Before yesterday, I could never say enough about the art of Barry Ebner. I can now add that I cannot say enough about the person that is Barry Ebner as well. It never fails that those artists you bond with through their form of art seem to have something that just translates into a personal connection. I took the BART from the Civic Center in San Francisco to a quirky neighborhood in Berkeley where I was welcomed into the home of Barry Ebner and poet Sharon Coleman. After a cup of ethereal and aromatic jasmine tea (one of my favorites), they listened as I wove the story of my passion for soil, vines and wine and then took a moment to hop on my soapbox long enough to rant about the homogenization of the American palate and the fine line between becoming successful and transforming into a sell-out. When I was done, I stared quietly at their faces...thinking they'd thank me and invite me to the front door. Instead, they looked knowingly at me and remarked how weird it was that we had so many points of intersection. When I got the invitation to go look through art in the studio, I knew that I had done something right. By the end of the afternoon, I had found two soft-spoken, creative kindred spirits, exploding with passion and dedication to their craft that was unwavering. I am so proud to announce that Barry's artwork will adorn the 2010 vintage of Genese! This is an incredible honor allowing me to finally inaugurate my Artist Series, limited production, regional labels. I am excited, relieved and dubious at what's to come.

Tomorrow it is on to finding the perfect bottle for the job. I never knew there were so many shades of green glass....