In this episode of Pour Memories, we sit down with our very good friend Riley Slack, who is the VP of Operations at Foxen Vineyard & Winery, for a wide-ranging conversation about fulfillment in life, mental health, and the realities of working in the wine industry.
We unpack whether it’s good or bad to be “busy” (seems like the distinction is in the eye of the beholder), the impact of family legacy on career paths, and the importance of making intentional choices. Riley shares her personal journey in wine and how therapy, reflection, and lived experience have shaped her growth both professionally and personally.
We also dive into evolving attitudes around mental health (“I love that your reaction was ‘nice!” when learning about me going to therapy”), what it takes to find the right therapist, and how we each try to manage overwhelm in our own lives. As is our way when enjoying delicious beverages with our friends, the conversation slips into some tangents about baseball, wine hospitality, and the emotional ups and downs that come with working in passion-driven industries.
It’s an honest, warm, and unfiltered conversation about showing up for our work, our friends, and ourselves, exactly like how our conversations go when we aren’t recording ourselves for the world to hear.
About Our Guest:
Riley Wathen Slack is a second-generation wine industry professional and our dear friend. She is one of the children of one of the founders of Foxen Vineyard and Winery based in Santa Barbara Wine Country. She likes cats, her amazing husband Chuck, and Chenin Blanc.
Awesome People and Wine Mentioned in this Episode:
- , who gave us some food for thought about the term “busy.”
Alta Colina Trailer Pond, where Riley & Heather stayed during WiVi/Central Coast Insights
Foxen Vineyard & Winery 2007 Chenin Blanc
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