Donna and I don’t usually take a pre-harvest vacation, but this year we went to Montana for an early celebration of a milestone birthday of my brother’s. Prior to moving to Oregon we used to fly fish a bit, but we haven’t picked up a rod since winegrowing took over our lives (in a good way). This year, for the first time in 14 years, we brought our old school equipment with us to Montana and spent a few days knocking off the rust from our skills. It was great fun and we caught quite a few decent sized fish. On the drive home, it occurred to me that fly fishing is not a bad metaphor for winegrowing. It requires knowledge, technique, some minimal amount of equipment, patience, and most importantly, humility. On the river, in the vineyard, and in the winery, we are not in charge but if we have some knowledge, the right tools, patience, and humility the end result can be very rewarding. More later.-Bill Sweat, Winegrower
