05/05/2026
Overwhelmed with Gratitude is the simplest way to put it. This weekend was unlike any other. We attended the Spring Town Point festival for year #2, we thought we had an idea of what to expect…boy was I wrong.
From almost selling out of everything we brought on Saturday, to Sue & Paul graciously packing up another truckload of material for us and meeting Daniel at the Mechanicsville Turnpike at 9pm on Saturday to throw it all in the U-Haul, turn right back around and come back to Virginia Beach…screw cap machine included. I think this was the most scenic bottling view I’ll ever witness. Daniel and I got up at 5am to get to the park Sunday morning, unload, and bottle sangria like madmen for 4.5 hours to the very last minute before the festival started at 11am.
We simply could not have done it without the Volunteers and friends who we adore and believe in us – THANK YOU to Rachel, who flew out of Indiana and kept me smiling the whole time. Zee’s attention to detail and handwritten descriptions of each of the wines, who encouraged the moment of pause and appreciation at the end of the day as she’s seen our progress from year 1 to year 2; Emily’s exuberant energy that matches Rachel’s (they’re sisters! After moving to VA, how fun knowing one of my favorite friends has a sister I love so dearly!) Julia, the OG volunteer, who arrived early and stayed late who we value so much. She keeps us organized and on the straight and narrow. As I was tearfully wishing Kennedy and Markayla best wishes on their endeavors moving to Texas, I was met by an excited future volunteer who actually snapped this photo for us. When I think of God’s provision throughout this weekend in particular, all I see is a seamless, ongoing ribbon; blessings were poured out, and we are so grateful. In reality these blessings are around us all the time, but this weekend I saw them without contest.
My Mom & Dad, who lovingly doted on our kids for weeks during this festival season. My dad for getting up and making us breakfast and coffee each day.
Paul & Sue, who at the drop of a hat on Saturday night, willingly packed up 32 cases of empty cases, 30+ gallons of wine, a screwcap machine, and all the miscellaneous items needed to make sure we had what we needed for Sunday.
Reliable and dedicated tasting room staff (Ginny, Nate, Emma!) who allow me the freedom to forget about the winery this weekend, knowing how caring and capable they each are.
Running a winery and attending festivals feels like an extreme sport sometimes, but one that requires group effort and WOW do we feel supported and loved. We conquered this weekend.
The last picture: on the way to the Park on Sunday morning, we saw the sun rising over the beach. We jumped out of the U-Haul, sprinted to the beach, snapped a selfie, and enjoyed the sunrise for about 15 seconds before running back to the U-Haul. We hit the ground running and didn’t stop running all day. We got a few comments, “You did all that? I would have just….” We did the work, and the work paid off. We went home with less than 10 cases of wine. We believe in our product and we’re so grateful for our customers.
The contrast of the disappointment from the spring freeze to the excitement of the high of this weekend feels like a rollercoaster. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that; but in the meantime, I’m just going to take it all in stride.
We are celebrating 8 years of marriage today, Cinco de Mayo. Ocho años de Klinefelter. Grateful for each one and hopefully many decades to come. If you know Daniel, then you know how lucky I am to get to spend each day with him. Even if he does things like bring home ATV’s without talking to me first. I am so grateful. -Crista
