Detour
It was at this time that my new job would take us far from
wine country. Leaving the vineyards was heart wrenching.
Two of our dear friends came to help us say goodbye to California
and, for the time being, our dream of making wine. Still, we had
our first vintage and we carefully swaddled the barrel for the
cross-country move to New Jersey. Mike converted the basement
into a wine cellar and the wine aged until a friend traveled
many miles to help us with our first bottling.
Temporarily exiled from wine country, we used the next five years to explore and deepen our dream. Mike followed his wine's progress and read extensively about winemaking techniques and viticulture. We investigated winemaking regions in France, Italy, and local East Coast wineries as well. And we expanded our palates exploring a wide range of wines from many regions.