Just as I hope to inspire your appetite for wine, there are many people who have inspired mine. A big, happy toast to all of those who’ve played an essential role in this book:
To Joy Sterling, who answered a letter which opened a door
To Paul Torres, who took a chance and changed the direction of my life
To Peter Neptune, who captivated me from the beginning
To Bob Bath, for your insight
To Cindy Nixon, for your generosity
To Karen MacNeil, for your encouragement and openness
To Kermit Lynch, for your inspiration and for believing in me
To Bob Lescher, for your enthusiasm and faith in my voice
To Bill LeBlond, for your support
To Sarah Billingsley, for your creativity, passion, and professionalism
To Jane Tunks, for your keen eye and thoughtful feedback
To my mom, who inspires in so many ways and who always wanted me to be a writer
To Teresa, who introduced me to California, to wine, and to living life to the fullest
To Bill, for your strong, steady support, and for putting up with the three of us
To Bourbon, constant companion and foot warmer
To Evan, my joy, and my first beautiful baby boy
To Harrison, my second, who patiently waited to be born until the week after I was finished writing this book
And finally, to Christian: This project was a long time in the making, but it never would have happened without you. You are the love of my life. Let’s drink it in together.