Often it is the little imperfections in things that make them so interesting. Woodworkers refer to a Live Edge when they have left the natural shape of the tree to decide the couture of a finished piece of work. The idea is that what has grown naturally is infinitely more varied, subtle and beautiful than what a woodworker would create in the shop. In much the same vein, many gemstones get their colors from chemical impurities that turn otherwise clear crystals into dazzling blues, greens or reds.

A forest is enchanting not because of its regularity, but because of the vast array of sizes, shapes, colors, textures and smells that can be found there. Straight lines and square corners have their uses, but nature almost never creates a crisp line or a perfect corner. Rather the rule of nature is curves, contours and an ever-changing landscape. Great wine is much the same way. A wine that is perfectly consistent from the start of the bottle to the finish, or from day to day or year to year, can be pleasant, but never exciting.

The fascination of an extraordinary wine is how it can change over time or based on what it is paired with, or even our moods or the time of day; how it can spark our imaginations and add joy to our lives. At both Black Ankle and Live Edge Vineyards, our aim is to capture the interest and complexity of nature in each bottle of wine that we make. We work hard to create an environment in which our grapevines can flourish and then stand back and let the plants to their work, so that they create grapes with depth, character and finesse. In the winery, we feel that our job is to help the wines through the fermentation and aging process but give them the room to express their individuality so that at the end of the day, we have wines that are more compelling than anything we could create without letting nature run the show. Wherever we can, we believe in letting a little Live Edge shine through.