Susan Sokol Blosser - The Vineyard Years: A Memoir with Recipes

The Vineyard Years

A Memoir with Recipes

Susan Sokol Blosser

Foreword by Alison Sokol Blosser

Text 2017 by Susan Sokol Blosser

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher.

Portions of this book were previously published in At Home in the Vineyard published by the University of California Press, Berkeley in 2008 and in Letting Go published by susansokolblosser.com in 2015.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sokol Blosser, Susan, author. | Sokol Blosser, Susan. At home in the vineyard.

Title: The vineyard years : a memoir with recipes / by Susan Sokol Blosser.

Description: Portland, Oregon : WestWinds Press, 2017. | Portions of this book were previously published in At Home in the VineyardTitle page verso.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017005980 | ISBN 9781513260716 (paperback) | ISBN 9781513260723 (e-book) | ISBN 9781513260730 (hardbound)

Subjects: LCSH: Sokol Blosser, Susan. | Women vintnersOregonBiography. | VintnersOregonBiography. | WineriesOregonDundee. | Wine and wine makingOregonDundee. | CookingOregon.

Classification: LCC TP547.B56 A3 2017 | DDC 663/.20092 [B] dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017005980

Edited by Jennifer Newens

Designed by Vicki Knapton

Cover Photo by Andra Johnson

Published by WestWinds Press

An imprint of

www.graphicartsbooks.com

Printed in the U.S.A. on FSC Certified Paper.

CONTENTS

: By Alison Sokol Blosser

Mac & Cheese

Bills Meatloaf la Gascogne

Nicks Minestrone

Saag Paneer

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Oregon Pink Shrimp, Lemon, Olive Oil, and Herbs

Russs Root Vegetable Soup

Caribbean Evolution

Cider-Braised Pork Tacos with Peaches, Fennel Slaw, and Cider Reduction

Farro, Roasted Fennel, Feta & Treviso Radicchio Salad Blueberry Clafoutis

Russs Grilled Wild Salmon

Schaum Torte

Dedication

To those fortunate few who, like me, have been lucky enough to experience the profound joys, and blistering challenges, of being part of a family business.

Foreword

M y mother could have had an easy and grand life, following in her mothers footsteps, with a French poodle by her side and a Mercedes in the garage. Instead, she chose to marry a boy from the Westmy fatherand become a farmer in Oregon. This is the story of that life.

My mothers life did not follow a conventional path. Admittedly, I am biased, yet I think youll find her story a fascinating one, touching on themes many womenmyself includedhave struggled with for decades. Her frank retelling of the joys and heartaches of a life lived among the vines echoes that of the vines themselvesgrowing from a young cutting to a fruit-bearing plant, giving generously of ones life force like the grapes at harvesttime, pulling back during cold, hard times, like the grapes in dormancy, only to resurge again, full of life, in the new season.

My mother grew up surrounded by opportunity. From a well-to-do family in the Midwest, my mother attended private schools and went to Stanford University. She went on to earn a masters degree, not a common occurrence for women of her generation. While she was privileged by most definitions, my mother never took anything for granted. In fact, Ill never forget the story my mother told me when she and my father got married. My grandfather, her father, offered to give the young married couple his Mercedes convertible. They politely declined the offer, preferring to piece together the money to buy a VW camper instead.

She grew up in a time and place where, by societys definition, she needed only to marry well and her life would have been relatively stressfree. Instead, my mother and father sank everything they had into creating a business dependent on convincing people to drink wine from an undiscovered region made by people with no winemaking pedigree.

In 1991, when my mother took over running the winery in addition to her vineyard duties, she had no financial acumen, no sales or marketing training, nor any prior management experience. Undeterred, she was determined to convince people that Oregon could produce world-class wines. Selling each vintage was a struggle, yet my mother never gave up. Her endless stamina to work years of seven-day weeks eventually paid off. Sure, there were small victories along the way that kept her inspired to keep going, but those victories were spread out amongst enormous challenges. Shes told me she relished them. Today, in little more than a generation, Oregon has a multibillion-dollar, world-renowned wine industry. And my mother played a huge part in creating that industry and helping it flourish.

Like the grapevines that grow, then die back as part of their life cycle, my mothers life did not always go in an upward direction. Sometimes it was all she could do to just keep moving forward. For example, my mother ran for elective office three times. Each race was harder than the previous with all the normal election-induced drudgery and personal attacks. Our family and business were often pulled into the uglier parts of it. Yet she kept her head high, even when she lost each time. This alone speaks volumes about the woman my mother is. Never letting defeat thwart the causes for which she fought, she continued to serve on the local school board and then started her own nonprofit organization to provide much-needed community support.

My mother approached her retirement from the winery with grace, wit, strength, and an unending love for our family. It was not an easy road for her, and youll learn just how hard that struggle was in these pages, in her own words. I will just say that I only hope I can transition out of the business as graciously and gracefully as she did when its my turn.

When I read the manuscript for The Vineyard Years, I suddenly realized that there are a lot of parallels between my life and my mothers. We both married young, divorced our first husbands, and remarried. We both had three kids: two boys and a girl, and our first babies were four weeks early. We both ran (or run) a winery, an uncommon role for women in our industry. We are both introverts, an obstacle when operating a business often in the public eye whose sales success is dependent on being outgoing and engaging. Were both impatient, ready to dive in, wanting to see results.

And we both love to eat. Not in the closet-eating kind of way, but in the belief that from time to time, a culinary experience can be a spiritual affair. We both relish that occasional meal that makes the stars shine brighter in our eyes and delights our taste buds and stomachs. Weve been lucky to share a few such occasions together. Youll soon understand how important food is to our family from the recipes my mother includes in the book, each reflecting different times of her life and evoking unique memories.

In reading her story, I couldnt help but reflect on my mothers life and, honestly, I just dont know how she did it. She raised three kids (who, for all intents and purposes, arent terribly screwed up), started and helped grow not just a business but a multibillion-dollar industry, transitioned said business to the next generation, and then began a new phase of her life characterized by continued self-discovery and giving back to the local community. She has an impressive resume and an even more impressive heart.