Ooooommmmmm

One in four Americans garden as a hobby.

Some people point to the satisfaction of seeing something grow.

Dr. John Ott actually showed us how things grow when he worked for Disney. (click on the photo)

But usually we see the differences, day to day. And to some degree this is satisfying.

But I've always believed and experienced a different kind of satisfaction.

It's just digging in the dirt. The smell of it, how it turns, what in it that works, the worms, larvae, compost, stones, insects and its texture. All this working together to sustain and promote the myriads of greens and browns and colors that dazzle our eyes and our taste buds.

Digging in the dirt is lake a mantra, digging, turning, breaking it up and turning it again.

Making that connection, with the dirt, starts the vineyard.

Passion

This word is bandied about on many sites talking about blogs, business, websites, etc.

It is essential to be passionate about what you're doing they say.

But everyone knows that there are days when the entire day does not hold up to anything close to passion.

If we read the word passion as indicating "strong and barely controllable emotion' then we may be misled.

But if that 'thing' is something that we can't let go of, keep coming back to, always seems to hold our interest and has an endless variety of nuances and variations that seemingly never gets satisfied than we might be getting close to a better definition.

Not everyday is filled with passion but when that idea pops up the next day and you have to find out something more, do something more, try it again no matter how many failures, then you may have what these people are talking about.

Board Meeting

One of the great things about the family is its spontaneity.

We had our first board meeting during Christmas. Not everyone was there so not all ideas were heard. But it was nice to see the excitement.

The discussions went from where should the vineyard be, what to start with first (amphitheater, vineyard, restaurant, etc.) vineyard names (Faultline seemed to come out ahead), who should be the CEO and why and who would herd the cashmere goats.

The discussions got rather heated at times and someone pointed out that this is why they stay from family businesses. But we are a magnanimous group and emotions rarely last any length of time.

Spice of Life

Sometimes half a phrase is better.

There are a lot of grape varieties. I really don't know if any were lost in the great phylloxera blight in the late 1800's but I am sure many people are working to make sure that none are lost again. At the same time there are new crosses being developed. Certainly some of these are for better taste and/or production as well as adapting to local environments.

In rummaging through the web for a good site that describes the vast variety of grapes I came across this fantastic site.

The artwork is great.

The writing is very interesting and informative.

Sangiovese
You’re a modest boy from Tuscany, seeking fame and fortune. You shed your woven straw attire for more austere threads of tannin with silky orange accents. At home, you began to turn your back on the rough childhood companions from the neighborhood, preferring to hang out in the cafes of Chianti with the French nobleman, King Cabernet. Now in America you’re the most stylish of a new generation of Italian immigrants. It appears that unassuming little boy named after the ‘Blood of Jupiter’ always was a would-be king himself… Italian royalty.

and the grape photos are terrific along with very good technical information

I hope there is no objection to using this information here. If there is let me know and I will delete it. But my intention is to promote the site. Appellationamerica.com, a great site.

Colors and Materials

Here's a little discussion about the architecture of the vineyard.

I have walked and driven the vineyard in my mind trying to understand the physical possibilities. There's that long road to the main house lined with the traditional poplars. But of course they could also be olive trees. Somewhere there has to be olive trees even though they would take 10 years to mature. They become a legacy.

But the architecture needs color and the great earth tones of Tuscany are very appealing: raw sienna, yellow ochre, burnt umber and terra-cotta. I've never been really good at color but touring Florence, Sienna and Venice makes a person aware of the vibrancy possible.

I'm trying to discover how these colors are applied. It appears that the technique is fresco. That's where a lime based plaster is tinted and applied directly to the surface of the building.

Anyway it's a start.

Have you seen the stars tonight?

OK I know this is off topic but I just couldn't resist.

Maybe it's not off topic.

Have you seen the stars tonight?
Would you like to go up on A-deck and look at them with me?

Have you seen the stars tonight?
Would you like to go up for a stroll and keep me company?

Did you know
We could go
We are free
Any place
You can think of
We can be

Have you seen the stars tonight?
Have you looked at all the family of stars?