Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! We are enjoying a good start at Nicholson Ranch, even with Covid. After a year of a severe drought, California received abundant rain delivered by a cascade of storms dubbed “atmospheric rivers” for their serpentine appearance on a radar map. The immense rainfall turned our wine-country hills bright green by Halloween and the Sierra Nevada mountains white by Christmas. After two years of being a mud-hole, our pond is full to the brim, the surface shining like a silver mirror. The winter sun, flying low, makes the moisture sparkle on the green hills. Sunset bathes the landscape in an orange hue. At the moment, it is perfect.
Despite the tribulations of Covid, last year was one of the best years for me. As of the end of 2021, my three older kids are all venturing out into their adult lives. Zander, my eldest, is literally off the payroll. After three years of working in our lab and hosting our guests, Zander decided to pursue further and deeper in the lab sciences area. Taylor, my second son, has his first real job as an engineering consultant in the Bay Area; and, Natalie, my only daughter, was accepted by UCSF, one of the best medical schools anywhere. I am a proud father and I feel very content having the kids move out into the world.
The New Year has also got me breaking out to experience life beyond wine country. Early this month my wife, Nancy, and I were in Houston for a family wedding. It was good to travel and see friends and family after two years. It was exhilarating to celebrate with music, color and delicious food. I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. As 2022 is my 60th year, I plan to celebrate my milestone year by spending time with friends and family, visiting India in the spring and Europe in the summer.
I look forward to seeing you, my wine club family and friends in 2022. Come out and visit Wine Country.
In the meantime, we have wonderful Nicholson Ranch estate wines for you from the 2018 and 2019 vintages. The California sun, our volcanic soil, and the craft of my winemaking team allows us to share our little corner of Sonoma with you.
Cheers.
Deepak Gulrajani