Leslie is not your typical artist. Yes, she’s firm in her direction, onerous in sharing her thoughts, passionate about her creations and somewhat quirky like most artists. However, unlike most artists, she’s has a distinct uniqueness.
Leslie began crafting wine years ago. Though she was passionate about her craft, the wines she created where largely controlled and dictated by profits and the bottom line. Though she fully understood the value of a successful business, many times it was this business that forced her to make challenging creative decisions. Envisioning the life she wanted, rather than the career she had to follow, Leslie took the bold steps and created a situation where she controlled the artistic decisions, painting the picture she envisioned.
Now, about her uniqueness.
Leslie does not deal with a blank canvas where she brushes on the colors to create her work. It’s much more difficult than that. Her ‘canvas’ comes with a history that she needs to understand, embrace, then sheppard into what she envisions to be her final creation. You see, she has many factors that are not in her control. As a short list of examples: the weather, the barrels, the grapes, the vines, the vineyard location, etc. Each harvest, Leslie needs to look at what mother-nature has given her, envision the wine she desires to craft then lead this ‘grape juice’ to an end result that exceeds even the most discerning palates.
Now, tell me how many other artists out there are willing to first embrace the ever-changing tools and have the talent to craft something as magical as a fine wine. You won’t find many.