Episode 15: "Dialing It In" & The Power of Small (Julie Powell, Alderlea Vineyards)

This episode is a case study of how the owners of a very small winery (in a very small wine region) are blending their large multi-national corporate expertise with a winemaking hobby “run amok” to produce small lot, artisanal wines which reflect unique terroir of British Columbia’s spectacular Pacific West Coast. Tania’s guest, Julie Powell, is co-owner of Alderlea Vineyards, located in Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley wine region. Julie discusses how she and husband Zachary Brown first launched into the wine industry (in their garage), what they grow, how they grow it, and how Alderlea Vineyards sets business objectives and production levels to meet demand, stay manageably small (and sleep at night). Julie, Zac and vineyard dog Vino run the show and are the ones who’ll greet you at the gate when you visit Alderlea. This episode is also about the potential future of BC ‘s “Wine Islands” and the appeal and strength of “cohesive diversity” - a paradigm in which a wide spectrum of winery business sizes and styles operating in one region can successfully co-exist and lift their collective game. Through intentionality, a clear strategy focused on the “critical few” and sticking to your core values, a small business (no matter what the industry) can be nimble and adapt to change - all vital in our world of increased costs, shrinking profit margins, regulatory barriers, labour shortages, shifting consumer demands, and wild swings in our weather and climate landscape.