Mancation - On Becoming Unforgettable to Her

[Allan D. Kissam]

OK, this will border on being a relationship advice column. Those who know me will say that I am the last person to ask for advice. I respond that every dog has its day.

I have discovered the perfect gift for your special person. If this can't get you out of the doghouse, then it is over.

Near Buellton, at Highway 246 off the famous California Highway 101, is a road going into the beautiful La Purisima Hills. At the top lives a persevering woman that established from nothing the Gypsy Canyon Vineyards & Winery. I am visiting the wineries of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation in coastal California.

Debora Hall (owner and winemaker) not only learned how to plant, tend, and sell organic wine grapes but got into researching the history of the area viticulture.  Hidden under brush on her property she found old vines. Now, OJ Simpson’s jurors may not believe in DNA testing, but testing of her oldest vines showed they are identical to mission vines as established by the Spanish in the 18th century. She calls these vines Ancient Mission Vines.

With this DNA information, off she went to Santa Barbara and uncovered an original text used by the Spanish on how to do things, including making wines. Kind of like a survivalist guide of today for those preparing for the second Dark Ages.

Results are the Ancient Vine Angelica wine Debora produces using the original Spanish instructions. This wine is bottled in hand-blown recycled glass with the Gypsy Canyon seal impressed, the custom-sized cork is sealed with her own bees wax, the paper label is hand printed and the bottle signed by Debora Hall. If interested in an even more unique gift, a real old bottle (like 300 years old) can be provided as a Collectors edition complete with a certificate of authenticity and valuation. This is a special gift for your significant other even if not an oenophile.

At $130.00, the Ancient Vine Angelica is a bargain because after the wine is gone, most likely the bottle will be placed in a conspicuous spot (unlike jewelry in a box). It is also a bargain because the Angelica is truly smooth with a caramel and nutty taste, and not too sweet.

Gypsy Canyon Pinot Noir is also a special taste, and in the future Debora is grafting Pinot Noir vines to the Ancient Mission Vines to get production from what will be the oldest known Pinot Noir vineyards. It may be worthwhile to join the Gypsy Canyon Wait List, now.

The bad news is that for Angelica, there is limited production of about 25 cases and priority goes to Gypsy Canyon subscribers. I don’t know if you can offer above market, as in the real estate boom, and get a bottle sooner.  Guys, if you are in real trouble at home and the couch you sleep on is lumpy, it is worth a try.