Lisbon Day 21: FitaPreta Winery and Everyone Needs a Gimmick
This is my last entry about my time in Lisbon.
I’m glad that I made this chapter about something *else* besides recovering from 9 hours of surgery.
It was a time filled with Adventure. Beauty. Freedom. Fun. Friendships.
All 5 of my top core values.
Our last adventure was a visit to the FitaPreta Winery.
Upon driving up, there is a long country road until we came over the crest of a hill, revealing an medieval palace dating back to 1306.
Whoa!
Once inside for the in-depth tour, I was in awe of what this business owner built.
At 23 years old, Antonio Macanita, a young Portuguese man, wanted to start a winery.
He had no money. More importantly, he didn’t know how to make wine. But he had VISION. And he had the ability to execute.
After completing his degree in Agronomy, he had internships with French wineries in Bordeaux, Merryvale Vineyards and Rudd Estate in Napa, and D’Arenberg in Australia. He returned to Portugal inspired.
He raised $50,000 from friends and family. That wouldn’t buy him a vineyard, but it would help him rent 2 lanes on another person’s land.
Eventually, he rented 4 lanes.
He hired British viticulturalist David Booth, who would school him on how to mix the FitaPreta grapes with international varietals.
And then he figured out a gimmick.
Quick story:
Every Thanksgiving Eve, Matt and I head uptown to the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The Theater on 125th Street hosts a talent contest, and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the “Grand Finale.”
There is a funny emcee.
A sold out, very enthusiastic audience.
The best of the best contestants sing renditions of Whitney Houston best hits, poetry slam, and perform for a cash prize.
This particular year, a young man in sequined coat tails played a snazzy keyboard that lit up at intervals sync-ed with his song.
He won.
Afterwards, I remarked out loud, “I didn’t think he was the best.”
The young man next to me said, “Yeah. But he had a gimmick.”
That keyboard that strategically lit up as he played, entertaining the audience.
I’ve thought about that statement since.
Especially as it relates to business.
And here it was —gelling in front of me.
Antonio, too, had found his gimmick.
Two, in fact:
#1 He created a line of wine called “Sexy.”
It’s bottled up in a bright shiny fuchsia paper.
Bachelorette parties around the world began ordering it by the case full.
His aunt had coined the term when he served it a family function.
#2 See these clay containers?
Vintners in Portugal brewed the ‘house’ wine in these.
Clay amphoras date back to the Roman times. Clay is more porous, than say a French oak barrel.
The general wine buying public drank wine aged in French Oak barrels or stainless steel.
The owners of the vineyard aged grapes in these.
Antonio said, “We are commercializing the sale of this wine, aged in clay pots, too.
A little piece of Portuguese heritage became ours to share in.
Today, Antonio has 4 wineries across Portugal. Soon to be 5.
He has an apartment in this building across from this winery.
He doesn’t ‘irrigate’ the soil. Rather, there is a Portuguese philosophy that the roots need to ‘struggle’ to establish themselves deep in the soil, so they can be more hearty.
So—I challenge you.
What is your gimmick?
What sets you apart from everyone else doing what you do?
This is archaeological ruins of tools used for wine production from the 14th cenutry, found inside the palace. It was discovered during renovation of the palace Antonio bought.
Journal Prompts:
What is one bold idea I’ve had that I haven’t pursued yet—and what’s stopping me?
Dig into the root of your hesitation. Is it fear, lack of knowledge, resources, or something else?Who could I bring into my world to fill in the gaps of what I don’t know yet?
Think like Antonio—what kind of guidance or partnership could accelerate your journey?
What “gimmick” or unexpected angle could make my work more magnetic or memorable?
Reflect on what makes your work feel distinct. If you don’t have that spark yet, brainstorm ideas that align with your values and personality.
Where in my life or work am I playing it safe—and how could I take a calculated risk instead?
Antonio didn’t wait to have everything perfect—he rented grape lanes and bootstrapped. What’s your version of “renting two lanes”?
If someone told my story five years from now, what part would I hope they'd be in awe of?
Reverse engineer the legacy or impact you want to build.
I find myself at a funny crossroads. What is my next chapter? I can't figure it out
Option 1: Sure, we have all been there. I was there when I was working on my business the entire time in between my shots on television. When my final station was undergoing a merger, that was my sign to go full time on my business and put TV on the side burner. I created this handy download with an exercise that can help you start to craft what you may want in your next chapter:
https://joyadass.lpages.co/the-core-desires-exercise/
Option 2: Sure. I like to sit down on Sundays and review the week that just past and the week upcoming. It helps me to 'look around corners' and anticipate. The 'week in review' also gives me clues on what lights me up and what is dragging my energy down. I created this handy download with an exercise that helps fashion your 'Sunday' review of the week
https://joyadass.lpages.co/download-my-sunday-strategy-cheatsheet-here/
Option 3: Sure. I think its so important to understand your core values--and to fashion a life around it. For me, owning a business is a marathon, not a sprint. I had to fashion it around my top values which are Adventure and Beauty. I created this handy download with an exercise that helps figure out your core values.
https://joyadass.lpages.co/figure-out-your-core-values/
