What a busy week for us at Mastro Scheidt Wines!

We are all very pleased with how things turned out on Monday for our first bottling. Everyone was armed with a camera to get pictures of the first bottling line we've run. Total evolvement too, from Marco pressing prototype labels onto the bottles for the line, Tom (T.L.) working the hand-corking machine for magnums, to John showing the "Feats of Strength" tossing used barrels into the pickup (and making a much needed lunch of sandwiches).

This day was also a reminder to the generations before us, both Italian and German that tradition is all around us and binds the galaxy together (wait that's The Force). Seriously, tradition is what keeps us in touch with those around us, both young and old; and allows a common thread for us to each weave into our daily lives. Days like today each of us will carry for the rest of our lives and hopefully on to another generation.

Lots of emotion, time, expense, and manpower went into yesterday's bottling efforts. When we arrived on site, one of the first things everyone noticed was our stack of Claret bottles, a couple palates worth. On top of the palates we were shocked to see a new winery name, Maestro Schietz.

Scheidt. Right, I get it. My Dad gets it. My brother gets it. Scheidt is not an easy name to say or spell and is often shouted in vain. But Mastro? Maybe it's the old Seinfeld reference to "The Maestro", who knows, but I thought Mastro was 10 times easier to spell than Scheidt.

This one spelling error was the only glitch in yesterday's bottling. We'd personally like to thank the bottling crew at Mill Creek and of course, David and Fabian for their help (and driving the forklift)