Time Measured in Vintages

In our winery world, we measure time by the seasons in the vineyard.

On days like today, standing on the patio gazing out over the vineyard, across the Laguna and out to the mountains, we often find ourselves frozen for a moment in time, contemplating time. 

Time is visual for us, but instead of watching clocks, we watch the sky and the soil and most of all, the vineyard. Today the vineyard seems quiet and barren. Having recently been pruned, the cordons quietly reach out to each other and to the sky. With the thirsty roots quenched by the late Winter rains, the vines patiently wait for the time when they will feel the awakening within and the tiny green buds of Spring will push through the craggy looking chutes.

Time is a juxtaposition of contrasts here in our winery world. A gray rainy day gives way to rainbows and sunshine. On the crushpad the crew is busy bottling our 2016 vintage wines, while a few yards away the vineyard is poised to reveal and introduce us to the 2018 vintage.  Our “middle child”, the 2017 Rosé, restlessly claims its place in time – bottled young to be enjoyed in short time, while our wine library grows with chapters from vintages gone by.  Hard to believe it’s been 13 vintages for us already.

With a knowing smile, the reverie is broken. We wait for the vineyard’s next cue…time for bud break.