Author: Judi Scherrer

As excited as I am about the new wines we are just bottling, I find it nearly impossible this year to get a newsletter out well ahead of our open house. I struggle as I really want to see the 2009 Zinfandels finally combined and bottled before describing them and what to expect from them. So to the frustration of everyone around me, I wait until the absolute last minute to write this.

As I write this, I have just begun to emerge from another harvest. Normally, there is a slight lull in the action where I can collect my thoughts and begin this newsletter. 2010 would not hear of it!

We are probably little different, though we don’t make any claims for the artwork or celebrity connections. That said, I have to admit that in this offering we can make a case of having something very special from the wine’s point of view.

We were successful starting this venture in 1991 because of your support and have not forgotten that why we are still here. While none of us chose the current economic situation, like the weather, we can make the best of it. Sometimes – quite often in fact – within challenge theremay also be opportunity.

My job is to try to understand the nature of a given vintage, the site, varietal(s) grown there and allow the wine to express all of the above in the most pleasurable form I can. Some vintages are easy to work with. Others require more effort or tough choices on my part, on the growers’ part, and are usually the vintages I am most interested in talking about.

Over the years, I have often heard that our wines have made a difference in many people’s lives. They’re part of celebrations, special days, and sometimes make an ordinary day special. I above all, appreciate that very much.

It is impossible to ignore the changes that have occurred with the world economy this past year. While personal impact may vary, the fact remains that our fate and well-being are more interconnected than many had thought. If prosperity isolates, perhaps adversity connects.