Every day in the vineyards is labor day

So Labor Day in the USA is over.  Later today, all of us will go back to what we euphemistically call "the grind" of work.  Now, perhaps, is the time for all wine lovers to reflect on the fact that every bottle we enjoy is the result of immense labor.  Sometimes, on small, private estates, the sweat equity is invested by members of the family who own the vineyards.  However, in many cases, migrant laborers are the ones who plow the soil, plant the seedlings, root up the weeds, pull the leaves, pick the grapes and attend to the thousand-and-one details that go into tending vines.  While working in the wine trade, I spent part of one day in the vineyards, and I loved every second of it.  However, it was easy to see that for the Mexicans and Eastern Europeans who worked the vines throughout the year on the East End of Long Island, it was back-breaking work.  I had the good fortune to spend a portion of a nice, mild summer day amidst the vines.  Those who make their living working in the vineyards do it in the rain, in the cold, and in the snow.  Many of them grow to love the vines that produce the vintages we enjoy with our dinner, and serve to our guests.  They find a calling, and for many -- including some who are in the United States without documentation -- they also find a home.  Let's find time to give thanks to those whose work is utterly indispensable to the world of wine.