Making it Happen
I've wanted to join the grape harvest since I arrived in Geneva and found it surrounded by vineyards.
Last weekend we visited the Luberon region of Provence in Southeast France, known for its fantastic food and wine, hilltop villages, bustling markets, and balmy climate. The Luberon region distills all that into just over 200 square miles. After a quick visit on Saturday to the Pope’s Palace in Avignon (who knew he lived in France for a while), we visited the Coustellet market on Sunday.
We learned a little about the olive oil, melons, and vegetables we purchased from multi-generational families via sign language and their tolerance of our horrid French. Then we met Claire from Domaine la Tuilière. Her wines, like her English, were excellent. We bought three bottles, and she invited us to stop by her tasting room for lunch the next day.
While biking later, I thought, “I bet I could help Claire with the harvest, or she knows someone else I could help.”
The following day we visited Colorado Provençal, an area of red and ochre-colored cliffs mined until 1990. Most of the park was closed due to a storm threat, and sure enough, we were chased back to the car by darkening skies and booming thunder.
With our plans for a morning hike and an afternoon bike ride cut short by the weather, we headed to the winery.
The skies finally unleashed their fury just as we arrived, so we started by helping Claire and her cousin bring the cushions in from the patio.
Her father bought the land in 1930 and planted the vineyards in 1960 so machines could harvest them someday. She mentioned he not only was still alive but still ran the place. Initially, he harvested in mid-October, but now they start in late August due to the increasingly hot and dry summers. As we paid for lunch and six more bottles to take home, I asked Claire about helping out during the harvest. Although they do harvest by machine now, there was still plenty to do, so she invited me to join and told me to watch Instagram, where she'd announce the date. My dream may be more mechanized and “Instagramed” than I imagined, but I’m looking forward to making it happen.
Driving home, I realized how easily I forget that deciding I want something isn’t enough - I have to make it happen. I do many things as a coach and a ski instructor, but my expertise is creating experiences that help clients decide what they want and do what they need to do to make it happen. To dip your toes into how I do that, join me for an in-person in Seattle, WA. If you want to jump into the deep end, please schedule a time to talk.
To Awe and Beyond!
Steve Hindman
+41 (0)79 796 08 97
WhatsApp +1 (360) 303-0473
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