We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Crystal Potter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Crystal below.
Crystal, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
My husband, Von, and I never planned on starting a winery. I’m talking zero intention! We were wine-making home hobbyists – just in it for the fun and satisfaction of learning a new skill. Back in 2007, we started making white and red wines in carboys using grapes from Von’s backyard and from anyone else who had a surplus of grapes they didn’t want. I call Von my mad scientist – he’s always got a new idea or vision and loves figuring out how to do it his own way. So, we started entering amateur wine competitions in the local state fair and lo and behold – we kept winning first place. From there, Von really started experimenting with more varietals and flavors. In the years following, we got married and started a family, all while continuing to make wine on the side. In 2011 Von came to me and said he wanted to try making jalapeno wine. I very clearly remember telling him that was a terrible idea! I just couldn’t wrap my brain around jalapeno wine ever being worth the effort. So, he did what any mad scientist would do – he did it anyway!
Six months later when the jalapeno wine was finished in the barrel, we tasted it and immediately light bulbs went off. Sure, it was spicy, but it also had this light sweetness and perfect amount of acidity that we realized would play really nicely as a cooking or cocktail ingredient, or just as a sipping wine for those who adore spice. Without really knowing for sure the scale of where we wanted to go with it, we started the process of getting our wine license to sell at Saturday markets in the area and once we obtained all the permits and legal paper trail, we set off with our little side hustle. The reception from the community was more favorable than we anticipated, and we realized we had a product no one else really had – at least not in Idaho. From there, the business kept growing and so did our wine offerings. Now we make several flavors of jalapeno wine in addition to traditional white and red wines. Looking back, if you had told us ten years ago where we’d end up, I’m quite certain we’d laugh in disbelief.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My background is actually in marketing and fitness. I started my own personal training business in 2006 and while I don’t actively seek new clients anymore, I still train a handful of loyal and willing subjects twice a week in our winery when we’re not open. Before that, I worked as an event coordinator and marketing specialist which comes in very handy present day, as I manage all the events and marketing for Potter Wines. I joke that in our business, my husband is the winemaker and I just boss him around. But there is a slight truth in that because of the scope of things I’m responsible for. And if you were to really know us both well, you’d find out neither one of us is easily bossed around, which I would say is the case for most entrepreneurs!
What I’m most proud of is probably that we haven’t given up. The wine industry is a really fascinating one to be in, especially when you’re 100% self-taught, and even more so when you make jalapeno wine. As a lover of all wines, I believe there is room for everyone, and I just love the creativity younger wineries like ours are bringing to the table. Concepts like ours are not always easily accepted by those who feel wine should be this fixed thing and that whatever is in their glass should taste like they expect it would. Wine should be fun, exciting and delicious. It should make you think about what’s in your glass, not just whether it checks all the boxes of what it should taste like. So, I think I’m most proud of is being a mind-changer in this industry and sharing another perspective. Let’s make wine fun!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I would say the pivotal moment is happening now. Post-COVID, it’s a shaky time to own a small business. Just when we thought we’d be celebrating making it through the pandemic and staying open, the price of supplies and the cost of doing business in general is higher than ever. Small businesses are feeling it, especially in the food and beverage industry where staffing can also be challenging. We’re learning how consumer trends are changing and constantly adapting our business model to roll with the ebbs and flows of a time that is really like no other. We’ve started diving into new opportunities that two years ago wouldn’t have been on our radar. I think we’re all in a period of transition, whether it’s personal or business, and we just have to wake up, show up and try something new to see where it leads.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Hands down, having quality products has built our reputation. When you’re in the wine industry and you make jalapeno wine, you better deliver a satisfying result! When we first started out, people would be hesitant to try something so new – it seemed to scare them a little bit. But we realized that if they would just sample the wine, they’d become a customer 90% of the time. We took that information and vowed to always make a quality product, whether it’s one of our traditional wines like Syrah or Tempranillo, or if it’s a jalapeno-based wine. Our reputation as a winery with a solid line-up of options has definitely spread over the years.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.potterwines.com
- Instagram: @PotterWines
- Facebook: facebook.com/PotterWines
- Twitter: @PotterWines
Image Credits
Kim Hetrow Photography, Fizz Works, Dapper Dog Design