[Major]

Last year or so my wife and I stopped into Hermit Woods Winery in Meredith and enjoyed a wine tasting. We ended up purchasing two bottles of wine and a port, which was a little pricey but fun. My wife enjoyed the wine and I really enjoyed the port.

Last weekend my wife and I were driving by Hermit Woods' Meredith store, and I asked my wife if she wanted to stop in and buy some wine. Her response was "no, it's too expensive." Keep in mind that she is willing to spend money on wine that she likes.

Today, I read with interest in The Daily Sun that Hermit Woods is now paying a "living wage" of $15 per hour. To pay for this raise, every sale will be charged a 3.5% surcharge. Although a nice gesture, I hope that Hermit Woods does not price themselves out of the market. It seems that they have fallen for the notion that entry level jobs should provide a "living wage."

My advice is to let the marketplace dictate how much an entry level job should pay, and if a person performs well, reward them by increased responsibility and money. Maybe Hermit Woods has already done this analysis, but it seems to me that it's price point is already at the top of the market, and that they should be looking for ways to reduce costs and lower their prices. I hope they are not falling for this false narrative of a "living wage."