Fire in the Vineyard

by Christa Polkinhorn

  “Thank you, guys, this is wonderful,” Sofia said and hugged Janice, who was sitting next to her.

  When she opened the present Juanita and Nora gave her, she gasped. She unwrapped a beautiful quilted blanket for the crib. It was made of tiny squares of cloth in many different colors, lovingly assembled and stitched together. “This is absolutely gorgeous. Look at these colors.”

  “Nora made it,” Juanita said.

  “What? You made that by yourself? This is amazing.” Sofia looked at the girl.

  “Well, my mother helped a little,” Nora said. She was a slim, pretty fifteen-year-old with long black hair and large dark eyes. She was suffering from multiple sclerosis and was confined to a wheelchair. As Sofia knew, Nora was Juanita and Romero’s only child and both a blessing and a heartbreak for her parents.

  “This is so beautiful. Thank you.” Sofia got up and embraced Nora, who gave a quick embarrassed smile.

  The door opened halfway and Nicholas peeked into the room. “Are men allowed in this shindig?”

  “Come on in,” Maria called, laughing. “We make exceptions for husbands … and grandfathers and, of course, managers,” she added as Martin and Romero followed Nicholas inside.

  Nicholas and Martin took a quick look at the gifts, then walked over to the table with the sweets and coffee. Romero stood next to his wife and daughter. He was a slim man in his late forties of medium height with black hair streaked with gray and dark eyes that always looked a little troubled.

  “Romero, I absolutely love this.” Sofia held up the quilt. “It’s so beautiful.”

  Romero smiled and for once his sad eyes lit up. “Nora made it.”

  “I know. It’s amazing.” Sofia handed the quilt to Maria and Janice, who admired it. “Perfect stitching,” Maria said to Nora. “You really did a great job. I used to be part of a quilting group with a few other women, and your work is as good as any we did.”

  Romero touched Nora’s shoulder. She grabbed his hand and held it in hers. Sofia sensed the close bond between father and daughter. She knew that Romero and Juanita worried a lot about Nora, of what would become of her if anything ever happened to them, who would look after her, should she survive them both.

  “Romero, come on over here and have some coffee and sweets,” Martin said.

  “Help yourselves.” Sofia chuckled. “I know that’s what you and Nicholas really came for, not the baby stuff.”

  Nicholas shoved his sun-bleached hair away from his face. “Not true. Well, perhaps a little. You know how much we love Grandma’s pastry.” His eyes lit up with a mischievous glint as he bit into a tart. He gobbled half of it before stopping to sip his coffee, and then finished it off as he gazed around the room. “Ah, toys,” he said. He set down his cup and walked to the gift table. He picked up a carved wooden train car. “Why, look at this.”

  “Isn’t it cute?” Sofia said. “Uncle Angelo made it.”

  “Wow,” Nicholas said. “I didn’t know he was artistic like this.”

  Angelo, who was Martin’s younger brother and great-uncle to Sofia and Nicholas, lived about twenty-five miles south, in San Luis Obispo. He and his wife, Miriam, were out of town and hence missed the baby shower.

  “Are you finished with the racking?” Sofia asked Nicholas, referring to a process at the winery, when the fermenting wine was separated from the leftover solids.

  “Yep, with Romero, Grandpa, and Matt helping, it went fast. By the way, Matt will be here in a few minutes,” Nicholas said.

  “Where’s Robert these days?” Sofia asked. “I haven’t seen him around in a while.”

  “On one of his many trips,” Janice said. “He’s in Spain promoting one of our wines once again.”

  “Do you mind that he’s gone so much?” Sofia asked.

  Janice shrugged. “I got used to it. In the beginning, I went with him quite often, but lately, I’ve grown tired of the constant trips. I agree with Matt. He takes these wine contests too far. How many more awards can he put up in his office? I understand him visiting his clients personally. That’s important to maintain relationships. The rest is superfluous, I think.”

  “Yes, he should focus more on the estate itself,” Martin said. “But he’ll realize it one day. He’s stubborn. It has to be his idea to make changes.”

  “Exactly.” Janice nodded. “That’s why I stopped mentioning it. He’ll come around.”

  Grandma Maria turned to Julietta who sat next to her. “Have some more pie and coffee.”

  “Thanks. No more pie for me. I have to watch my weight. Too much junk food at the college.” Julietta patted her hips.

  “When are you coming home for the summer?” Maria asked.

  “Soon. The spring term ends at the beginning of June. I’m really looking forward to working in a vineyard again.” Julietta smiled. “And helping to take care of little Henry, of course.” She patted Sofia’s bulging belly.

  “I’ll be very grateful for the help,” Sofia said. “Ouch, he kicked.” She put her hand on her belly. “He must agree.”

  “I heard that a fellow student is coming to work during the summer,” Nicholas said to Julietta.

  “Yes, I saw him in Ken’s office the other day.” Sofia turned to Julietta. “A very attractive young man.”

  “Oh, yes. Adam is very nice.”

  Sofia noticed her sister blushing. “Hmm. Sounds like romance could be in the air.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Julietta said. “We went out a few times, but we’re just friends.”

  At that moment, the door opened and Matthew stepped inside. He removed his baseball cap and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Gee, it’s hot out there.” He kissed Sofia and put a package into her lap, then walked over to the table with the sweets. “Now, what do we have here?”

  “Help yourself, honey.” Maria got up, poured him a cup of coffee, and pushed the plate of strawberry tarts toward him.

  “Thanks, Grandma. You don’t need to tell me twice.” Matthew took a bite of the pastry. “Although I should really watch my calories. The scale gave me a shock the other day.” He laid a hand on his stomach.

  Matthew didn’t resemble his older brother at all, at least not in looks. While Nicholas took after their mother—he was tall, slim and had light-blond hair and brown eyes—Matthew had inherited their father’s Italian features. Like Robert, he was of medium height, somewhat stocky and had dark, curly hair and dark, almost black, eyes.

  “Oh, come on, Matt,” Sofia said, as Matthew sat next to her. “It’s all muscles.”

  “Thank you, my dear, but I know better.”

  “Matt, these are so cute. Thanks.” Sofia held up two tiny outfits, one with the Paso Robles logo and one with the picture of a race car on it.”

  Janice pointed at the outfit with the picture of a car on it. “You think your future nephew will be a car fanatic like you are?”

  Matthew shrugged and smiled. “I can always hope. Once I get too old to drive, he can chauffeur me around.”

  “How is your new baby?” Nicholas asked.

  “You mean the one with the four wheels?” Matthew winked at him. “Perfect. I just gave it a thorough cleaning and polishing.” He hesitated. “Although I still feel a little guilty for splurging. The conservative thing would’ve been to pay off my student loan first. But it was such a great deal. I was afraid if I waited, it would be gone.”

  “Well, Matt, you deserve a little luxury once in a while, too. You work very hard,” Janice said.

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “What year is it again?” Martin asked.

  “A ninety-one Porsche convertible,” Matthew said. “It’s really a classic car.”

  “Great.” Martin smiled. “You have to give me a ride sometime.”

  “I will, Grandpa. But you can drive it yourself anytime you want.”

  “Ah, no. I prefer to be driven.”

  “All right. What about this coming Saturday?” Matthew asked.

  Martin gave
a thumbs up. “It’s a deal.”

  “By the way, when is Dad coming back from Spain?” Matthew turned to Janice.

  “The last weekend in June,” Janice said. “I’ll pick him up at the airport.”

  “Good. Romero and I need to talk to him. I really hope he’ll be around for a while. We decided to physically tie him to his chair in the office, so he can’t leave. Right, Romero?”

  Romero nodded and a quick smile flashed across his face.

  Matthew looked at him thoughtfully. “Romero, I don’t know how you do it. You seem to always get along with Dad. He sometimes yells at you and you just shrug it off. I wish I had your even temper.”

  Romero gave another quick smile. “I don’t take his outbursts personally. He is a little impatient sometimes, but he is a good man. He has a good heart. My family and I owe him a lot.”

  “How long have you worked for us, Romero?” Janice frowned. “About twelve or thirteen years, right?”

  Romero nodded. “It will be sixteen years this fall.” He cleared his throat and continued in his mild-mannered voice. “We’d just had a baby.” He smiled at Nora. “I lost my job as a sommelier at a restaurant—one of Segantino Winery’s customers. The owner of the restaurant moved to the East Coast and the outfit closed. I knew about wine, but I had no experience working for an actual winery. Robert hired me on the spot, and here we are.”

  “Well, you learned very quickly,” Janice said. “Robert is very grateful to have you.”

  “Thank you,” Romero whispered. His eyes had the usual somber expression again.

  Chapter 5

  “Congratulations!” Julietta and Sofia greeted Robert as he walked into the tasting room after his return from Europe, where the Syrah he submitted at the contest in Spain had won another award.

  “Thanks, guys.” Robert gave them the thumbs up. “This isn’t just a win for me, but for the estate. So, congratulations to all of you as well.” He walked over to Sofia who held the newest member of the Segantino family in her arms. Little Henry had been born three weeks before, while Robert was in Spain. Sofia handed him the baby. He held his grandchild in his arms and kissed the little boy’s head. “You, too, won an award. You’re our next generation.” Henry opened his blue eyes, then closed them again, opened his mouth wide and yawned. Robert smiled and cradled the baby a while before handing him back to Sofia.

  Julietta noticed that Robert was in a good mood. He had a big smile on his face, and his usually dark piercing eyes looked warm and mild. He glanced at Julietta and Adam who stood next to Sofia.

  “Uncle Robert, this is Adam. He’s a friend of mine from college, and he works with Ken in Accounting for the summer. He hasn’t had a chance to really look around yet. I’m going to give him a tour. He said his family knows our wine and they love it. He wants to see how it’s made.”

  “Welcome.” Robert shook Adam’s hand. “Ken told me you were a great help.”

  “Thanks,” Adam said. “There is quite a backlog of data to be entered, but we’re catching up. Thank you for letting me work here. What an interesting place. I’m learning a lot.”

  “You’re welcome. So you’re a student at Cal Poly as well?”

  “Yes. Julietta and I are in the same program.”

  “Adam is a year ahead of me. He helps me out a lot.”

  “Wonderful,” Robert said. “Enjoy the tour. Come back and taste some wine. You’re old enough to drink, right?”

  “Yes, I’m twenty-two.”

  “Great. See you later then.”

  “Are you even allowed in the tasting room, since you’re not twenty-one yet?” Adam asked Julietta as they began walking through the estate.

  “Yes, that’s fine. They don’t just sell wine, they have things such as marmalade, olives, and other delicacies that underage people can buy. I’m just not allowed to taste wine. Robert could really get into trouble with the law if I was caught. At home, in my sister’s home, I mean, I can drink wine. I’m not much into alcohol. I didn’t even like wine when I lived on our estate in Tuscany. But I’m starting to develop a taste for it.”

  “Yeah, I’m not a big drinker myself, but I do like an occasional glass of red wine,” Adam said.

  They walked through the estate, along some of the vineyards, and Julietta showed him the area with the fermentation tanks, the crusher, the wine press, and the large underground cellar.

  Adam crinkled his nose and inhaled. “Interesting smell. I like it.”

  “Yes, I know.” Julietta inhaled deeply. “I love it, too. It's the French oak barrels ... or a combination of aging wine and oak.” She chuckled. “Reminds me of home.”

  “This is really great.” Adam was surveying the rows of barrels in the cellar. He pointed at an area with tables, chairs, and wooden benches. “What’s this for?”

  “They’re planning to use it for entertainment,” Julietta explained. “They’ll have food and wine and rent it out for parties. Matthew, Nicholas’s brother, who works here as well, is in charge of developing the cellar. He also plans to invite musicians for live music.”

  “Splendid idea. I wouldn’t mind coming here for entertainment. This is quite unique,” Adam said. “I have a friend who plays saxophone in a jazz band. He may be interested.”

  “You should definitely tell Matthew about it. He’s looking for local bands.”

  After a stroll through the vineyards and the cellar, they walked back to the tasting room. A few customers were there, talking to Robert and sipping wine or browsing the gift items and accessories. Sofia and Janice were helping out.

  “Where is Henry?” Julietta asked, looking around the room.

  Sofia motioned toward the back, where the baby was fast asleep in his buggy. “He’s conked out, he woke up a few times at night and he’s been up since the crack of dawn.” Sofia suppressed a yawn. “But once we got here, he fell asleep, so I didn’t want to disturb him. I’m going to take him over to Grandma’s in a while. I need to feed him.”

  “I bet it’s the wine fumes.” Robert chuckled. “Calms him down.”

  “Nonsense.” Janice laughed. “He’s just been busy tiring out his mom and dad. Since he accomplished that, now he can go to sleep. Our kids did that all the time.”

  “Did you like your tour?” Robert asked Adam.

  “Yes, it’s great. I really loved the underground cellar. I heard you’re planning to have entertainment for guests there.”

  “Yeah, Matt, my son, is in charge of organizing it.” Robert grabbed a bottle of red wine. “You said you tasted some of our wine. What kind was it?”

  Adam scrunched his forehead. “Oh, I think it was a Cabernet.”

  “Where did you get it?”

  “Actually, my uncle got it for us. I don’t know where he got it. My parents and I loved it a lot and my father said he wanted to order some.”

  “Since you know our Cab, you may want to try something else. Here is a list of what’s available for tasting.”

  “Thanks.” Adam looked at the list. “Oh, you have Sangiovese? I’d love to try some.”

  “Okay. Do you have identification? Not that I don’t trust you, but by law I’m obligated to check.”

  “No problem.” Adam pulled out his wallet and searched for his driver’s license while Robert poured him a small glass of Sangiovese.

  “This is actually from the cellar of Sofia and Nicholas Segantino.” He motioned at Sofia. “My daughter-in-law. Nicholas is my other son.”

  “Okay, so the whole family is in the wine business?” Adam remarked.

  “Yes, more or less.”

  Adam handed him his driver’s license.

  “Thanks.” Robert glanced at it and nodded, then before giving it back, he looked at it again. “Your last name is Winter?”

  “Yes,” Adam said. “Why?”

  Robert narrowed his eyes. “Any connection to George Winter?”

  Adam nodded. “Yeah, he’s my uncle. Actually it’s because of him that I know your wine. He br
ought us a bottle once.”

  Julietta looked at Robert who kept staring at Adam’s driver’s license. He finally handed it back to him but seemed puzzled, almost shocked. He gave Adam a serious and measured look. “He worked for the government, right? I met him a couple of times.”

  “That’s right. He used to work for San Luis Obispo City Hall, but that was a while ago.” Adam shrugged. “We’re not real close. My dad and he are kind of estranged.”

  Robert continued to look at him bewildered. “Do you know where he got our wine? We usually only sell to restaurants and stores, or to individuals in our wine club. And I’m sure he’s not in the club.”

  “No idea, sorry.” Adam shrugged. “It was a family celebration, my father’s birthday, and Uncle George came by with a bottle of Segantino wine. I assume he bought it at a store.”

  Julietta was surprised at Robert’s demeanor. He seemed preoccupied.

  “Well, whatever. Want to try something else?” After pouring Adam another glass of wine, he joined Janice who was talking to a client.

  Julietta noticed though that he kept glancing at Adam and her. She wondered what bothered him. Adam was such a pleasant guy, but Robert stared at them with an almost hostile look. The warmth in his eyes had given way to a sharp, penetrating gaze, which made Julietta feel uncomfortable.

  “Let's go outside,” she said to Adam. “It's getting too crowded in here.”

  He looked at her puzzled, then finished his glass and put it on the counter. “Yeah, I guess I should be getting back to work anyway.”

  Outside, Julietta took a deep breath.

  “You're okay?” Adam asked.

  “Oh, yes,” she lied. “I'm fine. I just remembered I have to do some laundry. Running out of clean clothes.”

  Adam gave her a quick hug.” Thank you for showing me around. That was fascinating.”

  “I'm glad you liked it,” Julietta said. “See you tomorrow, then.” She watched as Adam climbed the short path to the office, then turned to gaze at the fields of grapes and the meadows, where the shadows of the oak trees had lengthened in the late afternoon sun. She shook her head, trying to dispel the memory of Robert's strange behavior. It's probably nothing. Uncle Robert can be moody sometimes.