One would think that an earthquake, hurricane, tropical storm, marauding moths, ravenous birds, ferocious fungi, and an October blizzard summed up a century, but instead they highlighted the events of 2011 here.

Despite those, um, challenges, we are very pleased with the fruit quality and grateful for the harvest volunteers who helped us on short notice when the weather gods smiled upon us.  The photo below shows Agnes holding beautiful Nebbiolo clusters, one week before the October blizzard roared through and knocked out our electricity for seven days.

Mother Nature notwithstanding, the situation inside the Wine Barn was considerably better.

Our vintage 2010 wines were very well received and we met many new friends, most through introductions from others.  We decided long ago to build our winery this way, believing that friends beget friends when good wine is shared between them.  And this is proving to be true, as the following anecdote conveys.

On a spring-like Saturday evening in April 2011, a shiny Mercedes-Benz pulled slowly up to the Wine Barn.  As the driver’s window opened, a smiling man with a British accent asked, politely but skeptically, “Is this where the wine tasting is to be?”  Persuaded to visit by neighbors who were already Mount Salem subscribers, this man, his wife and his sister ascended the stairs to the tasting loft to join those same neighbors.

By evening’s end, his skepticism was replaced by unbridled enthusiasm and two new subscriptions to the 2010 vintage.  He then returned in September to lead the contingent of Brits at LongTable, and in October he labored mightily at not one but two harvests, joined by one of the neighbors who brought him to Mount Salem to begin with.  And in December, he and his wife introduced us to a young woman who is now on staff here.

Friends beget friends, indeed.  We are grateful for each and every one of you.