In January, I had an opportunity to travel to Italy to visit some wineries with a Holmes Murphy client (and good personal friend). The trip was one of mental relaxation (coming off a very busy 2018 and a hectic holiday schedule) and an opportunity to learn more about the wine industry.

One of the individuals I met while touring the wineries is named Eugenio. He’s the Enologist, which means he’s responsible for everything having to do with the science (chemistry and biology) of the wine. Eugenio is responsible for a laboratory that performs an analysis on the wine. The results of these analyses are then used to assist in making decisions on how the wine is treated (which is a balance between art and science). One of the most important things these analyses are used for is to monitor the wine for flaws and spoilage and to catch any problems and treat it before it becomes an issue. In layman’s terms, Eugenio’s research is pivotal to the wine-making process.

What’s really interesting is that Eugenio chose his career path in high school, and that’s not uncommon. In Italy, as you enter high school, you attend based on your career of choice and your lessons come through real-world, practical experiences. Can you imagine choosing your career at such a young age?

Talking with Eugenio, there was no question about his passion surrounding his work. To hear him talk about what he does with such grit and determination in his voice was amazing. It made me think about Holmes Murphy — do we all go to work with that same kind of passion? Do you love what you do, and do you get out of bed every morning hoping to make a difference with the work you do?

It also made me think about our greater Holmes Murphy organization and the passion we show to our customers. Our leaders work hard to create a culture where our employees love what they do and who they do it with. My hope is that all of our employees are approaching their work with the same level of passion as Eugenio, and the environment we provide is one in which we offer you the best we have at all times. A bit of passion really does go a long way!