Laurie Lewis (https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-lewis-083577a/) is our special guest on today's episode of PDX Small Business Network Podcast. They’re a 100% women-owned and operated business and proudly offer a wide variety of unique wines.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
* How Laurie and Renee got their start making wine. They had a love of wine to the point that they toured almost every winery in Oregon, and one day they just had an epiphany. Making wine looked like so much fun, and they said, “Let’s stop tasting wine and making it at home; let’s get serious and find out more about the industry.”
* How to create wine. Laurie’s simple answer boils down to three things: getting good grapes, keeping things clean, and not screwing it up. Sounds easy, but she dives into a deeper answer about some of the many things that she and Renee have to consider when making their wines.
* The different kinds of wine Hip Chicks Do Wine offer. Laurie goes into detail about so many of their wines, but she sums it up nicely by saying, they try to have something for everyone.
* PDX Urban Wineries. It’s an organization that highlights all the different wineries in Portland. For a long time, it was just Hip Chicks Do Wine making wine in Portland, but that has expanded considerably. They bring together boutique wineries in a variety of ways, including joint events twice per year.
* What the future holds for Hip Chicks Do Wine. Laurie certainly hopes to grow a little more, but not to the point that they end up going nationwide. She wouldn’t mind setting up distribution in other states, however, like California, Illinois, and New York—places they’re already delivering to. Otherwise, she’d like to keep it a two-person operation!
