One of the activities I enjoy most with my daughters is drawing pictures with them. Last weekend, my youngest girl asked that I join her at the table to draw. With her colorful markers in hand, I quickly sketched this image, one that was clearly inspired by my recent visit to Pinot noir vineyards in Oregon during IPNC weekend.

When my five year old daughter saw this she asked, "Daddy, why do you like wine so much?".

This query prompted me to really stop and think deep down why wine, especially Pinot noir, was so compelling to me. A comment made at the opening of IPNC 2010 came to mind: "Pinot noir is the tuning fork of the soul".

While this is hard to explain to a five year old, I found my daughter's question a gift as it invited me to reflect on how much this grape has come to mean to me of late. The connections Oregon Pinot noir have made with my past, present, and future are profound.

I am really enjoying the journey this grape has provided thus far and look forward to exploring this tuning fork further in the months ahead.