Our daughter was born in April 1981, I knew nothing about wine. 20 years later, I had a small vineyard and I guess you can call me a wine geek. I developed a taste for French and Italian wines. The challenge was to purchase and enjoy older bottles without having to mortgage the farm. When she turned 21, we started to collect her birth year. It turned out to be a fun hunt for bottles that we could afford.

In April 1981, the vines in France were just coming into bloom (bud break). Farmers were tilling in the winter weeds and all hope is on a great year and a fine vintage. It is now 35 years gone bye, no more vineyard, we have a coffee farm in Hawaii. To celebrate another fine day of life, we opened the bottle below. Those tiny little grapes from a vine in a field in France. Picked by the hands of people that maybe have moved on in life. Think of everything that has happened in our lives while those grapes were resting, evolving, transforming into a living magnificent bottle of wine. Then for those grapes to travel half way around the world, to one day in May, give so much pleasure from a glass on our farm, looking out over the Pacific Ocean.

Last night May, 14^th 2016, was as good a time as any to open and enjoy a glass of French wine.