A Winery in the Woods

A Saturday at Tanglewood Winery.

We were in the thick of February: buried under mountains of snow, keeping our new baby away from the spread of sickness, and getting a little cabin feverish. I was itching to get out of the cottage. I wanted to experience something that would bring some air into our lungs, a fresh breeze through our windows.

We moved to this little town by the lake just a few months before I gave birth to Eden. I had no real idea what there was to do for a family who wanted to get out of their home, but keep their distance, with a two month old, in the depths of winter. A tall order.

But when I saw an afternoon event for a winery nestled in the woods, I was sold. Dan was sold. And we looked forward all week to our Saturday escape with something good to sip on.

We would only be gone for two hours, but the logistics were very important. The baby needed to be freshly fed and changed before we left. I packed extra clothes, a ready-made bottle for another feeding, diapers, wipes, and an extra pacifier in her travel backpack. This would be our first trip out with her aside from doctor’s visits and hiking the trails. I was a little nervous.

Bundled up and sleepy, we tucked her away in the car and drove the icy drive to Tanglewood Winery. Surrounded by woods and an open field, I walked into the building first to see how busy it was. Only about a handful of people were inside; wonderful!

We set up our family at a small table in the back with big smiles on our faces. Dan ordered us a flight of wine: blueberry, cherry cider, and a yummy white that I can’t remember. The Dune Buggy food truck hummed outside in the snow, and we decided on spicy ranchos nachos, a meal that I’ll be thinking of for a long time.

Eden slept for some of our conversation before I picked her up and held her in my arms, her eyes wide at the new sounds and colors. And of course, she took a large poop right there in the restaurant. We laughed as Dan went out to the car to change her, just in time to save her from a complete blow out.

It was a magical Saturday. The three of us, our family, out together and breathing that fresh air I had so deeply wanted. Dan and I talked and talked about how surreal it was to be parents, what we thought about our girl, and our dreams for the future. We drove home happy and relieved; we did it. And arrived to the cottage just in time for Eden’s dinner bottle cries.

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