This is the quiet, magical time of year when we can take a moment and reflect on the past growing season. What worked? Where can we improve? What surprises did Mother Nature give us? How did we do the dance? 
  
As we walk through the sleeping vines, we can observe their architecture, vigor, or weakness. This is when we flag the weaker vines so that we know how to proceed with pruning and to hang less fruit, to ask less of them. We add this knowledge to the ten years of information we’ve already gathered. Intention is everything. Timing, as well. 
  
'Tis also the season to celebrate a new beginning. A chance to start fresh. We took the opportunity to gather our loved ones, friends, and colleagues under the stars and a magnificently full Wolf Moon. Elizabeth Poett, our friend and celebrated chef and rancher hosted us at her family’s gorgeous and historic Rancho San Julian. With this first moon of the year, it is believed that a bright moon indicates a wet year and a plentiful harvest, and if anyone saw it, it was definitely bright and shining. A moon with a red ring around it can indicate a dry year. So far, we have not experienced that. We gathered, we feasted, and we danced. We let go of the past and set an intention to look toward the future. 
  
Sharing wine, stories, laughter, building community, and kicking up some dirt are pretty good ways to set an intention for the year to come. We are so grateful for our wine community and for all of you. 
 
With love,  
 
Alecia - head wino