Prodottori del Barbaresco 2005 Barbaresco was the wine that I ordered to share with the adults on Saturday night in Houston at the Levy-Parzen-Rosenberg family reunion, although not everyone cared to try my selection. That’s Aunt Lilian (from left), cousin Marty, and father Zane. I guess reunions like this are bound to be sweet and bitter — the glass shared and the glass refused. It seemed only fitting that my wine of choice would be Produttori del Barbaresco since its flavors and aromas, its terroir and its ethos are red threads woven into the fabric of my life with Tracie P. The glass offered, the glass received, the glass refused.

Marty did a great job of organizing the dinner on Saturday night and cousins Dana and Neil treated everyone to a beautiful brunch on Sunday morning.

It’d be untrue for me to say that I wasn’t a little bit melancholy on the drive back to Austin from Houston. The sky was gray and cloudy but the fields were full of brilliant colors, like these Indian Paintbrushes.

The Texas countryside is beautiful this time of year.

Tracie P and I took our time getting home, making a detour around Zionville to enjoy the beautiful springtime scenery and to talk about the history of my family and the many kinfolk she met over the weekend.

And to remember the sweet fruit of the wine and its balance with the bitterness of its tannin.