"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. "
Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night. Dylan Thomas [1952]
It takes a minimum of five years for a vine to be optimally productive. How long does it take a person to achieve something that she or he wants to accomplish?
Some years ago a person that I know and admire asked me three very stimulating questions:
- What are shoes good for? - For walking, I answered.
- What is a house good for?- For shelter, I replied.
- What is a human being good for? - Well, let me see.
This blog is about my answer to the last question. As you will see is a very personal one since it involves a number of decisions that I have taken in order to achieve something that I dreamed of 46 years ago but did not have the courage to do.
From the beginning I like to state very clearly that I am not motivated by the purpose of philosophical, psychological or religious discussions. Neither do I claim expertise or knowledge in any of these fields. These are only personal observations.
Now, a little bit of history: One of the jobs that I had when I was attending the University of Illinois back in 1963 was stacks clerk at the main library. If you were a stacks clerk, your job was to look for the books that students asked for and when the books are returned you put them back where they belong; you come and you go, you come and you go. In one of these comings and goings, I came across a book that intrigued me a lot. It was actually a technical publication called "Hilgardia". I checked the book out. That night, I read the entire book. There were a number of technical articles about vine cultivation and wine making in California. There was one that really called my attention: "Composition and quality of must (grape juice) and wines of California grapes" by professors M.A. Amerine and A.J. Winkler from the University of California, Davis. What they did was to study the relationship that exists between the type of grapes and the annual temperature changes (Heat-Summation Method) in Napa Valley.
I was fascinated. I'd found my calling. I was going to go to UC Davis. I was going to get a degree in Wine Making and be a part of that exciting field.
I checked out more books about the wine industry in California. At present most of us know about California wines, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, etc. But in 1963 very few people knew anything about it. The ones that knew something discouraged me. There were no jobs available. Nobody was going to replace or compete with France in wine making. They told me I was crazy. I caved in. I got my degree in Accounting and Economics and went along to make a living. I did not do that bad. All alone I kept on learning bits of information about vine cultivation and wines in general. It was an interest, maybe it was a nostalgic memory of my youth.
Then, in 2003, my wife Elvira gave a copy of the book "Judgment of Paris: California vs. France" by George M. Taber. In this excellent book Mr. Taber narrates the antecedents and the actual event that happened in 1976 in which completely unknown wines from California defeated, in blind tests, the best wines of France. More remarkable was the fact that the wine testing was held in Paris and the Judges were the foremost wine critics of France. I finished the book in four days and I could not but help to think I could have being in California at that time. I could have being part of that pioneer effort.
The past is gone. The present matters because that is what makes up the future.
I made up my mind. This time I am going to do it.
Note:
The pictures included in these articles were taken during the 2008 (Pinot noir) Harvest at the DuNah Vineyard and Winery in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley near the small country town of Sevastopol. http://www.dunahwinery.com/The vineyards are sustainable farmed. The propietors of this beeautiful vineyard are Rick and Diane DuNah. My family and I are indebted to them for their gracious hospitality. I also like to thank Greg La Follete for making it happend. Greg La Follete , Enologist, Winemaker of Tanden Winery, http://www.tandemwinery.com/ . Greg La Follete UC Davis trained for "speaking the language of the vine and wine".
Next: The Vine Cycle
