Have you ever had one those mornings when you pop out of bed and just know that something is different? Whether it’s triggered by the way you feel, the sound of passing cars being slightly different than usual, or the sun hitting your bed just a degree or two off from what you’re expecting- something is different. We recently experienced one of those moments and decided to make a very significant change to our lives.
Since we took over the (Jay’s) family winery, Canyon Wind Cellars, in 2010, we have worked tirelessly to produce the best wines we can and help to grow both our business and the Colorado Wine Industry. Through the fun times and the tough ones, we can look back and know that we put everything we had to give into the business and are exceptionally proud of what we’ve accomplished. Owning your own business is never easy, but sometimes a series of events can lead to re-evalauation. After our largest harvest in the 24-year harvest of our vineyard, we were tired and talked longingly about “one day” when we can buy an Airstream and travel the back roads of the U.S., visit roadside diners, take silly pictures of us at kitschy tourist stops, and eventually take a deep breath. It was as we sat at our desks and started to plan and budget for 2016 that we decided maybe that “one day” was now.
After much contemplation, tons of number crunching, some soul searching, and (just a few) bottles of wine, we decided the time was perfect to make a change. We officially announced on March 31, 2016 that we would be permanently closing Canyon Wind Cellars by the end of the year. A surprise to both our employees and loyal supporters, it was a stressful and sad day; but also the start down the path that allowed us to follow our dreams.
As soon as the idea was planted in our minds, we read article after article about people quitting their jobs, selling their possessions, and hitting the road to live out a dream. At first, it’s hard to imagine how anyone can actually make this a reality and we had our doubts that we could actually make it happen, but we took the energy, excitement, and determination that we’ve put towards the winery over the last six and a half years and decided it was time to make our dreams a reality.
Since making the announcement, we’ve been working non-stop on the details of selling our remaining wine inventory and closing up a 20-year old business. While still just a few months away, we’ve set the wheels into motion for the next exciting phase of our lives. Posts will be less frequent until we have more exciting Tin Sheets to the Wind adventures to share, but we hope you’ll follow us through the planning and once we are finally on the road.
