Celebrating with loved ones

near and far

Steve and Mickey with their granddaughters

Last Saturday, when Rosa-Lucca (the tasting room I began working at a few months ago) closed after a fantastic afternoon concert, the staff plus a few of our most loyal patrons headed outside to the fire pit with a few snacks and, of course, the winery’s fantastic wine. It was a perfect spring evening and a delight to wind down after a busy afternoon in the company of these souls I have enjoyed getting to know in recent months.

We shared stories and laughter. Is there anything better? A few things, but an evening like this ranks up there. 

About 45 minutes into our gathering, Mickey got a text. She announced to the five of us that she had won a prestigious award for her 2018 Cabernet Uncle George, the top honor, something that Rosa-Lucca had never received before.

We hooted, hollered, and opened a bottle of the coveted Cabernet to drink a toast. For those who haven’t read about Mickey or the Rosa-Lucca Winery, Mickey’s husband, Steve, passed a few years back just as they planned to open the tasting room in Cool.

Mickey’s family, Steve’s best friend Tim, and his family pushed forward to make the dream a reality. It probably wasn’t lost on any of us that evening that the timing of the text was perfect because Mickey had many of her loved ones surrounding her to celebrate the award.

I often feel Steve’s presence in the tasting room, even though I was never fortunate to meet him. About a month ago, I was outside preparing to open and began talking to Steve. It was a first for me.

When I returned inside, the port glasses began chiming and continued to ring for probably 30 seconds. No other glasses on the rack were swaying or making noise. Mickey touched the glasses gently and said, “Okay, Steve.”

I told her he likely answered me because I had been chatting with him a few minutes earlier. I told him I was sorry he wasn’t here with us but that I was so happy to have Mickey in my life. I also reassured him that from what I could tell in my short time at Rosa-Lucca, she was in good hands with the angels surrounding her.

Last Saturday, again, I felt his presence as we gathered around the fire pit. If it couldn’t be Steve celebrating with her, he had at least orchestrated a fine stand-in group of people who loved her.

The following day when I stopped in to pick up a few things, Mickey informed me that she had misread the text and that her Cabernet had yet to win the award. We had a good chuckle.

In considering the evening in hindsight, I realized a great lesson. Winning or not winning the award did not change the beauty of our gathering. An award is a passing gesture from strangers.

What mattered was the camaraderie and love present that night. We were celebrating Mickey and Steve’s excellent 2018 Cabernet, but much more. We were celebrating Mickey and Steve.

Happy 2nd Anniversary to Cool’s little treasure, The Rosa-Lucca Tasting Room!