Act of Brotherly Love

Since writing this in a Brothers Wines Newsletter back in 2010, I have had numerous folk ask me for a copy. I have therefore decided to put the relevant segment online here for all to access bearing in mind the time of year. I hope you enjoy...

[What I'm referring to here, is Brotherly Love. I don’t mean in some soppy sense of the term, but rather in considering our siblings, both past and present. And it is with that in mind that I write to you, as an actual brother. Whether it be brother-to-brother or sister-to-brother, it’s irrelevant really. Some may not automatically consider one’s brother as their best mate, and that may be true. However there is a bond there that we cannot deny, and something that should endure no matter what, in the long-run at least. Leonardo DiCaprio said, “Brothers don't necessarily have to say anything to each other, they can sit in a room and be together and just be completely comfortable with each other.”

I was recently reminded of this fact when chatting to a mate, and fellow wine maker who happened to lose his brother some years ago, and in chatting about it I was moved by the emotion he showed. Having lost my brother too, far too early in our adult lives, I am well aware of how much of a void this forms, no matter how much one had or didn't have in common. As much as the name ‘Brothers Wines’ was a sentimental dedication to my boys, Dylan and Alex, and their incredible friendship overriding the niggles and irritations, it was with my own brother, Trevor, in mind too that I decided to call my winery ‘Brothers’. Dylan Thomas put it nicely into perspective for me when he wrote, “Last year it snowed too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea.” That kind of sums it up for me.

And so, for those of you still fortunate enough to have brothers, and may or may not have thought about them much this past stressful year, for you it’s not too late to use this time of year to show them that you actually do give a damn. The ideal of course is to celebrate this reality together, but that may not always be possible for practical reasons... Therefore, why don't you give your brother two bottles of wine this Festive Season..

The idea here is that you pull the cork on one, at the most appropriate occasion, possibly around the fire with your brother after the rest of the family have all gone to bed, or perhaps shared with the entire family at Xmas. Just make it count! The second bottle, is a gift for them to decide when and how to reciprocate the gesture.]

I hope you make full use of the opportunity and have a Fantabulous Festive Season and a brilliant New Year!

Cheers!

Greg