We’ll get to our Valentine’s sale in a moment. First, a love story. Our own.

Nick and Sheryl met when they were competitors – the last people who should have been dating. They were both based in Los Angeles and covering business: Nick for The New York Times and Sheryl for The Wall Street Journal.

A mutual friend, Eileen, was hosting a party and told Nick that she was setting him up with Sheryl. But Eileen told the same thing to Jack, a wealthy investment banker, and she told Sheryl about Jack but not about Nick. Jack was, sadly, not only rich but also good-looking and charming. So at the party, Jack and Nick were fawning over Sheryl, getting her drinks, laughing at her jokes and shooting diabolical frowns at each other.

Later that evening, the party was moving to another person’s house, and this was the moment of truth. Jack offered Sheryl a ride in his BMW. Nick countered with an invitation to join him in his New York Times-issued Chevrolet, the least fashionable car in California. “I just put in a car phone,” Jack said. “You can make a call while we drive there.”

“Well, my car has a radio,” Nick said. “We can listen to music on the radio.”

Miracles happen! Ten minutes later, Sheryl was riding shotgun in Nick’s Chevy, and Jack was alone with his wallet in his BMW. How did this happen? Did Nick club Jack over the head? Was it Nick’s cologne? We’re not actually sure, and Sheryl can’t put her finger on the decisive factor. But although our memories have dimmed and we wouldn’t swear this in court, we’d like to think that it’s because Jack brought Sheryl a glass of Cabernet while Nick proffered a glass of Oregon Pinot Noir that he had brought to the party.

And that’s how we came together. See us not long after:

There’s a lesson here, folks. If you want to get the girl – or the guy – you must demonstrate classiness. One research study indicated that a glass of Oregon Pinot Noir is 62 percent more successful in seductions than a Cab, and 79 percent more successful than a Merlot.

Well, okay, we made that up. But doesn’t it seem plausible?

All this leads us to our Valentine’s Day sale. We’re romantics and we’d like to give you every edge in kindling – or rekindling or preserving – the flame of romance. Even if you’re old fogies like us, a glass on Valentine’s Day is special. So for the next five days we’re offering 20 percent off our Pinot Noir (and 25 percent off orders of a case or more) when ordered at KristofFarms.com. Think of it as an investment in love.

Delivery takes time, though, so if you want the wine for Valentine’s Day, we suggest ordering immediately. Weather also complicates delivery, especially if you’re on the East Coast. And don’t feel obliged to go with the Pinot Noir. You may prefer the Chardonay or Rosé, or our prize-winning hard ciders. It’s all on our website.

The sale will run from now through midnight on Feb. 8. No crawling to us on Feb. 13 and pleading for a break. True love means planning in advance! Your beloved is worth it. (And, we think, probably worth a case.) And if you don’t plan in advance but want to pretend you do, you can buy her or him a membership in our wine club or cider club; they’ll get a shipment each spring and fall and a chance to join our Salon Conversations about…everything. The new member gets a welcome letter by email, so you can order that on your way to a Valentine’s Day dinner; just bring roses, too.

If you’re in our area, another option is to drop by the Carlton Winemaker Studio tasting room, where our pals there can put together a lovely Valentine three-pack crafted to the tastes of your beloved, with our wines and/or others.

Meanwhile, here on the farm, it’s pruning time. The grape vines and apple trees are dormant, so this is when they get haircuts. The apple trees get only a modest trim, but the grape vines get a crew cut. About 90 percent of the vine comes off.

Jessica Dunnam, viticulturist for the vineyard management company that works with us, Results Partners, oversees the pruning. She notes that about 90 percent of the vine gets trimmed and left on the ground. Here’s Jessica pruning:

We can’t insert videos in this newsletter, but over on Substack in our Kristof Farms newsletter we have a brief video in which Jessica shows how the grape vines are pruned (Connie-the-dog gets Best Supporting Actress, as you’ll see).

By the way, we’re expecting snow on the farm in the next couple of days. We’re fine inside the house by the hearth, but we always think about the animals. Here’s a coyote in the snow behind our house, caught by our wildlife camera.

And the deer seem to be discussing their weather concerns. Just look at them:

May you find your valentine and hold him or her tight on Feb. 14! Romance is as elegant, complex and beautiful as a fine wine, and ages just as well.

So Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us on Kristof Farms1