Thanksgiving in Italy is definitely not the same as in the states! Even for a family of vegetarians we are struggling to figure out what to eat. In Sonoma County we have so many protein options that we usually forgo tofu or even Tofurkey. There are a couple substitutes here but the flavor and texture is not quite there. It’s comparable to the alternatives we tried back in the 90’s. Plus, there is not a fresh cranberry or even any canned cranberries to be found anywhere. Erica was willing to try hydrating dried cranberries but I vetoed that due to the cost and potential time commitment involved. Carter has a long day at school today being that it’s not a holiday. I don’t even think it has donned on him to try to explain Thanksgiving to anyone at school, vegetarian or not.

Our Landlords in Italy, Francesco and Cid are perhaps the most interesting people I have met in a long time. Those of you who know me know I have met a lot of people; thousands perhaps, but I couldn’t tell you for sure. As the owner of thumbprint cellars I have spent numerous years as your personal host at our year-round busy Downtown Healdsburg tasting room. Guests from all over the world have shared their lives with me while we enjoyed a taste of our local wine. However, the absolute honesty of this couple compels me like few have.

Giving this Holiday Season…

We can’t believe that the holidays are upon us! We REALLY can’t believe that it is the middle of November (yikes!). As the holidays rapidly approach it makes us think how lucky so many of us are to have so much.

We have been fortunate to be able to help The Living Room, Sonoma County’s Only Daytime Drop-In Shelter for women and children who are without homes, raise money around the Holidays for the past two years.

Welcome to Italy!

After arriving at Pisa Airport we loaded our belongings into our leased Peugeot diesel wagon and set off for the home we have rented for the next eight months. My wife, Erica and our son had already been here two months before they returned for three weeks for family business matters. Twenty minutes south east of Florence we pull off the A1 and head for our little hill top town of Bisticci. The steep rugged road tests the wagon and we finally reach our destination, unload the burden of our bulky luggage and started a fire in the wood stove. After a brief attempt to instruct my son on the proper fire building method our fire was lit and warmth began to emanate the room. A quick tour of the place, a deep sigh of relief, an inventory of our gear and we were ready to relax.

I’m just sitting down thinking about things to ‘right’ and the biggest issue on the horizon is a bill that’s coming up which could eradicate the current direct-to-consumer wine shipping laws in the United States. Currently, only a handful of states allow interstate shipping of wine – see map http://www.freethegrapes.org/  Many other states have passed legislation to allow wine shipped into their state if registration fees are paid along with special licensing. In some states it is a FELONY to ship wine in or out. The compliance issues have created new opportunities in the wine industry for new business – Shipping Compliance – which, of course comes with another fee to wineries wanting to ship across state lines....

Good for your neighborhood!

We try to make it a rule of thumb, no pun intended, to bring in retail items that are eco friendly, American made and generally good for the Earth. We produce vegan wine and recycle, recycle, recycle in our tasting room. Could it be… we have a little Northern California love child mentality in all of us here at thumbprint?...

We have been busy creating a tasting experience you are sure to never forget, showcasing Scott’s many delicious wines, and passionately strengthening our community through charitable donations....

Well, we weathered an exciting 2009 harvest here in Sonoma County. Actually, it seemed like TWO different harvests. Now that all the wines are safely hibernating for the winter, I have a little time to reflect on the past harvest, plan bottling and taste through the cellar for potential.