The Other Walker Brother's Wine Project: Faith Winery

A really good friend sent me this posting on Facebook for Faith Winery, by Richard Walker. I make no representation that the post is still up at this time as I do not FB stalk the Walker clan. Also, I will not make any comments on the body of the post or it contents, and I will not engage in any banter with the Walker fanbois.

I am curious, however, if anyone here will be an adamant supporter/buyer as with his brother.

I note that if one goes to Faith Winery on FB, then scrolls down to find the winery website http://www.faithtofruition.com, the website is available on Go Daddy!


**How do I sum up the last 3 years of my life in one sentence? Expected the unexpected and your preparation will be rewarded. In one word? Sensational. Another? Scary. I have done more in the way of risk taking in the pursuit of finding my purpose than ever before. I have always been very structured and controlled, at least in my very subjective approximation. I think most people who know me think I have it all put together. Now imagine unwinding that ball of yarn for the sake of putting it all back together again. Just so you can have a mental recording of it the second time. This has been my life for the past 3 years and, as if you care, I will attempt to share it with you.

Let me begin in 2007. I am nearly 30 years old. I have had success in real estate, my chosen profession. I have had success in family, I have just celebrated 7 years married to the woman I love. My daughter was born 13 and 27 months respectively after her two older brothers. Theyā€™re all gorgeous and healthy. I am the proud owner of 16 self managed rental income units spread throughout San Joaquin and Stanislaus county. Iā€™m enjoying 100% occupancy and a stellar credit rating. I have 2 houses, 2 lavish cars, and UNFORTUNATELY 24k per month in monthly billsā€¦and one morning in May I woke up and every single lender I worked with had closed their doors. I had 8 loans in my pipeline. 6 purchases and 2 cash out refinances. 70k+ in commissions gone, GONE! In one day. I had less than 25k in the bank and my daughter was still aking a bottle. 2 kids were still in diapers and I did not want to lose everything. I borrowed, ā€˜Peterā€™ was willing to float me, ā€˜Paulā€™ was less willing so I just did what any red blooded American would do. I was worth a cool 1/2 Million on paper but I was to get a huge lesson on paper vs reality. Within 6 months I had sold 7 of my units, one on its way. I had dodged threats to my life from the ā€œBlack Mafiaā€ one of the buyers of my 8 unit. I had about 15k in the bank and I wasnā€™t paying anything but my house note which was just under 5k per month. Then things got real. Itā€™s 2008 and I now have about 25 clients. I work harder than any other time up to that point in my life. I achieve my bachelor degree in business, pass the broker test for real estate, and suffer my first foreclosure and bankruptcy. Did I mention that I made exactly $3247 that year? Little did I know that was going to be 3247 more dollars than I would make the following year. 2009 would be the 30th year of my existence on this earth and I made a profound choice to join the foreclosure revolution happening in Stockton and across America. I had no idea that this city would be labeled ground zero for the housing bubble which burst all over the nation. What Iā€™m going to tell you now Iā€™m not proud of. I had to survive and I did things I regret. I had to evict families from their homes. I had to be a harbinger of doom in the name of progress. In the name of rehabilitating our once thriving market. ā€œTrimming the fatā€ they said, I am not proud of the role I played. It wasnā€™t all bad. I helped some people move on. Cash for keysā€¦note modifications. All the while my little brother had moved on to making wine. Now heā€™s in France. And although I was there in spirit I could not experience everything first hand. I had real work to do. He was the dreamer, he had just had his first child mine were starting school! Heā€™s learning a new language Iā€™m trying to communicate with people who hate me for the fact Iā€™m the bearer of the bad news they knew was coming because they largely created it. And so we laid 2009 to rest and I started what would become the bastion of hope for myself and my Father/business partner. Provenance Group. Now let me stop here and say I sat down to discuss 2012 to present. 2010-2012 were without a doubt the most successful years of my life. I took so many trips, bought several houses and cars cashā€¦sighā€¦Iā€™m almost ashamed to write of the success because now the remnants are like scattered broken brittle leaves from a once great and flourishing tree. I cannot begin to tell you where it all went. I promise Iā€™m not on drugs, I donā€™t have a gambling addiction. I was not the victim of extortion or fraud. But as Iā€™ve come to know, everything happens for a reason, conservation of mass is a reality and there are no coincidences. Through Provenance Group we have founded several viable entities mostly having to do with Real Estate. We also have a burgeoning surveillance and home automation company. But what Iā€™ve acquired and developed more than anything is an unfathomable, indisputable, impregnable foundation of Faith.
And that is what 2012 was all about.
NOWā€¦let me begin.
My wife is named Faith. My daughter is named Faith and although I had these Faithā€™s in my life, Faith was not a part of my day to day routine. Iā€™ve seen a lot, Iā€™ve done a lot. Itā€™s hard to have Faith without Hope. And hope was a luxury I couldnā€™t afford. But one day I looked at my life and started to hear the squeaking of that hamster wheel. Grew tired of the uncomfortable crane of my neck just to satisfy my thirst and waiting with impatience for the portion of victuals to drop from some unseen source above. I was a prisoner of my own decisions. My environment was slowly changing me into an animal, a lowly rodent on the hamster wheel of life. I needed a changeā€¦and it was to come through Faith. As I mentioned my brother makes wine. Some of the best wine in the world in fact and absolutely the best wine Iā€™ve ever tasted. Sure, he benefits from location, Burgundy France, the Mecca for Pinot Noir (if you donā€™t know now you know). His style lends to the area, and out of necessity he has perfected some techniques that make the average winemakers jaw drop. And thankfully my brother and I have a tight bond. Like tighter than you and your brother. Like add up how tight you and your brother are and add 15 wrench turns and 7 lbs of gorilla glue. And he convinced me to take a serious look at wine. Wine has never been my passion. Why would it? Iā€™m not a big drinker, my family is not connected to Napa or any significant wine region. Iā€™m not
independently wealthy. But there has always been a curiosity. I named my first dog Chardonnay and she didnā€™t even resemble the color. I took my first visit to France in 2012. By 2013 I had been bitten, and in 2014 I had my first vintage under my belt. 1er Cru Pinot Noir from a little town called Santenay. Located in the CĆ“te du Beaune near such famous villages as Pommard, Chassange Montrachet and Volnay. And 2015 will mark the first vintage in CA. Where? Napa? Wait this is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Sonoma?
Monterey? Nope! Santa Cruz. Why you may ask? Iā€™ll continue next time my thumbs are sore.**

I donā€™t much care for those story-of-my-life novellas and this one isnā€™t all that engaging, but that doesnā€™t really matter.

Assuming the post is legit, the question is whether the wine is good or not, and following that, whether itā€™s fairly priced or whether we have to pay a premium for the story. If the answers are respectively yes and no, I wish him well.

Adamant? Not really. OTOH I would give him a fair shot. Heā€™s not his brother and within a family there can be many types.

Tex, did you purchase the site address?

ā€¦my brother and I have a tight bond. Like tighter than you and your brother. Like add up how tight you and your brother are and add 15 wrench turns and 7 lbs of gorilla glue.

Heā€™s basically telling a bunch of people who:
he doesnā€™t knowā€¦
from whom he wants moneyā€¦
for an endeavor that he doesnā€™t really know much aboutā€¦
that heā€™s somehow superior to them?

But there has always been a curiosity. I named my first dog Chardonnay and she didnā€™t even resemble the color.

Ummā€¦what?

This cannot possibly be real.

Faith- about the most fitting name for a walker-affiliated winery.

Cleary Ray showed him a business model that was very appealing- as he was not a wine guy. That should make us all pause to consider what is in between the lines hereā€¦

What are Ray and Richardā€™s ages - whoā€™s the older brother?

I guess a book deal is in the works for Richard. ā€œā€¦achieve my bachelor degreeā€
Proof reading doesnā€™t run in the family.

I think Richard is older.

Put aside for the moment all of the drama around Maison Ilan. This post says:

ā€œWine has never been my passion.ā€

Uh, OK. Then why on earth would I have any interest at all in supporting YOUR wine business?

SMHā€¦

Bruce

He named his first dog Chardonnay Bruce, did you miss that?

Youā€™re a monster. A cold-hearted monster.


Incidentally, I had a pet giraffe that I once named Kickstarter. Funding request to follow (my thumbs are sore).

Located in the CĆ“te du Beaune

Huh? Where that?

Is there a waiting list?

I also read about broken brittle leaves, conservation of mass, and ā€œtrimming the fat.ā€ For the life of me, I cannot imagine how anyone would put these words down on paper (real or virtual) and think that they might in any way present a compelling reason for some stranger to give you money for a wine venture. But perhaps I cannot hear the squeaking of the hamster wheelā€¦

Bruce

He just came off as a boastful, sketchy guy, even without knowing anything about MI. I would run very far away from this endeavor.

LOL! I have an apple named Apple. You all better send me money while Iā€™m still allowing you to.

Are you sure this isnā€™t from Hosemaster?

Wondering the same thing

+1 for sure

How many stories did he start and not finish in that missive. I donā€™t get itā€¦