The Spirit of New Wine

Interview PBS Denise & Tom Brickel

2011-05-26T01:35:00.000-07:00

TRAILER THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE

2011-05-26T01:30:00.000-07:00

The Spirit of New Wine again, in MAY 2011, in Arizona!!

2011-05-07T00:36:00.000-07:00

Our first episode, California Bounty, will be broadcast on 5/28/2011 at 2:30 p.m
California Bounty is a fun, fast-paced overview of wine basics and the intimate relationship between wine and cuisine. In this first episode of The Spirit of New Wine, Denise Ingrid Brickel tastes a variety of California whites and reds and picks up a few practical wine tasting tidbits from Peter Nelson, wine consultant. She learns about the craft of winemaking from Sonoma and Napa vintners Barry Grushkowitz, J.D. Shon, Judd Finklestein and others. She receives some tips about wine and food pairing from chef Kelly MacDonald, and she reviews the multiple health benefits of wine with Cheryl Forberg, nutritional writer and advisor to NBC's The Biggest Loser.

ÁNGEL MIGUEL (MUSIC)

2011-03-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

ESPÍRITU DEL NUEVO VINO/NEW WINE SPIRIT (MUSIC)

2011-03-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

SONRISA DE TORO (MUSIC)

2011-03-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

MÁS DULCE QUE EL VINO/SWEETER THAN WINE (MUSIC)

2011-03-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

The Spirit of New Wine visits Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma on February and March 2011

2011-02-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

All three episodes of THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE will soon be broadcast in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma through KTWU, this public television will air CALIFORNIA BOUNTY on Thursday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m., SWEETER THAN WINE on Thursday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m., and NEW WINE on Thursday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m.

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE in San Mateo County, CA

2011-01-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

Our documentary trilogy The Spirit of New Wine visits the county of San Mateo, California thanks to KCSM, where the first episode of our show California Bounty will be broadcast on Sunday January 16 at 7 p.m. The second episode Sweeter than Wine will be broadcast the following Sunday January 23 at 7 p.m. And the third episode, New Wine, will air on Sunday January 30 at 7 p.m.

SPIRIT OF NEW WINE in New York & Ontario, Canada in December 2010

2010-12-15T21:55:00.000-08:00

The three episodes of THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE will be rebroadcast during this holiday season. Broadcast days are as follows:

- California Bounty: Tuesday December 28
- Sweeter than Wine: Wednesday December 29
- New Wine: Thursday December 30

All episodes will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on WPBS.

October Wine in South Carolina

2010-10-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

Once again, we return to South Carolina and SCETV!

The 3 episodes of our trilogy The Spirit of New Wine were broadcast on October 10 (California Bounty), October 17 (Sweeter than Wine) and October 24 (New Wine). All were shown at 1:30 pm. EST.

KCSM (San Mateo, California) Plans Upcoming Broadcast of THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE

2010-07-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

All three episodes of THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE will soon be broadcast from San Mateo to San Francisco to Napa counties.

KCSM, the public television station for the Community College District of San Mateo, will air CALIFORNIA BOUNTY on Sunday, August 15 at 7 p.m., SWEETER THAN WINE on Sunday, August 22 at 7 p.m., and NEW WINE on Sunday, August 29 at 7 p.m.

KCSM’s television station is licensed to the San Mateo County Community College District. KCSM is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, the heart of the fifth largest television and radio market in the United States with the potential of reaching an audience of more than 6 million people. KCSM TV broadcasts 24 hours a day, and our 500 kilowatt broadcast signal has a coverage area that includes San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Solano, Sonoma and Napa counties. Additionally, KCSM is carried on 60 cable systems in the Bay Area and nearly half a million viewers tune in each week.

For more information, visit http://kcsm.org/tv/schedule.php

WINE returns to New Hampshire

2010-07-18T01:07:00.000-07:00

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE is returning to New Hampshire!

On Sunday July 25 at 9:00 p.m. and Monday, July 26 at 1:00 a.m., NHPTV will air CALIFORNIA BOUNTY. On Monday August 2 at 1:00 a.m., it will broadcast SWEETER THAN WINE. On Sunday August 8 at 9:00 p.m. and Monday, August 9 at 1 a.m., the station will show the final episode, NEW WINE.

NHPTV is New Hampshire's only PBS members station, reaching about 500,000 families each week. NHPTV broadcasts more than 7,000 hours of programming a year, and provides instructional services for 206,000 students from kindergarten through high school. The public television stations also provides professional development programs and advanced technology training for educators in New Hampshire and neighboring states.

For more information, visit http://www.nhptv.org/schedule/summary.aspx?chnl=sd&progId=199764&progTimeAir=7/25/2010%209:00:00%20PM

SPIRIT OF NEW WINE in the Inland Empire

2010-07-18T00:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks toKVCR, THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE is being broadcast in the Riverside/San Bernardino area!

On Tuesday July 13 and Wednesday July 14 at 10:30 p.m., KVCR broadcast CALIFORNIA BOUNTY on two separate digital channels. On Tuesday July 20 and Wednesday July 21 in the same time slot, SWEETER THAN WINE will be shown on the same channels. Finally, on Tuesday July 27 and Wednesday July 28 at 10:30 p.m., San Bernardino/Riverside viewers will be able to watch the third episode, NEW WINE.

KVCR's mission is to be the cultural, educational, informational and communication center of the Inland Empire. Commonly listed as channel 24, KVCR reaches viewers from Palm Springs to Yorba Linda.

For more information, visit http://www.kvcr.org/TV/Schedule.aspx

Central Pennsylvania views SWEETER THAN WINE

2010-07-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

SWEETER THAN WINE, the second episode of THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE trilogy, will be shown on WPSU (Pennsylvania State University) Sunday, July 18 at 2:00 p.m.

WPSU serves one of the largest geographic coverage areas in the nation, reaching over 530,000 households in 29 counties of central Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit http://www.wpsu.org/tv/schedules

KLRU to rebroadcast THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE in Austin, Texas

2010-07-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

The three-part series THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE is scheduled for rebroadcast on KRLU in Austin, Texas in August. The episodes will be shown on August 8, August 15 and August 22 at 12 pm.

We are pleased to be included in this station's programming again. KLRU is the public television station which brought Austin City Limits to the small screen.

For more information, click http://www.klru.org/schedule/ViewSeries.php?SeriesID=16549

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE returns to New York and Canada

2010-07-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE revisits New York and Canada this summer!

The documentary about the spiritual and cultural connotations of wine will be rebroadcast on WPBS, the New York/Canada region, on consecutive Thursdays - July 15, July 22 and July 29 - at 7:30 p.m, right in the middle of the station's prime time programming.

For more information, click http://www.wpbstv.org/Whats-On.htm

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE on WXEL

2010-07-17T23:05:00.000-07:00

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE was broadcast on WXEL (West Palm Beach, Florida) on Tuesday July 5, Wednesday July 6, and Thursday July7 at 1 pm.

For more information, click http://www.pbs.org/tvschedules/?station=WXEL

Our Doc in Denver...KBDI Rebroadcasts all 3 episodes

2010-05-08T22:02:00.000-07:00

All three episodes of our documentary trilogy were broadcast on KBDI - Channel 12.2 in Denver, Colorado on Friday, May 7. At 8 p.m. KBDI broadcast CALIFORNIA BOUNTY, followed by SWEETER THAN WINE at 8:30 p.m. and NEW WINE at 9 p.m.

KBDI will rebroadcast the entire trilogy on Monday, May 10 from 3 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. If you live in Colorado, now is your chance to catch the program live!

SPIRIT OF NEW WINE in South Carolina

2010-03-24T22:38:00.000-07:00

South Carolina public television viewers will soon see THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE on Sundays!

ETV, South Carolina’s statewide public television station, will broadcast the second episode of the three-part documentary series at 8 a.m. on Sunday, March 28 and Sunday, April 4. A future broadcast is also scheduled for late April.

Celebrating its 50 year history this year, the ETV network includes 11 television stations, eight radio stations and a closed-circuit educational telecommunications system in more than 2,000 schools, colleges, businesses, and government agencies.

South Texas viewers receive THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE thanks to KEDT

2010-03-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

February was the month fans of public television in southern Texas were able to watch a unique journey to the heart of California's wine country.

KEDT provided carriage to THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE on three consecutive Sundays. From February 7 to February 21, the documentary about the meaning of wine graced the airwaves of KEDT viewers at 4:30 p.m.

The South Texas Public Broadcasting System Inc. was organized in 1972 by a group of community-minded citizens who worked to bring KEDT-TV, Channel 16 to the Coastal Bend as a reflection of the cultural heritage of its citizens. For the first time, South Texans received television programs such as Sesame Street, NOVA, and Masterpiece Theatre.

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE visits Central Texas

2010-03-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

Public television viewers in the central Texas region are just now getting to see the documentary which is changing the way people view wine!

From March 7 to March 21, THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE will be broadcast on KLRU, the licensed public television station in Austin, Texas. The program will appear every Sunday at 12:00 p.m. on channel 18-3 (KLRU-Q).

On the air for over 40 years, KLRU is known for quality productions like Austin City Limits, Central Texas Gardener and Texas Monthly Talks. KLRU serves Austin and the central Texas area.

WKYU (Bowling Green, Kentucky) to Broadcast THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE

2010-02-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

Beginning Monday, March 22 at 9:00 p.m., viewers in south central Kentucky will get a taste of the documentary THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE. WKYU-TV, an educational PBS station based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, will broadcast the popular program about the spiritual and cultural connotations of wine for three consecutive Monday nights during the station’s evening programming.

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE is an unconventional documentary that takes viewers on a fascinating journey to the heart of California’s wine country. The documentary focuses on wine’s association with aspects of popular culture like cuisine, health, art, nature, leisure and love, while highlighting individual and collective human values related to the symbolism of wine. THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE contains breathtaking landscapes, 13 original songs and dozens of interviews with vintners, winemakers and wine lovers.

Licensed to Western Kentucky University, WKYU-TV reaches an audience of more than 250,000 people in 11 Kentucky counties. WKYU-TV provides a full range of programs, including locally produced informational, public affairs and college sports programming, documentaries, and kids’ programs that provide a safe haven for children and parents.

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE VISITS ARIZONA PUBLIC TELEVISION

2010-01-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE is currently making a stop in the desert lands of Arizona. We were recently notified that Eight, a public television station based on the campus of Arizona State University, is including THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE in its January programming.

On Saturday, January 9 at 10:30 a.m., Eight broadcast CALIFORNIA BOUNTY, the first episode of the three part documentary about the cultural and spiritual connotations of wine, on local channel 8.1. The other two episodes, SWEETER THAN WINE and NEW WINE, will be broadcast at the same time on January 16 and January 23.

Eight specializes in the education of children, in-depth news and public affairs, lifelong learning, and the celebration of arts and culture. More than 80 percent of Arizonans receive the signal through a network of translators, cable and satellite systems. With more than 1.3 million viewers each week, Eight consistently ranks among the most-viewed public television stations per capita in the country.

For more information about our broadcasts and related information, visit www.spiritofnewwine.com.

KTEH Life Channel includes THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE in 2010 Programming

2010-01-02T21:35:00.000-08:00

If you live in central California and you haven’t already seen THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE, you can now find the entertaining documentary on KTEH’s Life Channel (Digital Channel 54.3).

At 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 3, the KTEH Life Channel will broadcast SWEETER THAN WINE, the second episode in THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE trilogy. In this second episode, host Denise Ingrid Brickel examines the rising presence of wine in American culture, the role of women in winemaking, the relationship between wine, sensuality and love, and the aesthetic beauty of wine.

Brickel interviews women winemakers Sarah Quider and Aimee Sunseri, Napa writer and artist Jessel Miller, Claudia Sansone, television culinary expert, and others in search of answers to the question: what intangible elements does wine present that resemble our own invisible nature?

Founded in 1964, KTEH Public Television 54 (Comcast 10) broadcasts reach homes from San Jose to the Silicon Valley. In 2006, the KTEH Foundation merged with KQED, Inc. to form Northern California Public Broadcasting, the most-watched public television and most-listened-to public radio broadcaster in the country.

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE courts Canada on WPBS

2009-11-12T21:09:00.000-08:00

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE has finally extended beyond the boundaries of the U.S. and into Canada!

We just found out that WPBS-TV will be broadcasting THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE on November 21 at 5:30 p.m. The station has selected our first episode, CALIFORNIA BOUNTY, for its Saturday evening broadcast. For more information, CLICK HERE.

WPBS-TV reaches over 650,000 homes in Northern New York and Eastern Ontario, Canada through Broadcast Digital Channels 41 and 23. WPBS-TV is a producer of nationally syndicated programs, and the station is widely recognized for its educational children's programming.

To date, THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE has appeared on public television stations across the nation. Alaska, California (several major markets), Colorado, Indiana, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas are just some of the states in which our documentary has aired. We can’t wait to see where the ‘new wine’ will next be poured!

KQED Life Channel to debut SPIRIT OF NEW WINE

2009-11-12T20:57:00.000-08:00

Wine lovers in the San Francisco Bay Area have a good reason to celebrate this December. Thanks to KQED PUBLIC TELEVISION, local viewers will be able to watch the first two episodes of THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE during this upcoming holiday season.

KQED has placed the documentary on its KQED Life Channel (Comcast 189; Digital 54.3). CALIFORNIA BOUNTY will air on Sunday, December 20 at 12:30 p.m., and SWEETER THAN WINE will follow suit the following Sunday, December 27 at the same time.

We are thrilled to be included in the KQED programming. KQED reaches more than 1.5 million households in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond; it is one of the nation's most watched public television stations during primetime. The KQED website has also included information about our program and a link to our own website. Access the information by CLICKING ON THIS LINK .

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE on New Hampshire Public Television's Explore Channel

2009-10-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

New Hampshire Public Television has added THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE to its New Hampshire Explore Channel programming!

Beginning Sunday October 11 at 8:30 pm, for three consecutive Sundays and Mondays, New Hampshire viewers can turn on the television and enjoy a new perspective on the spiritual and cultural connotations of wine.

NHPTV is New Hampshire's only PBS members station, reaching about 500,000 families each week. NHPTV broadcasts more than 7,000 hours of programming a year, and provides instructional services for 206,000 students from kindergarten through high school. The public television stations also provides professional development programs and advanced technology training for educators in New Hampshire and neighboring states.

We are honored that NHPTV has included THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE among its quality programming lineup!

Wine in Alaska

2009-10-10T04:26:00.000-07:00

Alaska is a beautiful land known for its forests, caribou, eskimoes, glaciers, wine...Yes, wine!

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE will head up to Alaskan households on October 10, 11, 17 and 18 thanks to public television station KTOO/Alaska One (channel 3).

KTOO will be airing SWEETER THAN WINE, the second episode of the doc, on October 10 and 11 at 11:30 pm and 5:30 am respectively. The following Saturday and Sunday at the same times, NEW WINE will grace local airwaves.

We have never travelled to Alaska, but at least our documentary has! If you live in the Juneau area, keep an eye out for THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE.

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE revisits Napa and Sonoma counties

2009-10-10T03:58:00.000-07:00

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE revisits the KRCB wine auction this weekend!

A year ago, KRCB broadcast the television premiere of THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE during its annual wine auction. Our documentary is revisiting the television screens of viewers across Sonoma and Napa Counties for the next two weekends. On Saturday October 10 and Sunday October 11 at 11 pm, KRCB will broadcast CALIFORNIA BOUNTY and SWEETER THAN WINE respectively. On Sunday October 18, the third episode, NEW WINE, will pour over wine country airwaves.

All 3 episodes will be shown immediately after the wine auction has concluded. The wine auction is a wonderful venue to raise money for the cause of public television. If you live in the Napa/Sonoma area, tune into channel 22 the next weekends, make a bid and support a worthy cause!

WSKG, a PBS affiliate in New York/Pennsylvania, broadcasts THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE

2009-09-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

If you live in upstate New York or Pennsylvania, chances are that during the month of August, your home was filled with the spirit of new wine.

WSKG, a public television station which reaches 21 counties in New York and Pennsylvania. broadcast all three episodes of THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE in August on HD Channel 30.1. California Bounty was shown on Sunday, August 16, while the other two episodes were transmitted on Sunday, August 23 and Sunday, August 30.

WSKG is operated by WSKG Public Telecommunications Council, a private non-profit corporation chartered by the Board of Regents of the State University of New York in association with the New York State Department of Education.

If you live in the New York/Pennsylvania area and were able to watch our documentary, let us know! We'd love to hear from you!

Do you live in Denver, Colorado? PBS station will air THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE

2009-09-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

Friday September 11, 2009 is a landmark day for THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE!

KBDI Channel 12, the PBS affiliated public television station in Denver, CO, will air CALIFORNIA BOUNTY, the first of our 3 part documentary, at 3:30 p.m. local time. At the same time on Friday September 18, KBDI will follow this with the broadcast of episode 2, SWEETER THAN WINE.

Viewers will also get the chance to see NEW WINE, the third episode in this entertaining series, on Friday September 25.

We began THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE with only a dream and a used Canon XL1s. Since then, the program has steadily gained in viewership and popularity. From KRCB in Sonoma County to WNIN in Indianapolis to WSKG in the New York/Pennsylvania area to KBDI in Denver, more and more public TV and PBS-affiliated stations are coming on board and showing our documentary to their local markets.

If THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE is not showing on your local public TV station, what are you waiting for? Contact your station and let them know you'd like to see the documentary.

THEY WILL LISTEN!!!

HELLO, INDIANA! The Spirit of New Wine premieres on WNIN

2009-08-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Good news from Indiana:

WNIN Public Television, the local public television station in Evansville, Indiana recently showed the first two episodes of THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE. Wine in Hoosierland!

The first episode, CALIFORNIA BOUNTY, was shown on August 10, 2009 at 10:30 p.m right before CHARLIE ROSE. The second episode, SWEETER THAN WINE, was broadcast on August 17, 2009 at the same time. Our third episode will be available to Evansville viewers on August 24.

The message of THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE is beginning to pour into different parts of the country, and we couldn't be happier. Our thanks to WNIN for selecting the documentary as parts of its prime time lineup and to the citizens of Indiana for watching us! Send your comments about the program to us at:

info@spiritofnewwine.com

Or call us at 951-275-7038. We would like your feedback!

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE steps in front of the camera at KRCB

2008-10-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE stepped in front of the camera this past weekend at KRCB (PBS affiliate in Sonoma County) in every way imaginable!

On Saturday October 18, I (Tom) walked into a room full of KRCB staff, cheerful Kiwanis volunteers manning the phones, and two very funny (and tall) program hosts, Dodds Delzell and Marty Dunn, who graciously stooped down every time I appeared on camera. I co-auctioned a range of different items with Jon Phillips. Jon shared some interesting experiences with me about how he single-handedly started and is now living his "dream": Inspiration Vineyards.

That night, I auctioned off 6 blue board items consisting mostly of cabernet sauvignon and merlot wines, including the Hans Fahden cabs that we partnered to donate to the television station. I also auctioned off the Tom Harpur book The Spirituality of Wine and 12 yellow board items that included everything from lunch in a replica of a Pullman train car to 3 bottles of 'Rock-Paper-Scissors' wine (the name of the wine is Roshambo, although I never pronounced it right!). All the money that was bid went to a good cause: funding local public television. We also had the chance to meet some really nice folks at the station, including Mariah Clinton, auction manager, and Nancy Dobbs, station president. Both enthusiastically cheered me on despite my many flubs.

The following day Denise and I were interviewed about our new documentary, THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE. The interview was a lot of fun, and Mick Aguilera, the interviewer and a big fan of Alma Rosa Pinot Noir (one of Denise's favorite wines) was especially entertaining. After he called Denise "the goddess of wine," it was very hard to keep a straight face on camera.

Later that evening, episode 1 of our documentary, 'California Bounty,' was broadcast. It was nice to finally see our program on television. We enjoyed the show in the company of a delicate fume blanc, a crazy cat named Doree, and Percy Brandon, good friend and general manager of Vintners Inn. Sorry about putting an apostrophe in VINTNERS, Percy. That won't happen again!

Thank you, KRCB and VinVillage, for helping us share the new wine.

Do I hear $200 anybody?

2008-10-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE will be helping KRCB to auction off items donated to the television station. We will be presenting Blue Board and Orange Board items and announcing them with Jon Phillips of Inspiration Vineyards in the late evening of Saturday, October 18.

If you are in the Sonoma/Napa area, don't forget to tune in on October 18 and make a bid!

THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE on PBS next week!

2008-10-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Everything is in place...

The dates: October 12 and October 19.

The time: 11 p.m.

The place: PBS affiliate KRCB Channel 22 in Sonoma County, California.

The venue: KRCB's annual live wine auction.

KRCB is premiering the first two episodes of our documentary, THE SPIRIT OF NEW WINE. We are partnering with VinVillage's CEO Rob Barnett to promote the auction. In exchange, Rob is interviewing Denise, the show's host and producer, on the last day of the wine auction (October 19) during a three minute segment that will be broadcast live sometime between 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. during the auction.

Several of our program participants, including Hans Fahden Vineyards, Vintners Inn, Ferrari-Carano Winery and Tom Harpur, author of THE SPIRITUALITY OF WINE, have partnered with us to donate items to the KRCB auction. Look for these items on KRCB's website: www.krcb.org.

So we will soon be in Sonoma and Napa, enjoying the harvest landscapes, meeting new wine afficionados and promoting the doc. Stay tuned!

NEW WINE

2008-09-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

I never cease to be amazed by the natural process in which water, without ceasing to be what it is, acquires a higher level of refinement and complexity, having synthesized many other elements like the soil, sunlight, the moon…A miracle has occurred: water has turned into wine.

Drinking wine doesn't make me more spiritual. Not drinking it does not make me more spiritual, either.

I believe that the new wine is not monopolized by any one country, ethnic group, religion or philosophy. The new wine is the tendency, the impulse that propels us towards the adventure of transformation which the human soul experiences in its elevation towards perfection. It is a painful process, as the arms of our minds and hearts have to be stretched – just like what happens with the grapevine – until we grow wings to soar above selfishness and instinctive fear, leaving behind our intoxicating narcissism.

We can choose to enjoy what nature offers us with a hedonistic and superficial attitude, and get lost in the pleasure of the senses and social glamour. Or we can choose to sharpen the palate of our souls in order to enjoy the new taste that the Spirit has set aside in reserve for those who thirst.

Denise Ingrid Brickel