Sips & Bytes - George Christie
The Connector - Both Digitally and IRL
Sometimes, the magic catalysts of wine tech come from unusual places—not from the tech-centric universe we usually associate with digital leadership. Fundamentally, I am a humanist, and I believe that technology is just a tool that better allows us to connect and communicate with people efficiently, effectively, and at scale. But at the core, connecting with people remains essential. And there are some people whose superpower is to connect people. That is George Christie. Many of us in the industry often call him the hardest-working man in Hollywood. But instead of just being a super-connector, George took that magic to the digital arena and built up one of the best online B2B Platforms to help wineries and vendors connect through content, news, events, and thought leadership. With Wine Industry Network he’s single-handly created one of the epicenters in the industry to catalyze wineries upgrading their technology, their knowledge, their talent, and connectivity. He leads Wine Industry Advisor, Wine Industry Network, and at least three major B2B conferences. . If you work with him you’ll find that integrity is his middle name and he always gives more than he gets in every partnership or with every customer relationship. George always has a smile on his face and gives endlessly to his family, the community, our industry.
If you don’t know George, I recommend you reach out and take the time to meet him. You’ll be better off by knowing him.
How did you become interested in the intersection of wine and digital tools?
What initially got my attention on the B2B side where Wine Industry Network operates was the fact that in 2010, wineries were still having to use a print directory to research product and service providers. Even then, that was an antiquated model for anyone looking for information, but it was equally ineffective for product and service providers looking for more meaningful interaction with prospective customers.
Could you share a noteworthy or exciting achievement or project at your company that excites you or is bragworthy?
I think I'm most proud of the first website we built for the Wine Industry Network. Even though we don't use that site anymore, I was pretty proud of how it came out because web development was not an area of expertise for me. We were able to build not only a better online directory than any other that existed, but an actual content marketing platform that we’ve evolved over the years making it so much easier for industry vendors to push out information that they'd like to share with the industry.
Name three wines you think are wonderful.
That's a tough one; I’ve had so many great wines over the years. Three of the most memorable wines I've ever had, I would say, begins with Joseph Phelps Insignia, a Gaja Barbaresco, I don't remember what vintage and my first MacPhail Pinot many years ago.
In your opinion, what makes the combination of wine and technology extraordinarily challenging?
I think that, with the wine industry, there's so much emotion tied to tradition, in particular with how we grow our grapes and make our wines, that the idea of leveraging technology more is counterintuitive to many people, especially industry veterans. However, necessity, being the mother of invention, has changed drastically in recent years, and I suspect 10 years down the road, we're going to see a huge technology impact in every aspect of what we do.
What key recommendations would you offer to a winery looking to integrate digital tools into its sales, marketing, or operational strategies?
I would make the same recommendation to any winery or vineyard operation looking to make a significant investment: do your homework, ask for referrals, and if you don't already have someone on staff who can manage the new program, go hire the right person, and don't cheap out.
In your view, what is the most significant obstacle wineries face when leveraging digital tools?
I think the biggest obstacle is simply that people don't like change. It's just human nature that people get comfortable doing what they're accustomed to doing, and despite the fact that it may not be working, they're still reluctant to change.
Who in the world of wine today, whether winemakers, winery owners, writers, retailers, or collectors, do you admire the most?
I guess I like an underdog. I admire small, family-owned winery operations where everybody does a little bit of everything. I started at a small winery like that, and it was the best learning opportunity I ever had.
What aspect of wine do you wish you had a deeper understanding of?
I'm not sure I have a particular aspect of wine that I'm looking to understand better. Still, I will say that I love Italian wines and would love to spend more time learning about Italian producers and just drinking more Italian wine in general.
Are there specific wine styles you particularly enjoy, and are there any you tend to avoid?
As I've gotten older, my taste has definitely changed. I most definitely prefer a lighter wine, I guess you would say more of a European style, than the big, bold reds that I enjoyed when I was younger.
Can you recall the best wine you've ever received as a gift and the story behind it?
I had just started doing some consulting on the side and one of my first clients was Raymond Burr Vineyards. Raymond Burr had passed away, but his partner, Robert Benvides, was looking to open a tasting room and needed some help. Not long after I began I turned 40 and Robert gave me a bottle of 1966 | Graham's | Vintage Port which I still have! Maybe for my 60th we'll give it a go!
If you want to see how great George is, please watch him connecting with two industry legends -
from Ciatti.And Dale Stratton from Azure (+).
Next in the series Moshé Weizman from WINEing.