Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracie Pabst.
Hi Tracie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been traveling to wine country, both domestic and international, enjoying wine for almost 20 years. Like most people, you start with the budget wine and as you learn more and try more varietals you begin to appreciate the vine and the grapes that create some amazing juice.
I began to enjoy wine when I started to attend sommelier-lead classes which led me to be educated by other wine experts including winemakers and vineyard owners. Through these connections, I began to build my network and when I would visit wine country, it was fun to catch up with these wineries.
My friends were always up for a trip to wine county knowing that all they would need to do is show up as I would plan the entire itinerary for our visit. Being a human resources professional, the planner in me was all I knew, and having the best adventure possible was what was the expectation.
I was at the peak of my career and it created a lot of long hours and weekends plus travel putting this as my top priority. I was grateful to work for a company that was Italian-owned which gave me the opportunity to travel to Italy on multiple occasions for meetings where I was able to extend my stay and take in the beautiful countryside and enjoy wine. This gave me the bug to travel abroad and visit other countries France being one of them where zip-lining over the Champagne region is a memory burn I will forever have. My career continued to demand my time and continued to create wine trips for my friends when we traveled.
One night when a group of us were in Napa Valley, we were at dinner and talking about our day and one of my friends brought up that I should start a small business. They all shared that putting itineraries together for a wine trip takes a lot of time and can be overwhelming and I make it look so easy. We started to brainstorm what the name of the small business would be. Several months later, ‘The Spirited Grape’ name was created. I saved the domain name and it sat on the shelf for over five years.
In late 2018, I joined a gym and began to give time to myself. I was getting burnt out from all the hours at work and I felt like I was not having a purposeful life – I was taking care of every crisis for everyone else no matter what time of day. To take a day off, sure I did, but I still received calls to guide leadership or fix things. Certainly finding an extra hour at night for working out was an added stress but it felt so good to go home after a great workout. Part of this change was because my Dad was managing through cancer for almost three years and watching him battle each day made me look at what is important.
I needed to take care of myself and in May of 2019, my Dad passed away. Fast forward to December, the first Christmas without my Dad, I had my first mammogram to find out that I had breast cancer. Stage 2 with cancer also in my lymph nodes. Telling my Mom that I needed to start chemo right after the holidays was the hardest conversation I have ever had. The good news was that I was in the best shape of my life as the gym was a saving grace. I have a strong faith in God and amazing friends who supported me during a year of mayhem as this was 2020 – and COVID was taking over the world.
I never missed a day of work when on chemo…, with the 7-hour infusion, I was hooked up and taking calls as COVID took over the workplace. Being the leader in human resources, I was expected to lead the organization through this pandemic. After surgery and radiation, which took me to November of 2020, I was exhausted. I thought I was burnt out before…hah! As I was trying to heal, I continued to do my best, and medication side effects continued to exasperate which took me off work. This gave me the time to rest and take care of myself.
Although, it was hard to go from n0n-stop working to not working at all. My brain needed something to focus on to keep my business mind sharp. This had me thinking perhaps it is time to consider making The Spirited Grape a reality. So, The Spirited Grape was formed and my website was up in November of 2021. It was just what I needed to keep me engaged with a sense of accomplishment.
Today, I continue to grow my business and it is just at the right pace as I still am managing side effects which keeps me from being able to work in the capacity of my former leadership role. I am grateful for all the support and kindness I have encountered over this journey and I am excited to see where this will continue to take me in this adventure with The Spirited Grape. My clients are all amazing and once we connect, we stay connected. I am blessed!
So, what is The Spirited Grape all about? Bringing the joy of wine to others! I love to share how wine and food pairings can add a new level of appreciation for wine. I am filled with joy when I see clients enjoying their visit through elevated experiences with custom “unique to you” wine country experiences, creating memories with family and friends. I believe wine is for all and my passion for sharing knowledge with others and providing joyful experiences is what makes my wine country getaways, local winery tours, private wine tasting events, local winery events with education, and winemaker’s dinners different from others.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall it has gone well, as I am taking this one step at a time. I am fortunate to have a fantastic social media person who has helped me get started and not be afraid to “jump in”. Most people do not understand what it means to put a wine country getaway together. So, a website, Facebook, and Instagram are great, but I need to find clients.
Networking with local wineries and partnering with them to host events has been helpful. It allows me to spend time with attendees and share the details of my business.
I also have partnered with a local chef where we have participated in live and silent auctions with charity events/galas and this has given us exposure and the opportunity to showcase our talents offering exclusive winemaker’s dinners in the winning bidder’s home. Those that have experienced all of these services have been very satisfied and provide 5-star reviews.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I enjoy helping people understand how wine and food pair together and how it can totally change how the wine and the food tastes together. It is so fun to see people experience this. I also like to educate others with wine knowledge that is easy to understand and to share good finds for wine on my Instagram and Facebook sites where I post weekly Wine Fact Wednesdays and Wine for the Weekend.
When we have a sense of belonging and experience something unique, this rises to the top of memorable moments. The Spirited Grape allows me to find a way to create memorable experiences for people to share with family and friends. Cheers!
What are your plans for the future?
No big changes at this time. I am in the growth stage and I am thankful for the opportunities I continue to find ways to build exposure and network with the wine industry and meet new clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thespiritedgrape.com
- Instagram: @thespiritedgrape
- Facebook: @thespiritedgrape
