The Harvest at Tenuta Mazzolino - Departing Thoughts

As I sat overlooking the Po Valley towards the Alps from atop the first foothill where the Mazzolino estate sits, the smells of the harvest, fresh-cut grass and the rose garden intermittently drifted in and out of my olfactories. The sounds of the winery and the birds were behind me, and the distant sounds of farmers on tractors, carpenters, local traffic, a dog barking, and church bells striking half four were ahead of me. The wind brushed my face, and I thought of the other faces and places it may have touched. I thought of the world I am heading into: an intricately connected cosmos where every activity relies on some other activity, resulting in my connection to you, to the land and to those others who work and travel it.

In just two weeks at Mazzolino I gained so much in addition to new perspective (and gifts of a sweater, a scarf, an apron, a bottle opener and many bottles of wine). The beautiful landscape, and the opportunity to learn about wine and work with my hands were wonderful, but it is the people I met and spent time with that have forever impacted me. The hospitality shown to me by those who live and work at Mazzolino and the families of Jean Francois and Claudio especially was totally unexpected. For the many meals, great company and an unforgettable two weeks, I thank you all. There is a beautiful chemistry that exists at Mazzolino. The physical setting, the estate's purpose (the meeting place of a family), and the people who live here every day and work so hard to make it beautiful are a large part of it. But for me, it is the chemistry of those who operate the winery and take such pride in their work and the "fruits" of their labor that make Mazzolino truly magical. While I would guess that the terroir of a Mazzolino wine must rival that of any great winery, I must express to you that with each and every sip I take, an unreplicable and remarkable complexity soothes my senses - a complexity which is borne of the sincere nature of those who produce it, the incredible compassion and support provided by their families, and the care with which each bottle is made.

As I sat overlooking the Po, I thought of the world I have yet to see as well as the beautiful places and people I have experienced so far and I am truly grateful.

For pictures, please see the following link. I have commented on several of them:

http://picasaweb.google.com/wheresmorgan/TheGrapeHarvestAtTenutaMazzolino#