VINE LINES — No matter what happens, my glass is always half full

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/07/2019 (2243 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s said that all good things must come to an end.

And it is with a heavy heart I tell you this is the last edition of Vine Lines in The Brandon Sun.

“The times, they are a changin’,” wrote Bob Dylan, and that’s exactly what’s happening here. After careful consideration of the results of the most recent readership survey, Sun management has decided that, after an almost 12-year run and close to 600 columns, it’s time for Vine Lines to say farewell.

To say I’ve enjoyed my time as “the wine lady,” as tons of people have flatteringly and affectionately called me over the last dozen years, would be a massive understatement. I’ve loved every minute of writing this column. And I’m humbled by the hundreds of responses I’ve received, by email and through Twitter, from all over southwestern Manitoba, all across the country and from California and Washington state as well.

Without question, the best thing about the whole experience has been the thousands of folks I’ve met because of wine and because of my connection to it through this column. From chatting to like-minded (or not-like-minded!) people at wine festivals to conducting seminars to just talking to readers on the street, in shops and in restaurants, I’ve been ultra-privileged to have been in this position for so very long.

You don’t have the longevity I’ve enjoyed without making a lot of friends along the way. There are so many supporters and column devotees to thank, I couldn’t possibly name them all. And with apologies to anyone I might miss — and that’s guaranteed to happen — there are certain people who must be acknowledged.

First among them is former Sun managing editor James O’Connor, who was, when I approached him over lunch with some sample columns in hand on Tuesday, Sept. 25 2007, so enthused about the idea of a wine column he insisted we go back to the Sun offices right that minute, take my photo for a headshot and run the first column on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007 — four days hence. I was shocked by the rapidity at which things happened, but here we are, almost 12 years later. I’m extraordinarily grateful to have been given the opportunity to write about wine tasting and wine experiences and wine travel, so I’m sadly nostalgic as I pen this final installment.

Others to whom I owe so much include Cindy Rousseau, Kathy Boultbee, Jeff Wolf, Peter Wilk, Steve McConnell, Ron Jackson, Rob Mowbray, Cindy Sigvaldason, Kevin Kotyk, Rod Foster, all the fabulous employees at Brandon’s four Liquor Marts, Jono Borden, Carrie-Lee Oberding, Laurie Christiansen, Flavia Fernandez Fabio, Rod Biebrich, Nancy Lecuyer, Dennis Wilson, Andrea Dyck, Jennifer Pollack, Jeff Banmann, James Engstrom, Christopher Sprague, Kyle Zalluski, Sylvia Jansen and Mike Muirhead and everybody at Banville & Jones Wine Co., Matt Goerzen, Grant Hamilton, Kate Wagner Zeke, the Brandon Wine Society, Bill Anderson, The Kenton Girls, the Okanagan Winery Tour gang — I mean, the list goes on and on.

While I’m grateful for all the encouragement I’ve had through the last dozen years, the best compliments I’ve received are not about my wine selections, although tons of people have let me know they really liked my recommendations. They’ve come from many avid newspaper readers who have said the following: “I could just hear you saying that!” from people who know me well, and “I don’t like wine, but I love your column,” from many who don’t know me at all! Those comments have meant the most to me because they suggest those folks appreciate my writing, which is an even greater passion for me than wine, if you can believe it. There are tears in my eyes as I type this, just thinking about the kind and generous reception I was treated to almost everywhere I went. I am a lucky woman indeed.

But while I will miss Vine Lines tremendously, the good news for me is that The Brandon Sun still wants me in the newspaper on a regular basis. So they’ve offered me a new weekly column, the details of which are still being determined, that will focus on local stories and situations and people. There’s going to be a lot of flexibility with content, an approach I love, so if you have a story idea or know of a person who deserves recognition, or if there’s an issue you think the community needs to know about, or even something quirky that might be of interest to others, please let me know.

It’ll take a while — this as-yet-unnamed feature will begin on Sept. 6 — to solidly determine the direction of this new column, but once we’ve got that sorted out, I’ll be able to tell you — you’ll likely be able to figure it out yourself — what sorts of stories I’ll be producing. There’ll still be some room for my unabashed opinions (perhaps you’ve noticed over the years I have some pretty strong feelings about particular things!), and I look forward to unapologetically presenting those for your perusal boldly as always.

So while this is goodbye for now, it’s not for long. It is indeed closing the book on Vine Lines, but certainly not on wine. I’d love to continue to talk, in person and through electronic media, about fermented grape juice with anyone and everyone who wants to do so. After all, my Twitter handle is @vinelinesbdn, and my email address is diane.vinelines@gmail.com. And neither of those is going to change!

It’s been my great privilege and pleasure to share my wine musings with all of you for nearly one-fifth of my life! Cheers to Vine Lines! And here’s to the future, whatever it may hold. Thank you for reading. And for sipping and savouring along with me.