Life is Good

I admit it, I love a good bottle of red wine. Whites have their place and time, but nothing compares to a scrumptious, full-body, dry red. I love the aroma it gives when you swish it around the glass, I love the pop of the taste buds anticipating the first sip, and most of all I love the way it lingers and comes alive, displaying all its subtle flavors and aroma after the swallow. A hearty Merlot as a compliment to lamb, new potatoes and asparagus grilled over a fire is just about as good as life ever gets. Well, at least when it comes to the palette.

Few things compare to the joy of making something yourself, and wine is no exception. Actually, one does not make wine, the wine makes itself, but that's another matter. What we can do is provide a comfortable environment and raise a wine, much the same way we would raise a child, with love, discipline and lots of patience. I am reminded of this fact today, as I rack and sample the new Merlot, still in its infant stage. Much like a child, it hasn't yet come into its own identity, but every sample yields subtle changes and maturity that wasn't there before. Just like flipping through the family photo album and observing the changes brought on by the passage of time, the wine grows, develops and becomes itself over time. The subtle characteristics that are lacking now need only patience to realize their potential.

I am excited about our 2010 vintage, and have designed a new series of 24 different labels for the bottles. I'll post up an entry with more details some other time and talk more about the plans for the vineyard on the ranch. But right now I'm simply too busy enjoying a wonderful 2006 Cabernet, wondering what things will be like in four years when the 2010 vintage is in my glass. Hopefully, pretty much the same only better; a result of my own mellowing, aging and blossoming character alongside this new wine. Yes, the joy of living, the hope found in potential, the rewards of labor- life is indeed good when one is patient enough to enjoy beautiful moments like these.