I took the photo of our little converted barn house from the tasting room of Croad Vineyards, our next door neighbor. We don’t have any vineyards ourselves, but we sure enjoy looking at those of our neighbors that surround us. I’m thankful the California wine country fires didn’t touch the Paso Robles area wineries, but I grieve for our neighbors farther north in Sonoma County.
Were I to move away from wine country, I’d miss seeing the way the vineyards change through the seasons. I’d miss the greening vines in spring. I’d miss the vines loaded with maturing grapes in summer. I’d miss the aroma of crushed grapes in autumn after harvest. I’d miss seeing the vines dressed in their fall colors. I’d even miss the bare vines in winter, resting and preparing for the next growing season after they are pruned.