Come On In

“Come On In.” That’s what the floor mat says as you enter the newly renovated “Office” at my son’s place in Atascadero, CA.

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Together he and Marina have created a welcoming environment that includes a mix of good food and wine, friends and family, music and corn hole contests at any given time.

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While on my current visit they introduced me to a delightful couple who own a local vineyard and produce a very tasty Malbec. Joel and Judy of Mystic Hills welcomed us into their home for a private tasting and we left with so much more than the multiple bottles filled with the literal fruit of their labor.

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Hospitality beyond that expected in a traditional tasting room. Relaxed, “come on in” camaraderie. Sharing of future dreams and plans for their vineyard. Welcoming us into their home as if family. What an entirely enjoyable experience that almost caught me off guard yet seemed as natural as catching up with old friends . . . friends that I’d met for the first time.

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Yes, I had been utterly awestruck earlier in the week when we visited Wm Randolph Hearst’s fancy-dancy castle on the hill, but this experience was a “come on in“ on another level. Our human souls were created for connection with others. When a good source is figuratively poured and freely offered to you its best to gratefully savor, having your thirst quenched and your heart made full. Thank you, Mystic Hills, for welcoming us in.