Flora Springs Founder John Komes Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

John Komes, founder and president of Flora Springs Winery & Vineyards located in St. Helena, Napa Valley, was recently the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the BoardRoom’s Distinguished Clubs . Although his wife jokes that it is merely an acknowledgment of his age, he has been blessed with many fruitful years that have offered him numerous great opportunities.

"The key to these opportunities is being at the right place at the right time with an uncontrollable desire to make something happen," explained Komes. "Becoming a vintner has been more of a vocation than a profession. It has covered all aspects of the business - producing, packaging, marketing and selling the wine.?I was everywhere.?I tied Flora Springs Winery to everything I did and good things always evolved."

His method of learning has always been to immerse himself in a project and work his way out. This high-energy method, not recommended for everyone, has served him well. Since founding Flora Springs in 1978 and winning a Gold Medal at the Los Angeles County Fair with the 1979 Chardonnay was a significant early achievement.

"The major fairs have been the best way of getting recognition," Komes continued. "But this was before trade magazines took over. Our 97-point score in the Wine Spectator for our 1991 Rutherford Hillside Reserve was another great achievement.?This opened worldwide recognition for Flora Springs.

"But my greatest achievement, by far, has been meeting and working with John Fornaro and his staff of the BoardRoom magazine and Distinguished Clubs for the last 25 years.?John and his staff are the masters of hospitality. Opening the doors to oh-so-many clubs has been a mainstay to Flora Springs’ success.? Thanks to John and his team, hospitality is part of the Flora Springs package."

Clearly, his accomplishments well qualify him for the Distinguished Clubs Lifetime Achievement Award.