Next day, after a drive to Napa and an even more inspiring tasting at Cornerstone Cellars, I find myself in the old neighborhood, Bennet Valley, up the street from the babies’ school working on the re-branding of my company, the sales focus, and how much wine there is out there— how much character is just waiting for people to encounter.  Wine wants to speak to us, Yesterday taught me.  It wants us to reject pattern and normality.  To not just think outside the box, but build our own boxes, our own creative safe houses… and keep remodeling.  Make it bigger, bigger.  Wine teaches me that life is about more than wine but wine for me is the appropriate and radically emphatic metaphor that will continue its symbolic instruction.

Sitting at the table yesterday, with my last pour, that Howell Mtn. Cab, I looked at the hill and envisaged the days ahead, before my next birthday, just a little over 3 months away.  I know what I want before then, and I will get it.  Cornerstone urged me to be my own cornerstone within my creative sales and marketing universe.

Notes to myself, people around me, sipping my 3-shot mocha and noting more… what I want my business to say to people, how I want it to be read.  Then, there’s me as a “brand”, the writing/blogging father, the tireless writer.  Also, teacher.  Teacher?  Maybe not, I don’t know.  I hope I teach a little with my writing, but if not I definitely shared an idea or two.

Moving quick.  Have to.  Made some changes to website, and now I write and note more about myself and the business.  If only I had more time.  Time… huh.  You mongrel!  I’ll catch you, and when I do, I will keep you captive on the page and in my office, use you how I want.

And my pen movements swarm back to the Cornerstone tasting room.  What did that place do to me?

I know…

Help me with this career re-write.

Merci beaucoup…