In less than two months, it will be a year since the battle against a worldwide pandemic began in earnest here in Oregon. As we were required to close our Tasting Room doors and move to curbside pickup and delivery, all of our lives began to change, how we live, how we protect our health, and, yes, also, how we might best continue to enjoy, appreciate, and celebrate our lives.
Schools closed. For the fortunate, working remotely proved viable, even with the added challenges of learning from home for so many. As a mother of three, I welcomed a good dinner with a nice glass of wine as my younger generation was growing up. Present-day parents, your demands have been far greater than those I ever experienced. Our hats are off to you as we toast you wholeheartedly, with a glass of Left Coast! ❤
For the less lucky, people lost their jobs. Worse, loved ones, far too many, continue to be taken from us. As a very small part of all of that, seeking to remain connected, and a part of your lives, the first episode of this blog was birthed. You can find the series thus far, in the menu, under Blog, on our website.
We were closed for ten weeks, then reopened into a lovely gift of a summer season. Our Oak Savanna filled with the sounds of talented musicians during our Friday Music Series that we shall, most certainly, continue for the coming summer. A sense of a new normal soon came about, despite the implementation of all that needed to keep everyone safe and healthy. It was such a wonderful feeling to have you, Wine Club Members and visitors from near and very far, back on property. We were and are, most certainly, blessed by your presence, your good company, and enthusiastic support.
My November message of Thanksgiving strayed somewhat from our blog format. Despite the unsettling fires, there was a sense of triumph as our vineyard and winery crews worked swiftly to bring in an impressive crop of Estate fruit and to move that into the winemaking magic. We are confident we will have some beautiful wines for you from the 2020 Harvest.
We introduced you to Mark Anderson in the October Episode. Mark was one of our 2020 Harvest Interns who also has a magnificent calling and talent in his writing. We were honored and touched to read his story in Edible Monterey Bay on his experience with us. The link to Mark's insights and adventures in the winery, vineyards, and beyond are here. A terrific article. Thank you, Mark!
It is during December and January when we all at Left Coast take advantage of a little extra time to be with our families over the holidays. I was with Cali and her fiance, Chad, in our small pod. It was a different end to a difficult year, but one, too, that also brought the simplicity and gratitude of shared times with those most important and central in our lives to the fore. We hope you too experienced such moments as we all moved towards and into the New Year.
And now, it is the time to look forward! We are busy at Left Coast in a major road redo and repair project that will extend into the spring. The vineyard crew is attending to overall property and landscape maintenance and clean up and will soon be moving on to the annual pruning of the vines. The vineyards will be awakening again before we know it!
Left Coast has a special beauty and presence this time of year, and I was delighted to be back on the covered Wine Library patio with our guests this past weekend. It was a beautiful, sun filled two days, and I am happy to say you are a hearty bunch! While we are looking forward to returning to being able to offer indoor seating again, we are also exploring options to make our allowed outdoor tastings and dining areas warmer and more comfortable. We should be able to announce that progress in the February blog when we will also return to our normal 7 days a week opening hours. Until Valentine's Day, with much to put into place, we are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
We leave you with this tribute to our, thus far, unsung hero at the Pizza Oven, Mike. We had anticipated Chef Greg being with us a year longer when, in these times of COVID, his wonderful wife Heidi, a greatly esteemed school librarian, pushed her own retirement ahead a year! No sooner had we hosted Greg's going away celebration than we welcomed Mike aboard in the very midst of our busy summer season. He has not missed a beat since and has wowed us all with his beautiful and creative presentation skills and food pairings. The son of a professional chef, he was trained at his father's side. He has also displayed his practical gifts in reorganizing both the Pizza Room and the adjacent kitchen. Thank you, Mike!
If you haven't yet experienced our DELICIOUS wood fired pizzas, available Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays on site and for pick up, you are in for a treat! Partially baked pies, to finish off at home in your oven, are available daily for pick up. Yum, all made from scratch, the dough made in house with toppings from our Estate gardens in season.
Stay safe and healthy everyone. And so many thanks for being a part of the Left Coast Family and supporting our family's wines and Estate work. We will be releasing new episodes of the blog on a monthly basis. Check your email this time next month! We are ever grateful to have you in our lives.
Cheers,
Suzanne, Cali, and All of Us at Left Coast❤
