When we stopped by Sokol Blosser to pick up our Cellar Club shipment this spring, I was perusing the tasting room and found a happy little book called At Home in the Vineyard – Cultivating A Winery, An Industry, and A Life. I don’t know if I hadn’t seen it before, or perhaps, I just wasn’t ready to discover it.

I promptly got home, curled up on the couch, and starting reading away.  Does anything beat a good book and sunshine streaming in the window on a Sunday afternoon?

The book is a memoir of winery founder Susan Sokol Blosser. Susan does a fantastic job of telling her story in a way that takes you along for the ride. You almost feel like you’re on the tractor bumping along down the rows of grapes.

As an engineer and a bit of a tom boy, I related with her enthusiasm to get dirty and learn all of the ins and outs of running the winery. She starts with rows of grapes and ends up in the “board room” running the finance and marketing side of the business. Watching Susan’s growth into a strong, confident, and smart business woman over the course of the book was so empowering and relatable.

And of course as an animal lover, the stories Susan tells about the geese, peacocks, dogs, and cats are very endearing. People whose lives are enriched by animals, are my kind of people.

As a parting thought, I have to share these lovely pictures. My Aunt and Uncle got married at the Sokol Blosser Winery in the 1990’s and here I am participating in my first wedding. I’m pretty sure I was 13, and I remember having so much fun being the flower girl. I got all dolled up and wore heels for the very first time!