#71 Excellent Advice I Did Take

Which explains why it will take 40 years to complete my part of this project.

Cameron “Tunker” Hosmer started Hosmer Winery with his wife, Maren, in 1985. Like me, he was raised in Syracuse, NY, and planted grapes in the Finger Lakes long before it became fashionable.

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In 2007, when I had an idea of planting a vineyard in the Finger Lakes, one of the people I looked up was Tunker Hosmer. Since we had attended the same elementary school in Syracuse, NY (he was a year older), I thought I could re-introduce myself and solicit his advice.

I sat down at a picnic table at his vineyard, and said I was interested in acquiring farmland to plant grapes. He asked me, “How many acres of vines do you want to plant?”

“Thirty,” I said.

“Woah,” he said, holding up his hand, “that is a lot of wine to sell. I suggest you start with six.”

His advice was: go slowly; take plenty of time to get it right. He could have said nothing. But he could see that I was unfamiliar with what I might be getting into. Beause it can be painful to watch someone struggle, he offered well-meaning advice.

Two years later, 2009, I contracted with Tunker and his son, Tim, to plant the first six acres of Riesling, using their grape vine planter.

Tim Hosmer, is seated on the planter, while Tunker is visible on the opposite side feeding Tim vines. Ben Ringling who worked for me that first year, is following the planter with a handful of orange flags to mark any spot where the planter misses the placement of a vine.

Seventeen years after that first conversation, Tunker’s advice, in translation, was: “Be careful. There are a lot of ways to make mistakes.” Or as we wrote in Substack #38, “play within yourself.”

We have absorbed the consequences of taking that advice. Instead of the 12-15 year plan in 2007, we now have a 40-year plan. Having accepted that new timetable, our planning shifts toward the next generation, whomever that might include.

Tunker’s son, Tim, has now taken over the majority of the daily activities at Hosmer Vineyards. His partner, Brooke, is the general manager. The Hosmer Vineyards are in very good hands.

We think we are in good hands now. The goal is to still be in good hands 40 years from now.