who made it, Maggie Harrison. Similar to her own story, Maggie moved and fell in love with Oregon, bringing her passion of wine with her…. And the rest is history.

Thank you for reading, I hope you all are inspired by Beckie and Sarah’s story, I know I am.

XO,
The Good Drop Girls

Posted on

4 Types of Wine Drinkers, Which Are You?

Hello Wine Lovers,

Welcome back to The Good Drop Wine Shoppe’s blog. Given the free time most of us have on our hands due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I believe this is a great time for some reflection. It’s Katherine here again and today I thought I would talk about the 4 types of wine drinkers. Most of you are likely going to fall into one, or more, of these categories so play along with me.

First, The Important. The Important is the wine drinker who embodies the classy, sometimes sassy, side of the wine world. The Important may not know everything about wine… but they certainly wouldn’t admit that. This wine drinker is a special type of stubborn when it comes to wine, they appreciate it for what it is. A work of art.

Second, The Foodie. Although we all would like to say this is the wine drinker we are, this is arguably the most rare of the 4 types. The Foodie is the wine drinker who brings together the sensory experience of enjoying a plate of grilled salmon with a chardonnay that has been aged 100% in new French Oak, for example. The Foodie is able to envision the connection between the essence of wine and the tastes of food that compliment it. The Foodie embraces the abstract of wine.

Third, The Smarty. The Smarty encompasses the technical side of wine drinkers. They are concrete, process-thinkers, who envision the growth and production of wine. When The Smarty is drinking wine they are often delving deeper into The Why. Why does this wine have a robust, deep red color? What made this Viognier acidic and fruit-forward? The Smarty is the wine drinker who isn’t afraid to ask questions… and to answer your questions.

Fourth, and final, The Social. The Social wine drinker is perhaps the most universal of the 4 types of wine drinkers. This one is an easy one for me to explain, and likely an easy one for you to understand. The Social enjoys the environment of drinking wine, the conversations exchanged with friends and family, the camaraderie involved. For The Social, drinking wine is about sharing it with others and using a bottle of wine to make long-lasting memories. 

These 4 types of wine drinkers are one of the many reasons I love the wine world, it is a complex but interwoven network of people who share a love of wine in common. Considering the times we are in with the Covid-19 pandemic, I urge you to use this blog post as a tool to find out the type(s) of wine drinkers you are. And, we can help you with that at The Good Drop. Once you have determined what type of wine drinker you are, stay tuned for our next blog post where I will share tools and ideas that might help you fully embrace your wine lifestyle. Please comment below and feature @gooddropwineshoppe on Instagram to share with us the type of wine drinker you are.

XO,

The Good Drop Girls