Business update: Ivey inc defies global credit crunch

It’s finally happened, after three months rushing from Lourmarin to Saint Remy selling advertising space in my new magazine, we have quite remarkably and - despite the extortionate cost of printing a magazine - broken even.

There have been some lows - An art gallery in Saint Remy de Provence on a cold February afternoon. I’d sold nothing all day, I was cold and hungry and wanted to be back home, but I decided to try one last sale.

I was greeted with the biggest smile I’d had all day and the female owner draped herself on me as she pulled me down into the chair opposite. Salesman’s smile on I began my pitch. The room was all grins and questions and joking responses. An advertising sale was inevitable. Ten more minutes passed. After fifteen I realised that the owner was completely inebriated and just passing the time of day.

The problem was I couldn’t leave without being impolite and there was still the slim chance that she was serious about the advertising. On and on we chatted, until mid-sentence her head lulled back on her high backed chair and she fell asleep, emitting a high pitched snore.

I nearly gave up the magazine business there and then.

On the wine side we are also enjoying the benefits of all our hard work in the markets last year. Repeat orders from clients are coming in and we’ve got over 200 hundred bottles to deliver next week.

To come: More on the house purchase and the English rose tasting which ironically was rained off and is likely to be again this week.