Describe your business. Did you find it, or did it find you?

Actually, one of my business partners found the location. We had been looking for a winery for approximately three years, and my husband Paul suggested we take a look in the Placerville area. (Paul had started a Consulting Winemaker business out of Pollock Pines about 25 years before we bought the property and he thought the area would be perfect as he and I were looking to move away from Santa Cruz.) The winery had been operating as Cairn Canyon Vineyards for about seven years. The owners were looking to sell, and this turnkey winery with a house and apartment was exactly what we were looking for. So it was meant to be!

How are you involved with both the community and your customer?

One of the most wonderful things about El Dorado County is that, despite the fact that economic times are tough, the people who live here are so very generous to those who are having tough times. We want to join them in helping as much as we can, so we donate to local nonprofits, pour at fundraisers, and on October weekends we sponsored a fundraiser for breast cancer. Our customers ARE our community – supporting locally to home has a wonderful trickle-down effect that covers a much wider region. The world is really a small place and the boundaries of a community are pretty elastic.

Why is your staff the best in the business?

Our staff all work as volunteers and work because they genuinely enjoy meeting and talking to people. We love them because they are so proud that they give up their weekends and free time to spend a day helping us out. We get so much more than what we “pay” for.

Where do you go when the going gets tough?

There’s time to escape?

What’s your biggest job perk?

You mean other than getting to drink wine while at work? It’s meeting the people who come to taste. Almost everyone has a story to tell and something interesting to share. Every day I learn some bit of trivia that I never knew before.

And finally, customer service is…?

Making sure every guest wants to return and bring their friends!