Also picking grapes was Gabe Goltz, from the Four Seasons restaurant in San Francisco. “This is my second harvest,” Goltz explained. “I first came here because I saw a bottle of Grace Family wine at Del Frisco’s restaurant for $2,000. So I figured there must be something special going on. But after I got here, I realized it was a lot more than just wine. Dick has a strong personality that moves you to do things that make a difference. The first thing I did after my first pick was to sponsor two children from CARE in the Philippines on a monthly basis. I’m now also donating $50 per month to the World Wildlife Fund.”

Indeed, Dick Grace’s connection to winemaking has a decidedly spiritual edge. In 1988, the vintner replaced his passion for great wine (and drinking too much of it) with a passion for doing good works. On the road to recovery, he also discovered an affinity for Buddhism. “My definition of meditation is ‘being present’,” Dick said, taking a break from the grapes. “In a sense, the pick here is meditative. Everyone is here 100 percent. They’re not thinking about the Dow Jones or other aspects of their lives.”

Fortunately, the Grace harvest is not only about hard work. It took all morning to pick the three-plus acres of grapes on the estate property. But afterwards, a fine lunch was enjoyed by all on the front lawn. Friends brought favorite wines to share, and a small amount of the limited Grace Family wines also found their way into the glasses of a few lucky tasters, who were thrilled to drink the fruit of their labors—albeit from a previous vintage.

Perhaps the day was best summed up by Kirk Grace’s four-year-old son, Will—the third generation to work the vineyard. “This was more fun than a play date!” Will exclaimed. From any perspective, it seemed an auspicious debut for 2005.