I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know… Michael Bublé sets the mood in the background as you and the family start putting up the Christmas decorations. The time has come to dress up your winery estate for the holiday season. You are not hoping for a white Christmas—unless the weather surprises you with sudden snow—but you are certain that you will be having a dream Christmas; after all, this will be your first one at The Wine & Country Club.
The moment is worthy of a mental picture to be savoured and treasured along with other precious memories.
The girls are overwhelmed with excitement as they unpack and sort out their favourite ornaments. Oh how you treasure your Christmas decorations! They all have a story to tell. The truth is, down deep inside, your family cherishes traditions—at least the really special ones—. You have kept some ornaments since you were little. In fact, you still vividly recall watching them, mesmerised, hang from the Christmas tree, embellishing an awkward corner in that childhood apartment that seemed so small at the time—or maybe it just felt always crowded—. Other decorations are more recent but equally dear to you. Some were chosen by the girls on their first Christmas holidays. Others relate to special moments in your life; journeys, places and people forging an emotional bond.
While the girls keep busy giggling and sorting out the ornaments, you and your wife begin to decorate the fireplace. The house feels nice and warm, the music sets the scene beautifully—Michael Bublé in the background… Oops, I think already mentioned that!—, and to round off the moment, you are enjoying a glass of wine.
The Christmas stockings you bought on that trip to Colmar—a small town in the French Alsace that is a dream Christmassy picture—hang perfectly by the fireplace and a wonderful smell of freshly baked gingerbread begins to waft from the kitchen, filling the air.
A Very Special Vineyard, House And Season
The house is all beautifully dressed up, and a special light shines on the garden. You grab that soft cashmere blanket from the sofa and step out onto the porch. Night is falling and, although it has turned a bit chilly, it is still worth wrapping yourself warm to witness the magnificent spectacle unfolding before your eyes; the majestic Serrania de Ronda rising over the horizon. Endless meadows peppered with holm oaks and olive groves appear before your eyes. And the vineyard—your adored vineyard—, which grows at the foot of your winery estate, is the reason why you are here.
You could not have believed even a year ago that you would be spending Christmas—the most wonderful time of the year—on your winery estate, let alone picture yourself gathering in your own harvest and enjoying a superb vintage; the very same one you are now sipping as you put up the Christmas decorations.
You turn to admire your beautifully dressed-up home and catch a glimpse of your loving wife as she raises her glass to you and sends a wink your way, so as to signal that she can read your thoughts and could not be more in agreement; this makes you swoon and your heart starts to flutter.
Christmas At The Wine & Country Club
It is time to sit around the large dining table, which has been especially designed to accommodate your entire entourage of family and friends—both old and new—. It has certainly been a year of change, with starting a new life and all, but luckily some things never change. The roast dinner is cooked to a turn and, thankfully, doting grandma and grandpa have been able to join in.
It is dessert time, aka. It is toast time.
You stand up and raise your glass to thank everyone for bending over backwards to ensure you could spend Christmas all together. You give thanks for the outgoing year and your family’s willingness to be your partner in crime on this exciting adventure. When they first saw this site, they immediately fell in love with it, much like you did; so they did not need much convincing. You give thanks for nature and for being able to commune with it. And you express your heartfelt thanks for having such a dream house and estate; not only in a material sense—and, admittedly, it is a gorgeous house this one that you own at The Wine & Country Club—but also and, more importantly, because you have made it a home; your family home.