THE GRAPE JUICE ARMADA IS GROWING AGAIN: THREE OF THE ...

Recently, three of our staff made the long trek to Cincinnati State to take the Introductory Level Sommelier test (it’s about 15 minutes from the store), and showed the Court of MS how bad-ass we are here at the D.E.P.  Our Ft. Thomas store manager, Thomas “T.J.” Askren (known here at UTGT as DJ TJ or T-Jam) ,our newest swing manager and wine rockstar Jennifer Eberhard and part-time wine slinger (and soon Mr. Princess Shannon) Jon Hembree (whom I will henceforth refer to as Jonny Bravo) all passed the test, setting themselves up as part of the officer corps for the DEP’s Grape Juice Armada.

I am not here to take any credit; no no no.  My No. 2, Shannon, helped prep them for the test over the past several months, yet it was ultimately their passion and knowledge that got them through door number one.

T.J., I have known him for a long time.  He’s been with the company for longer than I have – at least 12 years, maybe more.  A huge music fan, he puts my musicological knowledge to shame.  I’ve always known he was interested in wine, and I’ve always tried to coerce him into the deep end, and finally, after years of pestering the boss to move him over from our warehouse staff, he got the nod, and even ventured across the pond to the Loire Valley, returning to the fold a diehard Francophile.  He has serious skills at customer service, and has turned out to be a huge asset to this department.

Jen hasn’t been with the company long, but has really made an impression with everyone.  Her smile is infectious, and her passion for wine grows exponentially each day.  Customers at FTT have really taken a shine to her, and she’s earned a huge amount of respect and admiration from me.

Jonny Bravo is entering into the fold – whether he wants to or not – as he and Shannon head down the aisle this summer.  A seriously affable dude, Jon is a natural for this business, though he does it for the love of it, not for the paycheck.  Jon works in finance by day, and has one of the most laid-back personalities I have ever seen.  To use a baseball reference, he’s kind-of an utility infielder/designated hitter, the kind of person who can just jump into a bad situation and save the day.

To these three, I have to congratulate them, not just as the (figure)head of the wine department at DEP’s, but as a fellow wine geek, friend, and colleague.  Mad props to y’all!