It seems I was being a bit narrow-minded when I assumed that the accounting profession has a monopoly on nerds.   Maybe we accountants have earned our public reputation for nerdiness because the people we deal with are usually  so very different from us, and visit us only when they have to as a result of some government rule or regulation. 

After a very interesting day spent at the Napa Valley Wine & Grape Expo , I suddenly realized that there are many professions that require practitioners to gain specialized knowledge that involves unique terminology, techniques,  regulations, chemicals, or tools.   And often, when these experts attempt to communicate with the unwashed masses, there is a huge disconnect.   So their audience labels them a nerd.  I don’t think “Nerd” is really meant as a derogatory term, rather it indicates amazement at that person's in-depth knowledge of a topic that most people don’t understand. 

I was shocked to realize that there are nerds even in wineries and they have difficulty communicating too. 

My first example happened a couple of weeks ago when I had the pleasure of attending a harvest party put on by the wonderful folks at Halleck Vineyard .  A group of excited but untrained pickers gathered to assist in the harvest of 50 rows of Pinot and then we all had the thrill of following our grapes to the crush facility.   Once there, Ross Halleck had arranged an informative tasting opportunity which allowed us to taste various stages of the fermentation process.  All of this was wonderfully done and every step of the process had been beautifully explained by Ross or Jennifer Halleck, who both have a marketing and sales orientation.   The interesting part of the tasting for me (since I am constantly studying presentations and presenters) happened when Ross handed the floor to his winemaker.  The winemaker proceeded to tell us about malolactic acids and processes and various technical details of the wine process.  He used buzz words like “MOG” (matter other than grapes)  and “Must” (the juice pressed from grapes or other fruit before it has fermented) which are well-known to the wine industry but less known to the general public.  While extremely knowledgeable, our presenter was having a tough time connecting with his audience.  Ross handled it beautifully by taking on the role of the translator.  He converted the winemaker’s technical terms to terms more easily understood by those of us who were more knowledgeable about consuming, rather than creating, wine.  The two made a great pair and each was able to use his strengths to best advantage.  

I was very surprised to note that like accountants, winemakers are very detail- oriented and must be extremely precise and analytical in their measurements and observations.   So while accountants can often be found retreating to the back office or cubicle, some winemakers may be most comfortable in their caves. 

 


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