A Week at the Winery

Sometimes I sit down to write these blog posts and wonder where the week went.

This past week has been one of those weeks—the kind that reminds me just how much life happens here at the winery.

We celebrated Father’s Day with a full house, wonderful guests, and plenty of ribeye sandwiches thanks to the Jones County Cattlemen. While many families were spending the day together, our own family was behind the scenes making sure everyone else could enjoy theirs. Brian, Michelle, Grace, Grant, Dan, DJ, and I all found our places—whether it was on the grill, in the kitchen, pouring wine, or helping wherever we were needed. That’s just what family businesses do.

As Father’s Day passed, I found myself thinking about the fathers who shaped our family. My dad, Clyde Stender, and Dan’s dad, Ed Lubben, may no longer be with us, but their work ethic, values, and love of family continue to influence everything we do. Happy Father’s Day, too, to Dan, Brian, and my son, Adam. Watching each generation carry on those values is something I’ll never take for granted.

And before we had much time to catch our breath, another busy week was underway.

The winery has been filled with retirement celebrations, class reunions, and friends gathering to reconnect. Those moments are exactly why we love opening our doors. Every event has its own story, and we’re grateful to be a small part of so many milestones in people’s lives.

In between welcoming guests, there are vineyards to care for. This time of year, the vines don’t wait, and neither does the work. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how willing our family and friends are to jump in whenever an extra set of hands is needed. Whether it’s working in the vineyard, setting up for an event, helping in the kitchen, or simply doing whatever needs to be done, we’re constantly reminded how blessed we are by the people around us.

We wrapped up the week with another successful pop-up market, bringing together local vendors, great wine, and even more wonderful people. Seeing our community come together to support local businesses is something that never gets old, and it’s one of my favorite parts of what we do.

Some weeks are exhausting. Some are busier than we ever imagined. But when I stop and look around, I realize how fortunate we are.

We’re surrounded by family who never hesitate to help, friends who show up when they’re needed, guests who continue to support us, and a community that has embraced our winery from the very beginning.

For that, I’ll never stop being thankful.

Here’s to another week of making memories.

Cheers,

Judy