Well, it’s the end of the road. After three years and more than 50 columns, it is time for me to say goodbye. What started out as a dare from my best friends when I was in between jobs turned into a passion for recognizing and promoting our local wineries.
I moved to Gilroy from San Jose at the start of the Great Recession. I had been recently laid off when a few of my girlfriends, knowing how much I enjoyed wine, said, “Hey, why don’t you write a wine column?” I had never written a column before and have worked most of my career in human resources. But, I tend to believe that you have to be bold in life. So, I picked up the phone, and called the editor at the time of the Gilroy Dispatch, to ask if they could use a wine column. When Mark Derry, the then-executive editor, got on the line, he asked me to send him a few sample columns. And the rest, as they say, is history.
My column started out being half about retail wines and the other half about one of our local wineries. But before long, I felt uncomfortable about mentioning the retail wines when I was surrounded by all these fantastic wines made by people who lived and worked in our community. I decided to not only shop local, but to write local.
It wasn’t until I started writing this column that I realized just how many wineries we have between Morgan Hill and Hollister. Sure, I knew about Sarah’s Vineyard, which happens to be the name of my oldest daughter, and maybe a few others. I delved into finding new wineries to write about and quickly learned we have more than 30 wineries. It was surprising to me that no one was writing a wine column, let alone writing about the wineries—the gems—in our own backyard.
I was driven to help get the word out.
Some of my ideas were clunkers—such as the one about recording wine munchie recipes from my kitchen. But a few were homeruns, including the best-winery-to-have-a-picnic contest, listing upcoming events and the column about winery dogs. I even presented a few wine appreciation classes through Gavilan Community Education.
I learned a lot along the way. It’s just plain hard work to make wine. The basis of fine winemaking starts with quality grapes and using methods—either from generations of tradition or new, state-of-the-art-technology—that bring out the best in the grapes. I learned about how winemakers put their heart and soul into making wine.
But best of all, I learned that the nicest people (especially Judy, Jerry and Jim) own wineries.
There have been some big changes over the last few years: More rules, regulations and county oversight. But on the plus side, the progressive leadership in the Santa Clara Wine Association has led to increased collaboration among wineries and new events such as barrel tasting. Grassroots efforts by many, including my friend John McKay, created Wine Week, consisting of educational seminars and winemaker dinners. Jon Hatakeyama (major supporter of the wineries) and Mike Sampognaro (Morgan Hill Cellars) spearheaded efforts to get Wine Trail signage
in place.
So I am beginning the next chapter in my life. I am writing a historical photo book about eight of our local wineries—dating back to the late 1800s. I’ve been interviewing the ancestors of the original families and sorting through the most amazing photographs in order to tell their story. “The Wineries of Santa Clara Valley” will be published next spring.
Even though it is the end of the road for me as far as writing this column, you will still find me somewhere along the Wine Trail enjoying the finest of wines at our local wineries.
I want to thank Mark Derry, who gave me the opportunity to write this column, and Andi Joseph, the Lifestyle editor, who faithfully and expertly managed it. And most of all, I want to thank the loyal readers of this column. Happy Wine Trails—until we meet again!
