Page 3 - V. Sattui Winery 2021 Holiday Catalog

CHANGING SEASONS

I never know exactly the date nor am I thinking about it until
one day during late summer I walk out the door of my home in
the early morning to go to work at the winery and something
is different. It is subtle. You can’t see it, but you can sense it:
A slight change in the air; a rustle of sounds. The signs are
discreet, but in blink of an eye, the season is changing.
In a world of uncertainty in every imaginable way, for that
precious moment, the turmoil, challenges, and hardship are
left behind and you are given a gift of renewal, optimism,
and resilience. Harvest is all these things to me.
Harvest is also my savior, my salvation. It is the one constant
that you can grip, that you can hold on to when it seems
hope has been lost. The challenges of the last 19 months
have been unprecedented for all of us. It has been particu-
larly tough on the winery and our community as we emerge
from months of shutdown and historic losses due to the pan-
demic, the devastating wildfires and smoke that ruined an
entire vintage of red wine, and now a worsening drought and
climate change that threatens our livelihood and humanity.
This has not been an easy time and we are all feeling
depleted and spent.
The nourishment of harvest is something we all need. The
satisfaction of bringing the crop in, fermenting the juice, and for solutions to protect agriculture and support our economy.
creating wine is fulfilling and gives us a sense of purpose Even our local government entities have been supportive,
and accomplishment. The fall is the time we can take solace rather than punitive.
and top-up the tank for the challenges and battles ahead.
I begin my 42nd vintage at V. Sattui this fall. Perhaps I should
I cannot remember a time I have felt more enthusiastic and be thinking about an exit strategy, but that could not be
resolute about our future. This confidence is not born out of further from my thoughts. Success is great, and we have
ignorance or hubris; it is derived from that farmer determina- been blessed with a very successful business in great part to
tion of growing and making a product that other people are generations of supportive fans. However, the juice, the drive,
going to enjoy. The events of the current past have clearly making a difference, helping others, caring about our envi-
illuminated our threats. It has also brought us closer as a ronment and resilience is all packed into the journey, and
community to work together, instead of against. the journey, not the success, is the fulfillment of life.
Examples abound in our community: We have come together
to serve the underprivileged and the elderly, we have raised Happy Holidays,
record funds for community programs that support farmwork-
er education, housing, and healthcare, and we are working
together to mitigate wildfires and smoke taint. Industry
groups once adversarial, are now allies searching
Tom C. Davies
President
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