A confluence of events may have brought us here, the people, the connections, the highlights keep us here and impassioned.  While the priority is welcoming our guests and providing them with a great experience, my favorite days, my highlights, are those spent with our guests, making connections, sharing stories. The past few days was filled with great interactions with guests. Newlyweds, Brian and Jen, took a break from getting their new home settled to come visit; Helen called Saturday night to be reminded why “Ned said, Red” is so named; when the Stanley’s left after a leisurely tasting and lovely chat, Mom wanted to give me a hug; a bride and groom came to the Villa to have their pictures done; two guests, engineers it turns out, happily jumped behind the checkout counter to fix the register printer; Matt desperately needed a bottle of Ned in Portland because he had drunk what was to be a birthday gift for a friend; two little girls learned that grapes don’t grown on trees…you, along with all the other guests who just walked in and seemed content to linger here, were my highlights over the past few days.

So as my friend Lani said as we hiked the trail to Maiden’s Cliff this morning “it’s all about the people”.  She’s right – we grow grapes, make wines, offer wine tastings, but the experiences and people are what make it all worthwhile. – For each of you, I hope we provide you a highlight. You continue to provide me mine.

Bettina

How did it happen? It seems like yesterday that we were planning our Spring Fling Festival for the vineyard and now I see hints of red in the trees edging the farm, the school buses are dutifully passing the barn again at 7:04am, and the grapes are ripening. We’re just six weeks away from our Second Annual Romp and Stomp Fall Festival.

Funny, when you want life to slow down so you can savor each moment, each highlight, it seems to go by even faster. And there have been so many highlights this year – wonderful interactions with guests in the tasting rooms, moose in the vineyard, a ferris wheel from Iowa, the Villa opening,  a fire in the barn, soap suds in the barn (not on the same day), a schooner ride, a trip to Bar Harbor, hikes to Maiden’s Cliff, a dinner lovingly prepared by our Cellardoor family for us. Can I do it again?

We’ve had some tasty highlights recently too. Our friend, Lani Temple who owns Megunticook Market, prepared a bacon-wrapped, feta-filled date that was just exquisite with Ned Said Red. Heidi and Mark, owners of Vervacious, paired a pork tenderloin with spiced Balsamic Reduction with our Blue Lobster Blue. And just today, we paired the Ricotta Pie from Boston’s Modern Pastry with our Amorosa, heaven!

So, if someone is to ask me “how was your summer?”, I would answer “it’s been wonderful, fulfilling, a dream come true in so many ways.” And tomorrow? Lee is going to hear if the giraffes can come to the Fall Festival.

Bettina