In early April, I spoke with someone interested in buying a vineyard. In order to get a bank loan, he needed to submit a business plan. “For a vineyard property?” I asked. We didn’t submit a business plan when we bought our property in 2007. But things are different now, banks are really tight with their lending. So, I helped him develop a business plan and financial projections.

Over the Spring Release Weekend, we poured our wines on May 1. Though we had less people come through compared to Holiday Barrel Weekend in December, we tripled our sales. More importantly, our most expensive wine, the 2007 Principia Reserve Syrah at $85, sold as well as our less expensive wines. Is this a good sign that people are feeling better about the economy?

I also run a small computer consulting company and my clients are starting to request more work. When small business starts spending, it’s always a good sign.

Now if only the banks would start lending again…