When the Heart Recognizes Beauty
(labor, art, organic, chemistry, nutrient)
Sunrise in Copia Vineyards, Paso Robles, CA
I often wonder …
When the required work calls for arduous care and attention to detail …
When the labor is dirty, challenging and onerous …
When the drudgery of monotony can feel exhausting and toilsome …
Winemaking is often described as the clash between science and art
- Duckhorn Vineyards
But the scenery is THIS - an expansive, vast land with clean air surrounding healthy nurtured soil, vibrant with intentions to proliferate and fulfill its purpose - a winery with historical roots. “Does the skill in the occupation or craftsmanship inform the effort and motivation behind the work?" Can you taste that expansiveness and good intention in the wine?
Spending time together with old friends whose hearts always see the beauty
Recently, I learned that there are twelve steps involved to take each harvest from vine to bottle. Every bottle of wine on a shelf at the store went through a serious process to get there.
So I gotta ask, does the owner of the winemaker or vintner only see the next assignment and feel the pressure of the custom orders needing to be filled?
For a winemaker, the harvest is everything. In just a few days, a whole year's work in the fields is at stake, and not only that, but also the work in the cellar, which can last from a year to five years or even more. Each vintage in wine brings with it a story. It is a fingerprint that takes definitive form once the grapes have been harvested.
“It all begins with the soil, the vine, the grape. The smell of the vineyard –
like inhaling birth.”
– Steven Spurrier, Organizer Judgement of Paris
Or …
Does the winemaker approach his/her job with an appreciation for the labor behind the bottle of wine?
I’m curious to know if the vintner views their work Intrinsically? Are their rewards psychological rewards? Are their employees motivated intrinsically from doing meaningful work and performing it well?
“Wine connects human and nature and time in a way nothing else does.”
– Hugh Johnson, OBE – Author of The Story of Wine
Considering yoga terminology, it is my thought that the Vintner is a yoga practitioner in disguise!
The yoga term sukha means “happy, good, joyful, delightful, easy, agreeable, gentle, mild, and virtuous.” The literal meaning is “good space,” from the root words su (good) and kha (space). The term, sthira, can mean “firm, compact, strong, steadfast, static, resolute, and courageous”; etymologically it arises from the root stha, which means “to stand, to be firm, to take a stand.”
Perhaps the vintner is someone who sees the delight in the balance of joyful steadfastness!
But the truth is, the art behind the winemaker is astonishing, breathtaking, and worth the view from every vista.
“An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.”
– James McNeill Whistler
Artist: Bruce Munro developed the show Light at Sensorio. It is an immersive walk-through outdoor exhibit that is now a permanent installation in Paso Robles, CA. From a yogic perspective, the art installation illuminates art and nature connecting Mind, Body and Soul all within the natural environment.
“To me, fishing has always conjured up the notion of removing oneself from the here and now to a place of peace and reflection.”
-Munro
Munro’s original inspiration for Field of Light came from a vacation to Uluru, Australia where he saw stunning flowers bloom overnight in the barren desert after a rain shower.
Art depicting nature
Good Night
May you cultivate your own mind, body and soul beauty wherever your heart resides.
