Meet Ben Ferris | Winemaker and Sommelier

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ben Ferris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My Thought process behind starting taste was simple. Create a wine bar experience that made wine accessible to everyone not just the rich. I wanted to make the wine tasting experience less pretentious and I wanted to take the “upselling” out of the wine experience. It really came down to wanting to open a wine bar that I would want to frequent.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am most proud of creating a welcoming environment that takes the intimidation out of tasting and learning about wine. I have been in the wine business for a long time. I started in restaurants then chased the dream of being a winemaker out to California where I went to Cal State Fresno for a degree in enology and viticulture. I then began a long journey around the world making wine in many different regions. Was it hard? Absolutely! The time winemakers call “harvest” is one of the hardest things anyone can go through. I lost 25 pounds on average every year during harvest. It is something you do only if its in your heart. There is no way anyone would be crazy enough to do it otherwise. I overcame the challenges by knowing in my heart it was what I wanted to do and the fact that I enjoy doing hard things. The lesson that comes to mind first is measure twice and cut once. Planning and precision in execution is what separates the mediocre from the amazing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would jump between the expected and the unexpected. We would do all the touristy stuff like spend half a day at the aquarium or college football hall of fame. We would catch a game at truist park. We would also eat Korean BBQ on Bankhead highway and stop into dives like dixie tavern for a cold one. We would also go to the optimist for happy hour oysters and walk around the works on the upper west side. We would play a round of golf at Bobby Jones. We would definitely stop into taste for a couple glasses of wine and a Charcuterie board!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife, Katie.

Website: https://www.tastewinebarandmarket.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taste.winebar/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tastewineLLC

Image Credits
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