Mary's brother John, a great winemaker, first coined this phrase at one of the many dinners we shared around our table in Sonoma. "A tough follow" referred to when the second bottle we would open was perhaps not as good as we expected, and definitely not as good as the previous one we had consumed. As wine professionals here in North Idaho, though, it will take on a slightly different meaning in 2015 as we see changes in our great crew of distributor sales people. Those who are leaving will indeed make it a tough follow for those who will come after them!

We have long said that we work with great folks in the distributor network. They make our jobs easier, and for wine consumers, they make it possible for each of you to get your favorite bottles on a regular basis.

Idaho Wine Merchant and Deb Keller parted company just a few short months ago. Many wine consumers know Deb almost as well as we do, as she always made a point of representing the company at tastings and dinners. Her positive outlook and great organizational skills made her a joy to deal with. We miss her greatly, and her great attitude will be tough to replace. IWM is also losing Victoria Peterson. Vic is perhaps the longest-tenured sales person here in North Idaho, and has been at the helm of their organization almost as long. She has worked here in the industry since wine was a new concept. Her experience will be dearly missed.

Scott Conant will be leaving Vehrs for retirement at the end of the year. Scott has been in the wine business for a very long time, and with Vehrs for over a decade. He was one of the first sales people we met at Vehrs when we were preparing to open the shop in 2007. Scott is the consummate professional, and like me, of a vintage that he understands the commitment and work it takes to be a successful salesman. His wine knowledge is unrivaled, but even more importantly he understands that every wine does not belong in every shop, restaurant or store. He knows where wines belong based on price point, and more importantly, what the wine "is." Vehrs is a great organization, and we have every hope they will continue to provide the same great service. Replacing Scott will not be an easy task, though, as they seek to find someone to meet the level of experience, expertise and professionalism. He set the standard, and we will miss him.

Allison Atkins will be leaving Click for a new career adventure shortly after the first of the year. Like Scott, we met Ally before we opened the shop, when she tracked us down at our home to deliver their catalog and price list. Also like Scott, Ally clearly gets it that not all wine belongs all places. Her discretion and understanding of the North Idaho wine market and its inner workings will be difficult to replace. She exhibits wisdom beyond her years in so many areas of the wine business, and is rock solid. When Ally has made a commitment, she makes it happen with rare exceptions.

All four of these folks will leave a hole in our industry when they leave in the coming weeks. Wine consumers don't often get to see the work they do, whether it be working diligently to place the right wines at the right outlets, or meeting a weekly appointment to taste and take wine professionals like us through countless bottles, or giving up time off to make trips back and forth to warehouses to get product to us in time to meet demand. All have made our jobs easier in many ways, and it came from their commitment to understanding our business, and the needs and desires of North Idaho wine consumers, who are the most important part of the industry. They will indeed be a very tough follow.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or if you have questions on wine, you can email [email protected], or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party, a wine and tabletop decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George has also worked as a judge in many wine competitions; his articles are published around the country, and he is the wine editor for Coeur d'Alene Magazine (www.cdamagazine.com).

You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles, as well as other great wine tips, by friending us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/#/dinnerpartyshop.