Wine making is a passion like few on earth. Creationism is at the heart of any good wine makers internal fuel. The love to create- To make something worth sharing with others in the world. It is this love of creation that makes every single detail in the wine makers world worth pursuing and worth obsessing over. Attention to detail is a must in order to be a great wine maker. You must know, understand, and have the ability to manipulate every attribute in your crop. If you notice the vintage is being subjected to too much water you must compensate; Too much heat, you must protect your vineyard; Too much of this or that- You must react.

Your wine grapes will know by the end of every season that you were their father or mother. You will hold them, care for them, baby them, ask for advice about them, and give them every nutrient they need along with your love. Some wine makers plant their own vineyards while others prefer to use another person's land. The only real differences between these two types of wine makers are the ability to progress from one year to another and the ability to claim full ownership of it.

When you choose to get grapes from another wine makers vineyard you leave a few things in his or her hands. You must trust that the owner is adept at telling you the history of the vineyard over time. What have the grapes typically been well suited for making? What wine should you choose to pursue? What can the vineyard owner do to better your crop, protect it from the elements, and harvest to get the flavor and bouquet profiles that you desire? Having a good relationship with the vineyard owners will be a crucial element to making the right wine that you desire. Be careful to make the right choice.

The history of the vineyard is also crucial. You won't have any personal control over how the land the wine grapes are planted on is cared for year after year. You won't know what may have been done to ruin the soil in previous years and you won't have any control over current dealings that could change the quality of the soil next year. Deciding which vineyard your wine grapes will come from next year is as involved a decision as it was this year. Just because you got fantastic or terrible wine grapes in one vintage does not at all mean that the same will occur over time. Continual monitoring and trust building is crucial when dealing with an outside vineyard. Be prepared.