finalanalysis

Count me with Steve Heimhoff on this one.

I like and respect Hardy Wallace quite a lot. I think it was a master stroke to keep his quest for A Really Goode Job separate from his main brand, Dirty South Wine. If he hadn’t won, he wouldn’t have tarnished his brand the way some applicants did (Anyone who says that “this Murphy Goode Fume Blanc is the best wine I’ve ever tasted” has lost all credibility in my opinion.).

There is no doubt that Hardy is a social media ninja. That, combined with his wicked sense of humor and impromptu blending skills pushed him over the top. Lots and lots of people were pulling for Hardy to win and were thrilled that he did. But speaking only for myself, while I watched the contest for A Really Goode Job closely, and specifically watched what Hardy was doing, now that he has won, my interest has seriously waned.

During the contest, Hardy (and the other contestants) were selling themselves. Now, Hardy will be selling Murphy-Goode. That just doesn’t interest me as much. I’d rather hear his opinions on the best wine for armageddon.

Right before he won, Hardy and I had a long conversation about how to avoid turning Facebook and Twitter into platforms for glorified SPAM (Note to Atlanta restaurants: You are doing it wrong. I may be your friend on Facebook, but I ignore all of your event invitations. Sorry.). He was convinced that it could be done and he convinced me that if anyone could do it, he could. We shall see.

I have no doubt that he will have a blast over the next six months and walk away at the end with an enhanced toolkit, an Iphone full of new contacts, and a dozen job offers. (On a personal note, I hope he comes back to Atlanta and doesn’t stay in California. The Atlanta wine scene is more vibrant with him here.)