” Hi Joe. Thank you for getting back to me and for trying to understand our feelings on the situation. I’ll try to clarify why we were so offended.

The friends that we brought with us had never been exposed to a winery before and were a little apprehensive about maybe not “fitting in.”

They’ve also been struggling lately and really needed a night out to let their hair down. We were excited about sharing Valley Vineyards with them and assured them that they’d fit in as well as anyone. So when the very first social interaction was alienating, it really did deflate the group.

Please understand that we like friendly banter too. We are not really the type of people easily offended. But this didn’t feel like banter.

In fact, we considered that maybe we had misinterpreted simple banter for something worse, and discussed it together that evening.
The consensus was that had it been so, he would have offered some of the other wines for tasting or clarified that maybe for a few extra dollars we could try all of the wines, or something more than what he did. This seems especially plausible since he admitted to you that he knew he’d offended us.

We concluded that it was perhaps your policy to limit tastings to reds or whites or 2-3 types and that we had somehow stepped out of bounds with your rules. In this case, he easily could have just explained the situation to us and offered an alternative for an additional charge.

That’s about as honest an assessment of our side as I can provide.
Nevertheless, your offer is generous and if he really meant only to make banter, then I think I’ll share your letter with my wife and our friends, take you up on your offer for the certificates and bring them
all back for a fresh start. “

“Hello,

I’m sorry i didn’t get back with you monday, as after i received your email i sat down w/ my father and grandfather.

Your feelings about the experience you had at the winery friday evening are understandable. I am the same way when i go to enjoy an evening with friends at a resturant…and a bad moment can ruin the evening. I wish i could have been here to rectify the situation as soon as it happened, the employee did know that he’d said something which had offended you, and he remembers the situation.

The only comment i can make in our defence is that some of our customers do like the “experience” of the employees/family members here at Valley Vineyards. Honestly, some people do enjoy the banter, that you found offensive friday night, however…that does not excuse what happened.

My father, grandfather, and myself would like to invite you all back to the winery for what should be an experence that has made our weekend grillouts famous…a relaxed, and very enjoyable evening of wine, food, and company.

If youd like to take us up on our offer, *please* let me know. I will issue the certificate asap. Or, if youd like to speak on the phone, feel free to contact me directly.

Again, anything i can do to make the situation how it should have been, i’d be more than happy to do so.

Ken Schuchter
Kenny Schuchter
Joe Schuchter
Valley Vineyards
Valley Vineyards Farm Corporation
2276 E. US 22 & 3
Morrow, Ohio
45152
Mobile: 513.702.0897
Winery: 513.899.2485
Fax: 513.899.9022
http://www.ValleyVineyards.com

I have emailed joe@valley-vineyards.com and invited him to comment. As a business owner, it is impossible to control all situations. But at least this will make the management at Valley Vineyards aware so that they can correct it to avoid a similar situation with someone else in the future.

Chris and Lisa, thanks for speaking up here!