Wine retailers, most of them anyway, can’t look forward to Memorial Day and Labor Day as long weekends of relaxation. The store has to be open. Customers want beer and wine to enjoy around the grill. Can’t ring up sales if you’re home grilling some food.

Which of course means for many wholesale reps, Memorial Day and Labor Day might be days to work. If the customer is open, I should be there, is the thinking.

It’s Monday. It’s ordering day.

It’s a quandary for many, especially newer reps trying to establish themselves at wholesalers. You want to show off your dedication, be it via calling on a retailer on a national holiday or replying to an email from the boss at 11pm.

The larger issue is Wine Work Flow, which will be talked about in detail here in the near future but I’ll give you the moral of the story first: you don’t need to be like everybody else. In fact, it’s better if you’re not.

Have a great and safe Memorial Day!