Today is the Day July 17, 2010 – Ernest and Jennifer 2009 Riesling – Yakima Valley

When our daughter Jennifer learned that I had started a wine blog last November she naturally assumed it was going to be all about her. At first this surprised me, until I realized that just a few weeks had passed since she, her fiancé E.J. and her sister Kristen had helped Barb and I pick the grapes and start the wedding wine that she and E.J. would serve at their wedding.

We had told them we’d keep them updated on the wine’s progress, so the blog might have just tracked the day by day, week by week progression of their wine.  Add to that the obvious fact that Jo was the bride to be, and until just a few hours from now will still be the bride to be, and it was silly of me to think anything besides Jo and this wedding would be more than a fleeting thought over the past fourteen months. But as you may have seen, I have sometimes strayed.

What I have done here is document some of the significant milestones for Jo and E.J. as it related to the wine aspects of the wedding. That is the most important part afterall. Last January, in my review of 2009′s top Yak wine moment, I documented the whole weekend the kids spent with us picking the grapes, stomping the grapes, etc… Along the way after that we sent periodic updates to the kids, and documented here the vast relief when the final product, their Riesling, went into the bottles.

Barb and I (sometimes) regretted not being closer to Jo and E.J. as they picked out colors and attire for the wedding party, planned the reception, and otherwise drove each other crazy over the past several months. But the daily/hourly phone calls kept us involved and quite often Barb would get texted pictures of shoes, cakes, or other critical decision points.

We were happy then we were able to visit with them and some friends in February to help pick some other wines for the reception.  Stories here and here.  See Jo, those first dozen or so blogs WERE about you.  I doubt Jo will read this today, so I think it’s safe to share a story that she doesn’t yet know. When we gathered in Illinois for the tasting party, we toasted the engagement along with Jo and E.J’s friends with a bottle of the wedding wine. Since her sister couldn’t make it, we sent a bottle to New Mexico so that Kristen and her partner Isaac could participate long distance. On the day of the party, however, Kris and Isaac were working, hiking or otherwise indisposed so they missed that tasting, no biggie.

A few weeks ago, Barb, during her weekly chat with Kris, asked if they had ever opened the wine and what did they think. I can see Kristen turning red now. “Mom, it’s gone and we didn’t drink it.” Huunnhhh? Sometime between February and now, Kris and Isaac had gone away for a trip and had left their home and dogs in care of a housesitter with instructions, use our panty. Well, on their return they found the bottle of wedding wine had been included in that use. No word whether they liked it or not, but the bottle was empty.

Finally, this past April, it was very special for both Barb and I to share in Jo’s bachelorette weekend visit to Washington wine country with several of her friends. Those girls all became surrogate daughters for us that weekend and we’d invite them all, together or individually, to come back. Actually that invitation extends to any and all of E.J. and Jennifer’s friends. Even last night we met some more of the young people that E.J and Jo have chosen as friends and visa versa, and they are all really neat people. Head West young man/woman; there is wine on the horizon.

But man also has to drink.  So E.J. and Jennifer picked the grapes, stomped, crushed, pressed, and added the yeast. Nature and a little time did most of the rest. They also designed the label for their wine and it includes this statement:

“Sharp, refreshing, and delightful: characterisitics that make this couple a favorite. It all started with a little crush and developed into a long lasting love. Our lives have grown stronger from the support of our family and friends. Let this love blossom into a sweet nectar from which we can toast our future.”

Congratulations E.J. and Jennifer, we love you, and may God bless your marriage and your life the way you have blessed all of ours.

Now go make us some grandbabies.