Speeding up

The rhythm is speeding up.
Since yesterday, I need to attend at least one meal, tasting, meeting per day. Every Chateau or organizations invite Bordeaux wine merchants and brokers to taste the last vintage planned to be sold. Followed by meals intended to seduce and the wines served are often rare vintages (1967-1949- 1962, etc..).
Some of these meetings are only intended for top merchants, and even though we are an average size company (our wholesale business must be in the top 50 out of 300 in Bordeaux), I occasionally get invited, sometimes to the surprise of some of my colleagues who think I only represent Château Valandraud. They don’t realize that in 2009, our turnover will be 15 million Euros with sales of 1 500 000 bottles, with only 1/3 coming from our own production. It’s an accomplishment as we buy and sell a lot of wine on a daily basis. Last week, we bought a batch of a well known Medoc Cru Bourgeois 2002 (28 000 bottles).
We have in our inventory almost 10 million Euros in stock, from entry level (which we sell for around 3 Euros) to 1st growths which are worth 1000 Euros and up!

Monday, I went to my attorney to buy another small plot of less than an hectare near our vineyards for our white. It already had old vines of Semillon which we will have to pull for they are too old.

Tuesday, I was in the Medoc and Château Gloria to attend the general assembly of the Commanderie du Bontemps of Médoc and Graves, Sauternes and Barsac. They gave me the title of Commander, proposed by colleagues proprietors in the Medoc, this, thanks to my position as manager of Château Clément Pichon and owner of Château Bellevue de Tayac in Margaux (and thanks to Jean Michel Cazes who is tending his last mandate as head of the organization and will be replaced by Emmanuel Cruse).
For your information, I am not even part of the Jurade of Saint Emilion, but have been in Loupiac and Pomerol for quite a long time, and each time invited by illustrious sponsors.
The only problem is how can I be useful and work seriously considering all the work waiting for me at the office?

One more thing, the Bordeaux wholesalers are, this time, seriously worrying about the 2007 futures campaign, due to the current economic situation in the world.