Having a small farm outside Sherwood and being someone interested in cultivating my green thumb, we planted a few pinot noir vines last year.

In the vineyard, vintners are often at the mercy of the climate and weather. The delicate, thin skinned, Pinot Noir grape, for example, needs a minimum number of growing degree days, but not too much, as raisins make for poor quality wine.

Both the climate (i.e., location of the vineyard), but also the weather in an individual vineyard, are crucial. So it is with investments.