Its Christmas Evening!
Time to celebrate! In my home country Denmark they celebrated Little Christmas Evening Yesterday. And this is really when all the traditions begin. As I have done to Rebecca over the years, and she has discovered herself, there are so many Christmas traditions in my home land. So when I started making “rullepølse” (rolled, spiced sausage…) and leverpostej (liver pate) earlier this week she didn’t blink an eye. And when I decided that we should head to Solvang Yesterday to get some Danish cookies and candies she understood. Back “home” we will celebrate by cooking, eating and drinking for a week+. Rebecca and I have enjoyed it may times at my sisters 100+ years old half-timbered farm home overlooking the fjord in Denmark. Heading to the 800 year old white church while snowing on Christmas evening is another great tradition.
This newsletter will be a little more personal than usual. But I think it is the right time for that! For about five years now I have been writing to you about the beauty of farming and winemaking – with great friends and wine lovers. But lets reflect a little bit…
A Tough Year…
Its been a very different year for all of us. A very challenging one and for most people probably the hardest one ever.
We all believe that the coming year will be different, but our minds and hearts are still where they should be! And we all know that the next time we celebrate this Holiday we will hug harder, sing louder, stay longer, think deeper, smile and laugh more and realize how important our family and friends are! Especially when we can be with them.
As we all know this crisis has impacted so many families one way or another. If you have lost someone close to you our warmest thoughts goes out to you. It’s been a real tough year for all of us! But we will get through it and “through the years we all will be together” will become a reality again!
But Farming And Winemaking Goes On!
I love walking though the vineyard at any time of the year. It is simply so life confirming to see how the vines, the soil, the insects and the microbial life changes from season to season. And although the vineyard looks “dead” it is not. A month ago we seeded the rows between the wines with great organic cover crop (bell beans, several different peas, vetch, oats and rye) and we are now observing how they are sprouting out – within weeks it will be an ocean of nitrogen and potassium sources. Good conscious farming.
And in the winery the year is wrapped up but we are working on getting the first 2020 wines ready. As many of you know we have run out of 2019 Rose of Syrah, Viognier as well as Riesling – so its time to get the new wines ready. We are bottling them at the end of January so stay tuned…
All for now!
So with the duck in the oven, red cabbage cooking, a glass of bubbles in hand and a sunset over the vineyard Rebecca and I are wishing you all
A VERY MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
AND A TOAST TO AN AWESOME NEW YEAR!
ampelos blog 