Employee Spotlight: Nicole Garrow

1. What are you drinking when you aren't drinking wine?

When I'm not drinking wine I am either drinking water or coffee.

2. When you aren’t at the winery, where are you?

If I'm not at the winery I can typically be found at home watching movies or studying at Starbucks.

3. What have you binge-watched on Netflix?

Right now I am binge-watching Gilmore Girls (again)

4. What is your favorite food?

My favorite food is Thai food.

5. What prior experience helps you in the job you do at Lost Oak Winery?

My last job had me on my feet a lot and moving equipment around and that has definitely helped me at Lost Oak. We are always moving around and interacting with customers.

6. How long have you been working in your area of expertise?

I have been at lost oak for close to 8 months now.

7. Tell me about one of the funniest things that has happened to you in this job.

I can't think of one single event that was funny, but staying after work and meetings with others is always guaranteed to make me laugh at one point or another. There are always fun conversations that vary drastically and it's one of my favorite parts of the job.

Employee Spotlight: Colby Shelby

1. What are you drinking when you aren't drinking wine?

Well since I'm underage, I typically love to drink orange Fanta!

2. When you aren’t at the winery, where are you?

Sometimes I like to go into the city and skateboard around and try to enjoy myself as much as possible, if not that, then I'm at the gym pumping some iron.

3. What have you binge-watched on Netflix?

One of my favorite shows to watch on Netflix would have to be Lucifer. If I'm not watching Lucifer then I am potentially watching Big Mouth.

4. What is your favorite food?

I tend to favor cheeseburgers or even chicken sandwiches from Chic- Fil- A.

5. What prior experience helps you in the job you do at Lost Oak Winery?

Before joining the Lost Oak Winery family, I worked at Taco Bell for 6 months which really gave me a strong visual on how a lot of customers can be cruel and selfish so it helped me build the skill of giving good customer service. Also, school has shown me how to be a team player and even a leader.

6. How long have you been working in your area of expertise?

I've been working here at L.O.W for 10 months.

7. Tell me about one of the funniest things that has happened to you in this job.

One of the best memories working here has to definitely be the Halloween of 2021 when Macey and I dressed up as Eduar and Roxanne for Halloween.

Employee Spotlight: Max!

The Dog Days Are Not Over! 

Our employee spotlight this month is someone who knows how to love, give good dogs, loves walking through the vines, and...playing fetch.  Learn more about our best friend, Max!

1. What are you drinking when you aren't drinking wine?

"I love to drink water and stay hydrated! My favorite place to drink it is at the pond! It makes me happy to sip on some water while dipping my toes in."

2. When you aren’t at the winery, where are you?

"Sometimes I enjoy a nice stroll through the woods, hike and bike trail, or the vines. My mom loves to ride on her bicycle as I follow behind her. Some day I hope to be as fast as her!"

3. What have you binge-watched on Netflix?

"My favorite show is Paw Patrol and my favorite movie is Secret Life of Pets. I will rewatch both of those shows as much as I can! I also am enjoying watching tennis...especially the ball going back and forth in the game."

4. What is your favorite food?

"Raw meat, and anything on the kitchen counter. Also, furniture cushions are very tasty!"

5. What prior experience helps you in the job you do at Lost Oak Winery?

"I see myself as a hard worker and a good sport. I've been very loyal and I always know how to make people smile! I can also run really fast, want to watch?"

6. How long have you been working in your area of expertise?

"Ever since last summer! I've enjoyed every moment of it so far. Every day is a new day!"

7. Tell me about one of the funniest things that have happened to you in this job.

"My favorite memory of being part of Lost Oak so far has been the opportunity to be on the cover of Texas Wine Dogs magazine and have an article about me! I've also been fortunate to have a wine named after me. I've taken a few dips in the pond with turtles which was fun, but not the funniest. I'm not sure I've ever laughed before. I know how to bark."

 

Buy some Max today! A sweet white wine just like him!

     

 

 

Employee Spotlight: Roxanne Myers

Our Employee Spotlight for the month of November Lost Oak's very own president, Roxanne Myers! She has been part of the Lost Oak history and has helped grow the winery into what it is today! 

What do you binge watch on Netflix?
Pablo Escobar & Monarca

What do you drink when you aren't drinking wine?
Coffee

What is your favorite food?
Coffee

How many years have you been at Lost Oak Winery? 
Fifteen

Where are you when you aren't at the winery? 
Home. I have two kids who love to be home.

What previous job experience do you have that helps with your current position? 
"That's a great question. I think by studying science at University, working in sales and traveling alone, living in various parts of the world and just slowly developing a drive, resilience and postiive attitude in any/all areas of life have helped in my job at Lost oak winery."

What is the funniest thing that has happened in your time at Lost Oak Winery?
"When I bartered wine for entertainment and the music was so terrible, I had to ask them to leave the stage and called in the only other musician I knew to come in from Dallas. We stayed open hours later than planned. I cried."

Employee Spotlight: Samantha Sheppard

When Samantha isn't drinking wine, she likes to pair cocktails based on what she's eating at the time. "Spicy margarita's for Mexican food, Aperol Spritz with italian, and gin martini's for everything else."

When she isn't at work, Samantha loves to travel. "I'm actually going to Costa Rica for Christmas and getting married in Barcelona!" She also enjoys hanging out with her cats, Tex and Tuna, and taking frequent walks around the neighborhood. Samantha also loves to experiment with new recipes and cook in the kitchen with her sister, trying out new plant-based recipes. Her favorite at the moment is cashew queso. 

Samantha enjoys watching TV inluding new shows and binging old ones!

"I'm currently binging Seinfeld but I can't wait for the new seasons of Bridgerton and Emily in Paris. Gilmore Girls is my all-time favorite show so I frequently re-watch episodes of that on Netflix."

Her favorite food is chips and salsa. She claims the best combo is the house-made chips from H.E.B and the salsa from Joe. T Garcias. "As a born-and-raised Texan, I can eat chips & salsa till the cows come home."

Samantha attributes her success as an event coordinator at Lost Oak Winery to her food truck start-up where she also became adept at organizing catering events for a few thousand people. "We began with the sole purpose of simply bringing more healthy options to the UT Austin campus. Facetrack one year and our food truck had became so popular that we were catering events with SXSW, Kendra Scott, & Dell Computers to name a few."

Samantha has been working in the industry for about four years but started her Lost Oak journey about four months ago. One of her favorite memories is when her fiance started working with her.

"My fiance, Trevor and I started working together at Lost Oak as something to do together while he went back to school. However, since taking on this new role I am technically  his boss. I joke that it's the only reason I took the position."

We are lucky to have Samantha on our team and we appreciate everything she does at the winery!

 

Employee Spotlight: Michele Gagne

 

When Michele isn't drinking wine, she tries to keep herself hydrated with flavored/sparkling water and in the colder weather months, she loves hot chocolate with milk. "You mean there is some other beverage other than wine?" When she isn't at work, Michele likes to hike, bike, and kayak in nature. Michele also likes to go to live local music venues with her dogs. She also teaches Business Information Systems, Supply Chain Management, and Statistics at TCU. 

"I also spend quite a bit of time at home where I foster dogs for Trinity GAP Rescue. Many have met Trapper at the winery. I affectionately refer to him as my 'foster fail' and since then we have fostered 10+ amazing dogs. When you foster, you know you've saved a life, you know you're making a difference, and you know your changing the world a little bit. Speaking of making a difference, prior to Covid you could find me once a month as a Repeat Attender for the Prison Entrepreneurship Program."

In her spare time, Michele enjoys binge watching TV shows like Beverly Hills 90210 as well as movies Directed by John Hughes. "I love to cook in my gourmet kitchen at home and rotate meals around seafood, filet mignon, chicken, pork, vegetable dishes, and salads. Of course, I cook with wine (in my glass) - unless it is breakfast (most of the time)."

When it comes to her prior work experience that helps her do her job at Lost Oak Winery, Michele started as a Volunteer in 2012 harvesting grapes, bottling, pruning, and leading tours. When she retired from Corporate America in 2020, she was officially hired on as a Tour Guide.

We are lucky to have Michele on our team and we appreciate everything she does at the winery!

Employee Spotlight: Rylee West

When Rylee isn't drinking wine, she enjoys Dr. Pepper. "I used to be obsessed with Dr. Pepper and would only drink it for the longest time until one of my co-workers introduced me to getting healthier. Now, I mainly just drink water and Dr. Pepper once in awhile for a nice treat after a long day." When she isn't at work, Rylee likes to spend her time with her friends. She also works as a waitress, works on art projects, or tries to catch up on sleep. 

In her spare time, Rylee has been watching the TV show, Shameless, with her dad when he has time. "My sophomore year of high school, I would binge Grey's Anatomy and maybe in class too, which wasn’t a good idea! Then I moved to Vampire Diaries and would stay up all night watching it on weekends." One of her favorite foods is sweets. "Junk food is by far my favorite food even though it’s not healthy for you at all. I have a weakness for sweets. My favorite healthy food is any kind of fruit."

When it comes to her prior work experience that helps her do her job at Lost Oak Winery, she attributes her other job as waitressing that helped her develop and be confident in her people skills and small talk. She has been working as a waitress for three years and has worked at Lost Oak for 10 months as a barback. 

"One day, on a sangria Thursday, we made the sangria ahead of time to be extra prepared. It was sitting in one of the refrigerators in the back. When it was time to get the container full of sangria, she had tried to pick it up and move it to the rolling table so it was easier to move it," Rylee said. "However, when she got it she slipped and busted her bottom and split the sangria all over her. It was so funny after we made sure she was okay."

We are lucky to have Rylee on our team and we appreciate everything she does at the winery! We will also miss her as she goes off to college, but lucky to still have her included in the Lost Oak family.

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Employee Spotlight: Ally Glass

Meet Ally, one of our incredible tasting room staff members and is incredibly valued in the Lost Oak family. 

When Ally isn't drinking wine, she's drinking Topo Chico after a friend introduced it to her a few years ago. When she isn't at work, she spends her free time with her boyfriend. The two recently visited Pal Duro Canyon and it's now their new goal to visit every state park in Texas! "I'll also be going back to the school in the fall. So my life will mostly consist of being here, at home, or on a trail somewhere!"

In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies and her all time favorite show is Stranger Things--and has watched it through three times! . "I'm more of a movie person, so when I find something good, I'm totally hooked." One of her favorite foods is the waffle fries from Chick-Fil-A paired with spicy ketchup!

When it comes to her prior work experience that helps her do her job at Lost Oak Winery, she attributes to volunteer work for a library and for her church. Before Lost Oak, Ally didn't know much about wine or Lost Oak and has learned everything while being here! Ally has been a keyholder for a little over a year and a half. 

"The funniest thing that has happened to Ally was when the hijinks customers got into in their car during the pandemic made me think I was going to die of secondhand embarrassment. Praise the Lord that Zack was there to handle that because I was at a loss for words. We laugh about it now, but I was frozen at the time. Thanks for handling that like a champ, Zack!"

 

We are lucky to have Ally on our team and we appreciate everything she does at the winery! 

 

 

Employee Spotlight: Ryan Kunz

Meet Ryan who has been an incredible addition to the Lost Oak family! Ryan has always been hardworking and extremely valuable to the tasting room.

When Ryan isn't drinking wine, he has various brands of beer and seltzers. He enjoys them mainly because they are the best to drink outdoors where he likes to spend a lot of his time. He also has said he's no stranger to straight whisky or a mixed drink with vodka. When he's not at the winery, he is usually resting at home or doing some work around the house, but when he has the chance, he enjoys being at the lake or traveling. The last shows Ryan binge watched were The Last Kingdom, Shameless, and Ozark. 

When it comes to previous experience, he didn't have very much experience in the hospitality industry when he first started at Lost Oak, but did have a brief moment in college when he worked at a liquor store and it was one of his favorite jobs ever. "If I can contribute any prior experience that has helped me now it definitely has to be from there." Ryan has been with the Lost Oak team for about three years. 

One of the funniest thing to happen while working was having accidentally walked in on drunk customers in the restroom that have forgotten to lock the door. "That's been really unfortunate for the both of us."

We are lucky to have Ryan on our team and we appreciate everything he does at the winery! 

Employee Spotlight: Virginia McCrocklin

Meet Virginia, one of our beloved and amazing tasting room staff! Virginia has been hardworking and highly valuable in our Lost Oak family.

When Virgina isn't drinking wine, she enjoys a glass of red wine each evening to help wind down and relax On occasion, she enjoys a Whisky (Weller ) and water (of course, there is always room for the occasional Margaritas). When she's not at the winery, she volunteers as a Youth Leader in my church of St. Ann's. Virginia and her husband really enjoy RV camping and have been to a few Wine Festivals in New Mexico, Arizona, and Fredericksburg. Virginia has used Netflix as a go-to entertainment, especially during the pandemic and has found herself binge-watching Longmire and the Ozarks, and a Hallmark movie from time to time.

 

When it comes to previous experience, Virginia has had her educational background help her to be a better Wine Tasting Specialist. She says that she is a quick study when it comes to educating customers about wine and has always enjoyed helping and guiding people to make good choices. Her prior experience with people has helped her to make connections with others and just enjoy the conversation. "Most people come to the winery to enjoy a good glass of wine and a conversation where someone listens to them. The listening helps me learn more about them, so that they may enjoy the experience." Virginia has worked at the Lost Oak winery for almost 11 years and has learned a lot from our sommeliers that have been associated with Lost Oak Winery. "Gene and Judy, as well as Jim, have really been great to learn and work from them. There is more to wine than just drinking it. So much science!!"

One of the funniest things to happen at the winery for Virginia was when one of her former students grown up and of age to drink came up to the bar. She wasn't certain of the age so she carded him and he addressed her as Mrs. McCrocklin. Virginia recognized his name and he was so excited to be able to come behind the bar and give her a hug. "It was exciting for me to see him but a little awkward to serve him."

We are lucky to have Virginia on our team and we appreciate everything she does at the winery!