Editor:

I loved Jane Firstenfeld's January article on starting up a winery, especially all the hoops that Marc Cohen had to go through. What an eye-opener from the romantic idea many of us have who dream of owning a winery someday. All the steps getting to planting vines make a winery owner become construction worker, city planner and of course, lawyer. No wonder so many lawyers own wineries.

What it also gave me was an appreciation of the dedication and extreme patience a winery owner must have long before a sip of grape juice is even possible. Thanks for the informative coverage. Keep up the good work. It sure makes me think about personality traits of those starting new wineries--not the impulsive, instant gratification types, nor those with shallow pockets.

Question: Did those start-ups know what they were in for?

s/ Sondra Barrett, Ph.D.
Scientist-photographer
Wine Portraits Through
The Microscope
Forestville, Calif.
via e-mail