A More Perfect Union
If you look at the copious amount of photos of our family’s 4th of July parties, you might think we’re a bunch of bona fide patriots. Our family has long prioritized celebrating the 4th of July, but the irony is that our annual celebration of this holiday was not born because America was born, it was born because the reason we became American was born. My great-grandfather, Giovanni “John” Salvestrin, was born on July 4th, 1894 in the Veneto region of Italy. Once rooted in California in the early 1900’s, the Salvestrins picked up the novelty tradition, not necessarily of celebrating the 4th of July, but of the 4th of July themed birthday party.
Family gathering, with or without reason to celebrate, is deeply woven into the Salvestrin DNA, so when you couple a national holiday with the birthday of the patriarch, consider no holds barred. You could argue with me, but I'd go as far to say no one has better real estate for selling shit on the side of the road in this town than we do. So come mid-June every year, when the firework stands would start popping up around St. Helena, we’d always allow one to sell at the front entrance in exchange for all the fireworks we could get our hands on.
When I look back at old photos of our family parties, I am wrought with desire to time travel. I’d sit at those plastic table and chairs and share an aperitivo with my nonno and listen to my dad, just a boy then, play the accordion in the background. I would thank him for starting the tradition of the 4th of July themed birthday party, so that 104 years after him, when I was due to be born on July 4th, 1998, the family knew how to throw a damn good one. And even though I came fashionably late on the 6th, the family picked the combo party back up in stride, and as luck would have it, I had a grandmother who loved me enough to bake me my own pink birthday cakes in addition to the red, white & blue ones she’d make special for the occasion. Luckiest of all, no time travel is necessary to access my most cherished childhood memories, all sparkly and striped with vineyard rows in the background.
To me, there is no better place to celebrate the 4th of July than right here at the ranch, and beside the winegrowing of it all, I’d argue, again, it’s what we do best. With that, I invite you to celebrate with us on Friday, July 3rd from 5-8pm, we’ll be grilling out over the spitfire and enjoying live bluegrass in the vineyard. And maybe cake… (if anyone in my family is reading this please coordinate something pink).
With something sparkling in hand,
Emma Salvestrin
4th Generation
