Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Boyes.
Hi Katie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Katie and Ginevra are the dynamic daughter-in-law and mother-in-law duo behind Honey & Thistle. They met through a mutual love of a winemaker, Ginevra’s son. They became fast friends and worked together in the family business, a Bed & Breakfast, Winery, and Events Venue in North Georgia.
In 2018 Katie and her husband, John, moved to Hilton Head Island, where John became the mead-maker at Bee-Town Mead and Cider. In the Spring of 2020, Ginevra and her husband, John, also moved to the Island and, within a year, sold the family business in North Georgia.
Katie worked remotely in the weddings and events industry, and Ginevra became a realtor with Lighthouse Realty. In June 2022, they started Partout, LLC, and began providing curated wine-tasting/pairing events in private homes, sharing their love of wine and hospitality in a new format.
They realized they needed to procure specialty wines that just weren’t available at local retailers, so they began looking for a brick-and-mortar space, and the concept for Honey & Thistle was born. Now they share their love of wine and hospitality on both sides of the business.
That winemaker that brought them together has joined as their wine curator and Sommelier. You can find him behind the wine bar at Honey & Thistle or hosting wines at a Partout event, now offered through Hilton Head Wine School.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road! This business has tested us individually, and as a family. When we opened, we were a British import shop and wine-tasting room. We were riding the covid wave and didn’t have to think about who was walking in the door. Once the world reopened, and our target audience could travel to Europe again, we lost the foot traffic we relied on. After almost a year of wondering what the heck was happening, we finally realized wine sales were up, while product sales were down. When we transitioned to a wine bar and champagne lounge, we started gaining traction again. As we approach our third anniversary, we are confident we’ve found our footing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We are providing an experience that WE would want to have. It’s what we look for when we go to wineries/tasting rooms.
We’re sharing our passion for both wine and people. Wine tends to be pretentious, and we strive to make people feel
comfortable and connected.
We only carry 12 wines at a time, and we rotate each wine every 3-5 cases. Even locals can keep coming back and get
a different experience every time. Our tastings are guided, so we’re constantly engaged with the customer and can lead
them to their next wine based on their reaction to the first.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
We have been blessed with distribution reps that feel more like family than business acquaintances. Each rep has taken an interest in our business and learned our process for choosing wines. We couldn’t do what we do without them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.honeyandthistlehhi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyandthistlehhi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeyandthistlehhi
