#116 Top Ten List for 2024

This year, I am recognizing people (and a pet) who have chosen "to be" rather than "not to be." In other words, they have chosen "agency" over "victimhood."

One of William Shakespeare’s more famous lines comes from the play, Hamlet.

“To be, or not to be,” Hamlet says, “that is the question.”

Another question is: “What does that line really mean?”

One (of several) interpretations is that “to be” means to have “agency,” or “to take action;” and “not to be” is to remain “passive,” or to “play the victim.”

This year’s Top 10 List takes note of those we know who have opted “to be.”

Pictured above is Bill Darcy, his wife, Kristy (riding in the back) and their three sons.

#10 A Family That Has Taken the Leap: Four years ago, Bill and Kristy Darcy visited Boundary Breaks to taste wine. I served them, and they engaged me in a long conversation about what it is like to grow grapes in the Finger Lakes. Since then, Bill and Kristy have purchased 20 acres of property near us and asked us to oversee the establishment of a vineyard on that site. They are not just “talking the talk” they are now “walking the walk” with us. They are not taking the path of least resistance, and we are happy to be taking that walk with them. Bravo.

From left, Vineyard Team members Jesse Kovnat, Kees Stapel and John Swick with lugs of newly-harvested Gewürztraminer.

#9 The Team That Has Made the Darcy’s Leap Possible: Kees, John and Jesse are “walking the walk” by managing the new, Darcyboys Winegrowers Vineyard described above. This year, in addition to planting six acres of our own vines, they prepped and planted five acres on the Darcyboys’ site. These are quite different sites (as described in Substack #85 and Substack #100). Kees and his team could easily have declined to take on an additional five acres, given the 55 acres of our own that we are already managing. The Darcyboys site is off to a very good start, and that is because Kees and his team has treated it as if it were their own. They could have said to me, “Nah, let’s not do this. We have enough work to do.” But they didn’t say that. They said, “We got this.”

The founding group of the Cab Franc Forward initiative, a collaborative effort among wineries in New York State to promote Cabernet Franc as the signature red grape variety for New York State.

#8 Cab Franc Forward: It might take ten years or more to persuade wine consumers that the best Cab Franc wines made in America come from New York State. But that does not deter those of us who are organizing a campaign to advance the reputation of this wine. It is a long-term investment in both planting, producing and promoting Cab Franc. It would be easier not to do this, but that is not the path that this group is taking. For more see Substack #112.

Here is my wife, Diana, in the middle of cooking dozens and dozens of cookies for the Holiday Cookie Pairing program. She did not realize when she came up with this idea that it would become so popular. Years ago, she could have declared victory and quit making the cookies herself, but no, that would have been the path of least resistance. Nevertheless, she persisted.

#7 (Actually the Permanent #1): Diana and the Wine Guide team continue to surprise guests who come in for the wine paired with cookies. Yes, you can pair wine and cookies. Not only does Diana bake all the cookies herself, she also spends weeks testing recipes to make sure that she doesn’t repeat the exact same line-up of cookies year-after-year.

#6 You Have to Be In It to Win It: One of my activities outside of Boundary Breaks is serving on the Board of the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency, or “IDA”. Its goal is to foster economic development in the county by encouraging employers to locate their businesses here. Two years ago, after a very, very long process, the IDA in Onondaga County (the county where Diana and I grew up) announced it had secured a $100 billion commitment from computer chipmaker Micron to locate a manufacturing plant there. There have been delays, and there are some doubters still about the ultimate outcome. But the process would not have gotten this far if it had not been for a handful of people who thought they could make something happen. They set a good example.

Brianna Ahouse (left) and Ally D’Alessandro (right) are part of our Hospitality team.

#5 Youth and Experience: We have an exceptional team of Wine Guides who are responsible for guiding guests through our wines, answering questions and for making each visit satisfying. Our Wine Guides seem to fall into two categories: a) young people who were raised in the area and are in the process of making their way in the world; and b) older people who have retired and moved to the Finger Lakes and enjoy staying engaged with other people on a part-time basis. Brianna Ahouse is in the first category and Ally D’Alessandro is in the second. We are lucky that they have decided to join us. Each is an exceptional Wine Guide, and we are very lucky to have them and all the other Wine Guides on the team.

Ziggy turned seven this year. The DNA test we did indicated that he is 50 percent Australian Shepherd (a territorial, herding breed); 25 percent Staffordshire Terrier, (a breed known for intelligence and energy); and 25 percent Rat Terrier (a breed known for its persistence.)

#4 Our Dog With the Expressive Eyes: Ziggy lives with Diana and me, and he displays all the traits of the breeds that appear in his DNA profile. We have an intelligent, persistent and energetic companion. He is also territorial and fearless, especially when another dog decides to make the first move against him. Running Boundary Breaks requires a daily routine; our time is rather structured. Ziggy has learned our schedule and routine and has clearly figured out where he fits into it.

On occasion, when we deviate from our routine, he will remind us of this deviation, usually with some kind of distinct “vocalization." There is the “My water bowl is empty” sound; he has a different “I am outside and it is time to come in,” vocalization. Another distinct vocalization is, “There are deer outside and I want to chase them.” Sometimes it would be easier if he were more compliant, more like a Labrador Retriever. But his DNA requires him to stand up for himself. At these times, he is the embodiment of “agency.”

My friend, Glen Gormezano (left), and me (right) hiking a trail on the California coast during one of our trips to visit him and his wife, Masae Kawamura.

#3 A Long-term Friendship: Diana and I attended the wedding of Glen and Masae’s son, Koji, last year in September (see Substack #51.) I have been friends with Glen since 1980 when I lived in California for six years. He was the person who introduced me to food and wine in the early 1980’s and has been a generous friend ever since. He has been one who never took the path of least resistance, and I am grateful to him for that.

Mary-Kate Badalamenti is our Sales and Marketing Manager. She grew up in Ovid and attended St. John’s University in Queens, NY.

#2 Voted Most Likely to Succeed: Mary-Kate turned up at Boundary Breaks in 2018 and said she wanted a summer job while she was going to school. She is now a key member of our management team. Three years ago, she became our Wine Club Manager. Last year our Outside Sales Representative decided he wanted to make a move into the software business. Mary-Kate then said, “Don’t hire anyone else, I will do that job, too.” And she has done that and more. She definitely has not taken the path of least resistance. Oh, and she also handles our Marketing, too.

In a picture taken in 1986, I am on the left, my younger brother, James, in the middle and my older brother Chris on the right. We all went out separate ways shortly thereafter and rarely, if ever, have been in a picture like this with just the three of us again.

#1 A Torch Passes: In October of this year, my father passed away at age 94 (see Substack #107). He was the oldest of his generation. In my family’s tradition (and many others), the eldest of any generation, whether male or female, deserves deference. And when the eldest passes, the deference quietly (and mysteriously) passes to the eldest of the next generation. That would be my brother, Chris. He lives in Belgium and retired after a long career in the US Foreign Service, notably as US Ambassador to the African nation of Congo Brazzaville. In the aftermath of our fathers’ passing, as we sort through some of the details, my younger brother and I have seem to have no trouble deferring to Chris, the eldest of his generation. We are not finding this difficult, as he is not one to take the path of least resistance.