My younger daughter turns 3 next week. Simone was born the week after 40 million fellow Californians were ordered to shelter in place, March 2020. News had reached us that hospitals in New York were not allowing partners in for labor and delivery and we were dreading that our local hospitals would follow suit and that my wife would be sent in alone. 

As a 'pandemic baby', Simone's birthday will always bring up powerful memories and emotions. The isolation, the fear and uncertainty, the odd quiet of the streets. I can readily access the memory of that March, her older sister seeing us suddenly wearing strange masks, washing hands obsessively, wiping down packages from the mail. Seeing us often teary-eyed. Maybe hugging more frequently, and longer. I can still see the confusion in her eyes passing another abandoned playground. How I'd eventually alter my routes around town to avoid the sighting of taped-off swings and slides, to ease her disappointment and pleading. I can remember, three years ago nearly to the day, weeping silently over a video I'd come back to many times, the tiny iPhone screen and a dark grainy video of a street in Sienna where neighbors sang from their windows in unison, their voices joining in the dark, in harmony. 

Though these memories will always resonate with her particular birthday, each year also evinces a profound gratitude for life, for health, for growth and resilience. A marker of how far we've come from those early days. The shop being so frequently full of life again, and being able to welcome crowds - folks laughing and drinking and connecting in familiar ways again - brings us immeasurable delight. We've been thrilled to have the bar open all year and to have new events and tastings and pop ups happening weekly here. Though we were looking forward to a grand gathering next weekend, we are sad to announce that the Calçotada is cancelled. The intense rain and stormy weather all month has presented challenges to coordinating and has impacted the growing and harvesting conditions at the farm we have been working with for the leeks. In short, this unfortunately has been the wrong March for this endeavor. We know this is disappointing to many who were looking forward to the party, and thank you for your understanding. Full refunds will be issued to all who purchased tickets. We promise there will be future opportunities to gather and celebrate with friends, family, and neighbors again in the months ahead. The storms will subside and there will be light and sun and new joy arriving soon. We'll all be together for the delivery. There will be singing. 

Until then...TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: DOMESTIC REDS & WHITES

Broc Cellars Love Red (North Coast)
Portalupi Red Blend (Sonoma County) 
Pierce Cosecheiro Touriuga Nacional (Monterey)
Lieu Dit Melon (Santa Maria Valley)
Big Salt White (Dundee, Oregon)
Bodkin 'The Victor's Spoils" Sauvignon Blanc (Sonoma County)
Red or White Flights $15 from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 3/25 FLIGHTS: ALL WOMEN WINEMAKERS
2022 Brianne Day 'Vin de Days' Blanc
2021 Zoinos 'Epiloges' Debina 
2020 Oddero Barbera d'Alba Superiore
2020 Chatreau Falfas 'Les Demoiselles de Falfas' Cotes du Bourg Bordeaux
Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass from around the globe until 9pm

Looking forward,
Daniel