A Pillar of Tablas Creek Gets his Due: John Morris

By Ian Consoli

On May 23^rd of this year, our longtime Tasting Room Manager, John Morris, received the 2024 Hospitality & Tourism Award for Visitor Experience in the wine category presented by Travel Paso. The award noted John's long-term commitment to "creating guest experiences that are above and beyond expectation." This award followed John's recent feature in Tasting Panel Magazine and an invite to speak at the Tasting and Tap Room Expo in May. The award and recognition are long overdue. As the Tasting Room Manager at Tablas Creek for over 17 years, John has been responsible for the positive experience of our guests through the training and development of our tasting room staff. Congratulations, John!

When John Morris started as the tasting room manager at Tablas Creek in 2007, he had no idea what an impact it would have on his life. He knew the brand, was familiar with the wines, and was excited for the new opportunity. I asked him recently if he thought he'd be here 17 years later. “Not necessarily,” he noted, “but I do recall a particular moment in my first month here. Everyone had left for the day, and I was enjoying a glass of wine, looking out across the parking lot at the rolling hills of Tablas Creek, and thought to myself, you made it."

Indeed you did, John.

He fully embraced the opportunity, developing a system for hiring and training tasting room employees that would create a unique tasting experience that best represented Tablas Creek. Those types of experiences are what bring guests back to our tasting room time and time again. From the nomination anonymously submitted by John's peers in the Paso Robles community:

"John Morris has run a successful tasting room for Tablas Creek Vineyard for nearly two decades. His ability to educate, train, and motivate his employees has helped make the Tablas Creek tasting room a staple on any "best wineries to visit" list. Visitor experiences continue to rate highly on Yelp, Google, Trip Advisor, and various other visitation sites. He has made a significant impact on Paso Robles tourism with his emphasis on positive customer experience."

It is safe to say that he interviewed, hired, and managed hundreds of people over his tenure. Some got their start in wine here, and others used their experience as a stepping-stone. We’re proud to have seen some of our longest-tenured employees come through his hiring process. Some remained in the tasting room, and others went on to work in other departments at Tablas Creek, such as the vineyard, winery, wine club, and marketing (that's me!). Whatever their situation, for 17 years and counting, John Morris was the first face people saw when they wanted Tablas Creek to be a part of their wine career journey.

John had this thought when receiving his award:

"I’ve been in hospitality, customer service, whatever you want to call it most of my life. I think customer service is hospitality and vice versa. Every place I’ve been there’s been someone saying ‘I can’t wait to get out of customer service.’ I’ve always thought to myself, ‘I like this. I really like this.’ So for those who are just passing through hospitality on your way to another career, that’s fantastic. Enjoy the ride. For those of you who this is your work, be proud. It’s good work, legitimate work, and it’s fun work. I am grateful to be where I am. Thank you all so much.”