COVID-19 Update
DETAILS ABOUT OUR LAUNCH
Launching a business into the face of a global pandemic was not what we planned. I’m sure that no one really planned for how circumstances changed so rapidly. As we evaluated whether to delay or press on, we considered the time, energy and dollars already committed to our venture, the demand for quality wines, and the wonderful partners who had already agreed to work with us. Some of our partners need us now more than they could have imagined and we want to help them any way we can while abiding by all governmental and healthcare guidance. We simply cannot look back in the future and say we didn’t try. We have great beverages to sell, we have the ability to sell under Tennessee’s Executive Orders and we have access to the transportation infrastructure available to get the products into Tennessee. It’s still up to us to do the marketing, which will change in form and content for our original plan, but we can do it.
We know that each of you will not like every product that we carry, but we sincerely believe that you will like many of the products we carry. We were always going to do our best to interact with you, the consumer, but we planned on numerous tastings and dinners as the primary method. With the current situation, that is not possible, so we’re re-directing our energy towards interacting with you through methods that maintain appropriate limits on physical distancing. We persist in our dream because we believe in what we have to accomplish, connecting people is our purpose. We cannot fix the national crisis but we can do our part to help everyone feel a little more normal.
The current crisis has also resonated with us as we reflect on the reasons we wanted to start our business. Much of that is evidenced by the name and symbol for our company, Phoenix Selections. We want to be something new, something different, something more from the beginning. We selected the Phoenix as the symbol of our company because we wanted to reflect a change in how wholesalers conduct themselves. We cannot change how we function structurally, which is controlled by State and Federal laws, but we can change how we operate and how we do business.
STAY CONNECTED
The current environment compels us to stretch beyond what we were initially planning. While we cannot physically share wine with consumers at retail store tastings and dinners at this time, we can share tasting reviews – both ours and professionals, we can share the stories of our partners, we can introduce you to the what/where/why of each wine and when you’re ready to try them, we can deliver the wines to the retail store of your choice for you to purchase. So we will be conducting virtual tastings and video educational sessions, preparing reviews and offering links to our suppliers on the internet and social media. We want to hear from you, and we want you to try our wines. When it’s time to order, all we ask is that you connect with us via social media, email, text, whatever is necessary and include the retail store where you want your wines delivered. We will get your wines to that store, and you can pick up with them. It’s a win for everyone. If you want a wine that is not currently available, reach out to us, let us know what you are seeking, we might just be able to find it for you.
WE WILL RISE AGAIN
We see the sense of community and collective responsibility exhibited by so many so defeat a common enemy. Based on the tremendous response, we fully expect America and Tennessee to rise to great heights again. When we reach the other side of this great tragedy, our views will be tempered with a sense of relief and an understanding that so much of value was never fully appreciated. We hope that all of you remain safe and healthy until that day arrives. Until then we will see you remotely – on social media and the internet, repeating our message that good people should be connected no matter the distance or other barriers. Thank you so much for your support.
Like the Phoenix, one day we will all rise again!