I have not heard of any sightings thus far, but when I do, I will not be surprised.
Labor Day is just around the corner, and you know what that means: It won’t be long before Christmas displays go up in retail outlets across the country.
The “Christmas Season” seems to get longer every year. Think about it. It already spans parts of three of the four weather-related seasons.
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the fall of 2013 will begin at 10:29 p.m. Eastern on September 22—and I guarantee you that we’ll be seeing holiday displays before then.
So, from the end of summer, all the way through fall and into the winter, our eyes and ears will be inundated with sparkling lights, dazzling dioramas and music both festive and contemplative.
The reason this comes to mind with 13 days still left in August is that Kenwood Vineyards just announced a special initiative—one that will begin a bit closer to the “real” holiday season.
A lot of people think that everyone who lives in “wine country” must be rich, and it’s easy to understand that mindset. After all, the landscape is covered with grape- (and wine- and, by extension, money-) making vines, interspersed with tony estates sporting verandas, spectacular gardens and bocce courts.
But just like any community, “wine country” is home to unemployed or underemployed people who often struggle to put food on the table for themselves and their families.
In Sonoma County, that’s where the Redwood Empire Food Bank comes in. It serves as the local grocery source of last resort for families and individuals that otherwise would go hungry at night.
Later this year, Kenwood Vineyards will launch a “Support Your Local Food Bank” campaign to help elevate awareness of food bank programs across the country. Shelf talkers in stores and coupons (in states where coupons are allowed) will carry that message.
The winery also will donate a percentage of proceeds during that period to the Redwood Empire Food Bank.
So when you pick up a last-minute bottle of wine at the supermarket this holiday season, make it a bottle of Kenwood… and help those holiday lights shine a little bit brighter for families in need.
It’s a great way to recapture the true spirit of the season.
