New Year 2021

The end of the year is upon us, and I think I can speak for most of us when I say good riddance and take a colossal sigh of relief. 2020 was really challenging, both personally and professionally. There were times when I was dizzy from the nearly constant pivoting and when the anxiety and uncertainty was nearly crushing. But, we didn’t lose hope. In my mind I was constantly reminded of the old Aesop Fable “The Oak and the Reeds”, a story that essentially tells the importance of flexibility over shear strength during difficult times. This mindset, and the extreme level of support from our community and patrons turned what would have been a category 5 hurricane into a tropical depression for us. Don’t get me wrong, things were definitely less than ideal but like any serious crisis, opportunity and learning can always be found (even if they are really fucking hard). That being said, here is a bunch of good shit that 2020 brought us.
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1. Our staff is tight and sharpened like a samuri sword. I am convinced that there is pretty much nothing that they cannot handle with grace and ingenuity. Seeing them step up has allowed me to take a necessary step back (to avoid burnout) and to prevent micromanaging so innovation can flourish.
2. We have accelerated plans to expand thanks to legislative relief and the ability to self-distribute (in limited quantities). Holy moly. This is a really big deal, and also terrifying. This is absolutely not the timing that someone risk adverse such as myself would choose to extend in any direction, but I understand that it is necessary in order to avoid big problems with future production.
3. Speaking of scary timing, we bought the building and corner lot next door. Again, definitely not the timing I would have chosen, but we desperately need parking and the ability to permanently serve more patrons with outside seating (in case it still isn’t safe to serve inside yet) , and our neighbors who sold to us have been incredibly considerate to work with. We could not risk this property not coming up for sale in our lifetime again. Unfortunately, this means foregoing a salary again this year, but that’s small business for you. A very small price to keep this ship afloat and chugging forward.
4. We had a bumper grape crop year for gewurztraminer! This means brandy, and let me tell you this barrel will be worth the 7-10 year wait. It is one of the few things so far that I feel 100% sure about.
5. And lastly for our most favorite thing about 2020. With the shutdown in late winter/spring we had a bit of extra time on our hands so we got certified to be foster parents. We recently took placement of a baby and it has been one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had the honor of having.

So, lots of really wonderful things have happened in 2020 for us. There will always be a shadow in my memory with the mention of this year, but I refuse to let it all be dark. Keep bending everyone, the wind has to die down eventually. Happiest of New Years to you all, we literally could not have done it without you.

Sincerest regards and long distance hugs,

Geri & Nick