We were lucky to catch up with Adam Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Adam, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Is there a historical figure you look up to? Who are they and what lessons or values have you learned from them?

I have always looked up to Robert Mondavi. He took a fledgling Calfornia – American, even – wine industry on his back and brought it a long way towards the prominence it has today.

I spent time with Robert Mondavi on two different occasions – with the first time being remarkably memorable. I was a young “kid” working at Benziger Winery, running their tasting room. The Benzigers were invited to an event over at Mondavi Winery that was promoting a new international wine competition. Nobody from the Benziger family could make the event and so I was sent by default. I imagined a room with a few hundred people and a buffet lunch. Instead, it was a table of maybe 14 people, and I was seated beween Robert Mondavi and his wife, Margrit! People such as John Williams, owner of Frog’s Leap, and other Napa Valley luminaries made up the other seats at the table.

Needless to say, I was scared to death and only opened my mouth to eat, too afraid to say a word. After the presentation on the wine competition and after several glasses of wine, the conversation turned to selling wine on this new thing called “the internet.” A few people spoke up but very few knew anything about it. I was the youngest at the table and, emboldened by the wine, I found my voice and spoke up, explaining what I knew about the internet and how wine sales might work on this new platform. Everyone seemed very interested in my comments and soon the conversation turned to another topic.

As the table was talking, I felt this hand on my shoulder and physically I was turned to the side. It was Robert Mondavi. He looked me in the eye and said, “Adam, I don’t know about this internet thing. Tell me what you know.” And for the next 5 minutes or so, I had a one-on-one conversation with Robert Mondavi.

I will never always remember that and remember the power of the words, “I don’t know.” Here is a man that knew more about selling wine that I will ever know, and he started out saying, “I don’t know.” That was amazing.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started working in wine shortly after college (so a long time ago), when I got a job in a wine retail store. I moved up from Assistant Manager of a wine store to Manager, to President of the Company, to Wine Buyer for Neiman Marcus, and eventually moved to California to make wine. I started Siduri Wines back in 1994 with $24,000 and made 107 cases of Pinot Noir which was, fortunately, loved by wine critic Robert Parker. Siduri grew to 35,000 cases and in 2015 I sold it to Jackson Family Winery.

In 1997 I started over with a different focus – producing small quantities of Pinot Noir from the Rosella’s and Garys’ Vineyards. I named this new venture, Clarice Wine Company – after my grandmother, Clarice Phears. The wines ae made utilizing large amounts of whole clusters in the fermentation process and very few additions or other winemaking techniques. My Clarice Pinot Noirs are some of the best wines of my 30-year career and are designed to be vin de garde wines that will benefit with time in the cellar.

Can you talk to us about your experience with selling businesses?

In 2015, I sold Siduri Wines to Jackson Family Winery. That was a difficult decision but, quite frankly, it was made easier by the fact that the business had grown to a point that it was running me more than I was running it. — I realize that this sounds obvious, but it is important to realize that, once you sell the business, it truly isn’t your business anymore. The new owners may want you to stick around, and most likely will want your input in some decisions going forward. But you have to realize that some of these decisions will not go your way and find a way to be at peace when that happens – or choose to leave the company altogether.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

I do manufacture my wines – I did at Siduri and do now at Clarice. I never studied winemaking – but I loved wine and loved selling wine and most especially I enjoyed meeting winemakers and listening to them talk about how they made their wines. The biggest lessons for me were learned by listening. I borrowed, copied, and stole (figuratively) techniques and adapted them to my grapes. I made lots of mistakes along the way, but I tended not to repeat those mistakes. — Now, entering my 30th vintage, I find myself speaking more as people want to know what I have to say about making wine. That’s been bothering me so recently I’ve started visiting wineries again and asking other winemakers deliberate questions about how they produce their wines. I’m old – and experienced – but not too old or experienced to learn from others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.claricewinecompany.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamhowardlee/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adamleewino
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-lee-38215b140/