Jeff’s Corner 3-3-23

Hey, Hey, Hey,
Last Monday was party day!

That’s right, last Monday was our annual Staff Appreciation Extravaganza. Once a year, Heath Family Brands closes its doors for a day and a half and we take over a super-luxury hotel in either Austin or San Antonio.

This year, we invaded the beautiful La Cantera Resort in San Antonio. Brian and Jennifer rented close to 100 rooms and about 170 or so of us settled in for a fantastic evening of great wine, fabulous food, and lots of after dinner dancing. (I did everyone, especially my wife Kathy, a huge favor and skipped the dancing part.)

This story, however, is not so much about us as it is a huge “Thank You” to Brian and Jennifer Heath. They spoil us rotten all year long.

Brian and Jennifer have built an empire with Heath Family Brands, and when histories are written about Texas Wines, Grape Creek will be a major player. Kath and I are proud to have been part of this growth.

There’s a bigger picture here, however. Heath Family Brands’ economic impact on our community is immense, and its growth and generosity have provided a high standard of living to many families in our community. It is for this that our deepest, most heart-felt gratitude goes out to Jennifer and Brian. Thank you, our love and respect for you both goes beyond words.

I can’t write this story every year and not mention how proud Kathy and I are to have worked at Grape Creek for almost fourteen years. This is where I lose words to say, but throughout the incredible growth in staff, production, and  venues, Brian, Jennifer, Julie Herbort (our incredible COO), and all our management team have kept us focused on one goal: Make great wine, and provide a great experience to our valued guests.

I want to sign off with a final nod to Jennifer and Brian’s generosity. They spoil us with benefits that far exceed the norm in our industry, including monthly bonus incentives, room for advancement, paid time off, medical insurance, and an extremely generous retirement plan. Much more intangible, however, is the love, caring, and genuine feeling of family with which they surround us all.

Thank you so much from the entire staff.