Bubbles to Boardrooms

These true stories, written with warmth and wit by one of the rare female CEO's in the wine business, offer up life and business lessons learned over a four-decade career in the Napa Valley. This is an excellent read for entrepreneurs, leaders or aspiring leaders, young people and, naturally, women seeking role models - and those who love wine and want to share in some of Napa Valley's untold lore. The stories reveal how the author saw and seized opportunities, made non-fatal mistakes while learning on the job under a boss who preferred leading to managing, and enjoyed the exhilaration and challenges of two major French-owned winery startups. Innovations abound, from training a Percheron to help build Domaine Chandon's stone walls, creating new products while building strong brands, and finding solutions to survive recessions, to raising heirloom pigs as a marketing tool for St. Supéry. There was time for a successful crusade against neo-prohibitionists and memorable shopping expeditions in Paris with the owner's fashionable wife. Full of personal anecdotes that range from funny to sobering, this book is an insider's peek into the Napa phenomenon that came into its own even as the author's career blossomed and matured. It offers up cautionary tales, notably about projecting the future, and "Aha!" moments that endure. Recognizing and creating opportunities, welcoming innovation, and developing talent are hallmarks of what some may consider the author's eccentric leadership style.