My children - all my children

Turiya Wines

Submitted by Angela Soleno, Owner/Winemaker

Bananas—that is what I told my son Trenton to write about last night for his homework assignment. It was the first thing that came to mind. Here is what he wrote: “Bananas are yellow and green too, Bananas are yummy for me and you. / Bananas have three ”A”s in their name—do you? / I like bananas because of their flavor—how about you?”

I am so proud of him—for the way he came up with that, for the intentions behind the words and for the kindness in him. Truth is though, that at times my boy challenges me, too. He has a tendency to take shortcuts in life and we are working through this.

You are probably wondering why I am talking about my son. Well, it’s because parenting is so much like my wine. Turiya is my last child. The one I chose to have all on my own—when I was already a single mother.It is something that I am really proud of and at times challenged by, too. Creation can be frightening, exciting and challenging; wine, or anything big or small that you have poured your heart and soul into, feels like this. I am sure as you can relate.

I suppose I have tried to protect my ‘wine’ children as much as possible, tenderly watching the grapes and vines grow, protecting them from the intrusion of unworthy chemicals, and then aging them past adolescence into full maturity—before letting them go off on their own. It is not my intention, however, to isolate them so they cannot be shared; rather, I hope my wines are cherished bottles that will be treasured and appreciated. So, should you pose the question, “what kind of wine do you make?,” my answer is “wine that I appreciate and am proud of.” I hope you like it, too, for my wines are my babies.