Book Review: Passion v. Arrogance

This weekend, I had the chance to wrap up Passion v. Arrogance: A Dana & Goliath Story of Wine, Women and Wrong! by Margaret E.J. Broderick.

This book tells the story of Gaia Wines, the first solely female owned winery in America, located in Indianapolis on Mass Ave. The book is told from the author's point of view, and tells the story of her relationship with domestic and business partner Angee, their decision to start Gaia Wines, and their struggles to keep the business open. However, the bulk of the book is consumed with what happens after the couple makes the decision to close Gaia. Wranglings with the bank and the courts lead to the utter destruction of Gaia, it's inventory, and it's legacy, and the the emotional toll is devastating.

The book was a pretty quick read-I read almost all of it in my downtime visiting family this weekend. It flowed pretty well.

The book does a great job of explaining the process of forming a winery-the financing, the constant meetings, having to sign your life away multiple times to buy the basic equipment. The book also does a good job of explaining the travails of what happens when the winery launches-the constant inventory struggles, having to pour cash into the future stock as soon as the register rings up your current stock, and the constant struggle to hire good help. Anyone thinking about starting a winery would be well advised to pay close heed to these sections, especially the income figures. For those who think a winery is a quick way to strike it rich, think again.

I was bemused to see how much of the current banking crisis was foretold in this book. The arrogance demonstrated in the book is a reason this industry is having serious problems.

Some of the complaints I had was the whirlwind courtship of Margaret and Angee. One day, they meet, and it seems like almost instantly they decide to start a winery. There wasn't much of the process-what led them to form a winery. Sure, they both liked wine, but one gets the sense that there wasn't a passion to start a winery, just a passion to start a business, make a lot of money, and retire to Florida. At least in my career, when the going gets tough, the passion and love for what you do sustains you. Without that passion, the book made it seem that giving up the business was like quitting any other job. Ironic, given the title of the book.

The biggest complaint I had were issues I have with all books of this type. Written with benefit of hindsight by the author, Broderick writes with the tone of one who always, no matter what the situation, knows what is correct, and since she has the pen, she makes sure you know it. The book, especially the second half, seems to be little more than a rant to prove this. Lots of documentation, some recorded conversation transcripts, and lots of lots of digs, all told from the author's point of view, who always gets the last word in. No one, including Angee, is safe from the wrath of omniscient Margaret. I found the discussions regarding the legal issues faced particularly troubling, since it was pretty clear to me that the author knew just enough about the situation to be dangerous, not enough to actually understand the nuances involved. Although they did get hosed by the bank, it seemed clear to me the bank had some pretty valid complaints as well.

Another thing that annoys me in writings such as this is the refusal to call people by their real names. Even the bank is never identified, even though, in the book's lowest point, the author gives us nearly 10 pages of bone dry FDIC complaints against the bank. We also find out at some point after the story concludes the bank shuts down. Who's going to say anything? Who's going to sue you for libel? I can see the need for some caution, but still, I always wonder about the veracity of "tell-all" books that don't really tell all.

Still, overall this is a worthy read. The connection to Indiana wine alone makes this noteworthy, and it was interesting to see how many characters I could figure out by the author's description (I even think I figured out who a couple of the attorneys were). There were also several passages about the ins and outs of owning a winery that were particularly compelling.