Let's not force it!

In early December,?together with Carrie and John from the US, we visited the?gentleman on the right of the picture. His name is?Lucas Rieffel, in Mittelbergheim, Alsace.?

As you can imagine, we were there to enjoy and taste his great wines, but without expecting it,?we got more from him than the flavours of his Sylvaner, Rieslings, Pinot Noir and Cremants.??

Multiple generations of the Rieffel family have lived in Mittelbergheim and the family house and buildings date to the 15th century. Lucas is the third generation in terms of bottling and commercialising wine and has been full-time on the Domaine since 1996.

After the visit?to his old cellar, we saw him chatting with his younger son in the courtyard.??

The?moment?prompted John to ask a question, which I translated the best I could. How is the changing of hands in the?Domaine from one generation to the next managed? - He asked.?A great?question that I?also had in my mind.?

He said -?I don't. We don't (he?and his wife).?I will not put any pressure on my kids to follow my winemaking steps.?I cannot force them. If I do, the wine will not?taste?good.?

So many times, we try hard to do what we should, or think we should, without letting things follow their flow, their natural course.

I find myself many, many times forcing things to happen,?fabricating actions,?feeling the inside urge?to do, to move, rather than letting go and waiting for the natural progress of life.

My wine will never taste good if I continue this way.?

One reason for this is that I suffer from the "Task Switching" complex, I get distracted with many ideas,?lose focus and jump to the next thing. When I realize it, I try to go back on track by overdoing it or pushing myself,?but in the end, I don't feel good, there is always something missing. I don't?feel?productive or have a sense of?growing in the direction I want.?

This year, I am taking Lucas' words with me. I will frame them somewhere, for when the "doing" urge crawls back up. I know it will.?