Last week, I wrote about the upcoming Pinot Days tasting in San Francisco, and offered to give away four pairs of tickets to the brave souls that were willing to write poems to the “heartbreak grape.”

Well, I’m now happy to announce the winners, and to showcase their efforts. Thanks for the fun. By the time you read this I will have reached out to you with information about tickets, so shoot me a note if you haven’t heard from me.

Thanks for playing! And for the rest of you, enjoy some Pinot Poetry.

WINNER #1 – AUTUMN CRONIN

H – Harvest to heartbreak, the name of the game
E – Every year a new vintage, no one is the same
A – A labor of love, though no love is lost
R – Red juice flowing, fills all our thoughts
T – Time to revel in the Petaluma Gap
B – Burgundy to Paso, you’re all over the map
R – Rhone and Bordeaux darken with envy
E – Each so jealous, your taste is heavenly
A – A good year we wish for, with all of our might
K – Kind be the wine Gods who bless our good fight

G – Grapes that we tend to day after day
R – Rain and phylloxera, please don’t take them away
A – And now it is time to all raise a glass…
P – Pinot Days are upon us, finally, at last!
E – Enjoy! Salud! And Cheers! – This will be the best of years!

WINNER #2 – GLEN SIMISTER

Night fall breaks its peak
we open the cabinets for a peak
bespeaking for the one we seek
a Pinot of noir
so to speak

nights of livid mephitis,
others of pristine gold
clay, oak and wood
and any other degrees,
of foul or wool

dichotomy,
a word of love
of both disgust and awe
both must flourish,
if one love be nourished

a heartbreak
only a word,
for a hope’s vitiation

Pinot,
for those in the know,
an endeavor

WINNER #3 – DEVEY

Oregon Pinot Seasons

Rain, gusts, hail, and clouds
My small fingers desperately grip
Giant loppers, soaked pants
Fumbling twist ties, wrestling canes
The ice cold wire a knife into my frozen finger tips
I look out over the endless gray sticks
Stabbing defiantly into the wet granite expanse
My heart breaks in this dreariness
And I wish for spring

Rain, breezes, sun, and clouds
My small fingers desperately clutch
Tractor wheels, wine boxes
Writing spray programs, pouring wine
The parade of events a blur of repetition in my mind
I look out over the expanse of people
Wandering both aimlessly and with conviction
My heart breaks with longing to be them
And I wish for summer

Rain, moon, stars, and clouds
My small fingers desperately cling
Pruning shears, power washers
Selecting shoots, tirelessly cleaning
The vines run ahead taunting me to keep up
I look out over the wild tangled masses of green
Daring me to tame them in miles of wires
My heart breaks to keep my breaking back company
And I wish for fall

Rain, wind, fog, and clouds
My small fingers desperately attack
Forklift levers, harvest buckets
Swatting wasps, measuring additions
I look out over the sudden bins of heartbreak grapes
Mocking my determined efforts while the press whirs
My heart breaks from sleep deprivation
And I wish for a beer

WINNER #4 – LAWRENCE HILL

Passion Noir Pre’veiled

Love letters written in near invisible ink,
What are you trying to say?
You promise the Moon, you
Make me to swoon;
You confound me to think-
Do you want me to go
Or, to stay.

If only I knew; what to do
What gesture, what trinket to buy.
Our souls would be brightened,
Uplifted, delightened
If only you loved me
Like I love you.

Oh, Pinot
Sometimes you’ll laugh, but
So, so often you’ll cry.
My consternation; my torment is wondering…
Why..?

* * *

There you have it. Now go out and drink some Pinot Noir, and write some poetry of your own.