On March 19, 2020, members of the J Dusi Winery wine CLuB (including me) received the following email regarding the film “91 Harvests”:
Initially set to premiere this week at the SLO Film Festival, because of the Coronavirus situation the Film Festival has been cancelled.
This short movie has a very special place in our hearts, not only because we can talk about family, but it is beyond precious to us because our Uncle Beni is in it, as well as Dante Dusi’s wife Dottie, whom have both passed away in the last seven months. This is a personal look into the lives of the people we have loved and learned from. We have memories of time together, and conversations that we cherish.
THANKS TO THE WINE HISTORY PROJECT OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, WE ARE THRILLED TO SHARE AN ONLINE VIEWING EXPERIENCE WITH YOU.
[From the website of the Wine History Project https://winehistoryproject.org/:
“The Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County collects and presents two centuries of local viticulture history. Through research, interviews, films, exhibitions, publications and presentations, we work with local vintners and growers to bring to life the wine history of San Luis Obispo County.”
The website is a treasure trove of information on the area’s wine industry and you should definitely spend some time enjoying it. I definitely plan to.]
The email included a Vimeo link and a passcode that was good for that weekend only. I shared the information on Facebook, including to our Eve’s Wine 101 group page. Did you see it? If not, hopefully you will get another chance.
Karen and I really enjoyed watching this film. Janell Dusi and her family have held a special place in our hearts for a long time. We first met Janell and tasted the inaugural commercial vintage of J Dusi Wines at a Paso Robles traveling road show held at a Santa Monica hotel several years ago. We were immediately hooked.
Since then, we’ve visited many times, first at the family house at the Dante Dusi Vineyard just south of Paso Robles and then later when Janell acquired the property on Highway 46 West for her winery and tasting room. We’ve loved hanging out with her and her family and seeing the progression of the winery with new and creative bottlings and now with the new Paper Street vineyard and label.
But the film was not just about the J Dusi Winery, of course. As the title of the film tells you, the tale of the Dusi family is integral to the story of the Paso Robles Wine Country – 91 harvests is a long time! Learning more about this rich history that started with the emigration from Italy of Janell’s great-grandparents Sylvester and Caterina Dusi gives the viewer a greater appreciation of all that has been accomplished. And Janell only uses about 10% of the Dante Dusi Vineyard harvest for the J Dusi wines, so there is plenty left for certain select other wineries (like Turley and Ridge) to carry on the tradition as well.
Admittedly, our favorite parts of “91 Harvests” were the scenes with Janell and her mother Joni. We really miss these two wonderful women and are looking forward to being able to visit them again.
J Dusi Wines
1401 CA-46, Paso Robles, CA 93446
Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 30 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also President of MCP Financial, which provides outsourced controller services. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or mcpfinancial@aol.com.
