Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Frazier.
Hi Julia, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always loved wine! I was actually a teacher for sixteen years, and I can tell you- a glass of wine after a full day of teaching is glorious! Several years ago, I was a longtime client of Tom Thumb Wine, a local delivery service in Central Florida. Long story short, when the owners moved to Mexico, I bought the existing client list, started Winter Park Wine, and began my journey in the wine business. I have immensely loved the learning curve in this business. Wine is so vast, and there are so many wonderful people in the industry with incredible knowledge who have helped me along the way. On a side note, I met the love of my life in the wine business. We became engaged last fall!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
This was not a smooth road at all. I was navigating through a divorce at the very beginning of opening the business. Unequivocally my darkest times. I had countless nights awake wondering, as a single mom, if I could handle this. We entered covid, an uncertain time altogether, compounding my worries. My best friend since the age of four, Aimee, passed away just when things were looking hopeful. I still miss her every single day. I do not think that will ever change. There’s a kind of familiarity with sadness and anxiety that washes over you when you experience deep loss, and at least in my case, you can dig deep into a drive and purpose. I became accustomed to that still, small voice inside me that would not let go of the hope of success in the wine business. I clung to that. Also, Aimee was my biggest cheerleader in my career move. I could go on and on about the little signs I see each day that remind me of her, especially when I need encouragement with my company.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When people introduce me as someone who “sells wine,” I find that a bit off the mark. I think of myself as being in the relationship business. I get to know my clients, and I find that special bottle to open during an anniversary, job promotion, or to pair with the perfect meal. One of my favorite calls came from a client, who only buys only high-end Italian wines, saying my adult kids are coming home for the holidays, and I need them to stay out of the cellar- bring a case of anything under $10. Curating cases is just part of the fun. I love in-home tastings, delivering wine from my online Shopify Store, and doing large and small wine events in the community. I think what sets the business apart is that Winter Park Wine is your wine concierge service- no matter what your budget is. We have lost sight of the person touch in business, and Winter Park Wine is all about that. I enjoy the moment wine brings people together. There is nothing like the collective sigh of people who have worked hard all day, enjoying the simple pleasure of relaxing with a lovely glass of wine in the company of wonderful people who feel the same way.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Winter Park is a special city. At times, I have trouble talking about my hometown without getting emotional. My parents moved here nearly half a century ago. My father was in the newsprint business. They set their eyes on a small home on Lake Knowles Circle. We rented until, remarkably, that house went on the market. We were living there several years before my dad ventured into the attic, which ran the expanse of the house. I remember, as if it was yesterday, the way the light was shining in the space, and I was at the base of the ladder as my dad climbed up. There was nothing in the expanse of that space except one newspaper- still in its original wrapping. It was published the same day and date my parents were married.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://winterparkwine.myshopify.com/
- Instagram: @winterparkwine
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winterparkwine
