Your “All in the Family” article about wineries owned by Princeton families (June issue) overlooked Sonoma-based Petris Vineyard & Winery, which I have owned and run for more than a decade. We are proud of our many gold and silver medals over the years but more so from the accolades by my classmates when I supplied our award-winning Syrah wine for the Class of 1962 dinner at our 55th reunion.
Despite my MBA from Stanford and years as an international executive, I have been unable to control the vicissitudes of nature, which include too much or too little rain, heat, and sunshine. Like all Northern California wineries, we have suffered from wildfires that have engulfed our region in recent years. Although vineyards themselves rarely burn, smoke taint makes the harvest undrinkable, as happened to us in 2017 and again in 2020.
Growing up, I said I never wanted to be a farmer because I would constantly worry about the weather. But I am, and I do. However, like all farmers, optimism reigns supreme. We hope this year’s crop will escape the ravages of fire, extreme weather, and disease to give us the best vintage ever.