2009 in a Bottle

Well it's done, seventeen bottles in a row; 2009's production. The wine label will read, "2009 Cabernet/St. Helena Ranch; Picked 10/17/09; Pressed 11/1/09; Bottled 11/6/09; Harvesters: Fred White, T'Andre White, Joseph Pina, Anthony Perez"

I'm still working on a label logo but I'm thinking that I will name this production "Mis Ninos" in English "My Children". Let me know what you would name this production or what you think of my initial thought.

Not only did I bottle 2009's production (I like the way that sounds), but I (and Ana) baby set our nearly seven month old grandson Omar. So many thoughts ran through my mind today as I stole time away from Omar to complete the bottling process. Omar did help, or should I say he oversaw my progress. What that means is that I held him in one arm and with a ladle poured the wine in a funnel with a coffee filter.

It's here I want the reader to come with me on this thought. It's been written about by authors like Borges, Coelho and even King. And that's this concept: telepathy. Like the spoken word that is passed on by folklore, or the written word that is read years beyond when the word was written. In my case I have, with the help of my grandchildren produced a product, that being a bottle of wine. My thought was to give to my two sons one bottle of this 2009 production. And when their children, Aribella and Omar, born April 22nd and 29th of 2009, reach 15 years of age, they would receive a single bottle each from this year's production. Why fifteen, well we are Latinos and wine and the love of life is in our blood. What can I say, and I may still be alive then.

Can you imagine, my grandchildren's parents (my own kids) opening up a bottle of 2009 in celebration of their children's fifteenth birthday? If I am not alive that would be like speaking from the grave. Isn't that the way each bottle of wine speaks to us? From the past? Doesn't it raise goose bumps on your arms? Am I asking too many questions? Here is one more, isn't it the same as stars? You know the stars we see are most likely already dead?

I'm reading this to Ana at 11:06 P.M. and she says that I'm getting crazy. My reply at this late hour is that I'm making complete sense.

Well what I see is a time in the near future (a blink of the eye when we think of the past) when my grandchildren will think of me and that to me has made my day. I hope we all have futures like mine.

So, bottle your wine and bottle your past for our grandchildren.

Love, Anthony.