In memory of Don Hoskins

Don was our friend. That's him on the left, with Bob (ANOTHER great friend!) and I.

Truth be known, Don was everyone’s friend – he knew no strangers. Don was a wine lover, an avid bird photographer and a pasta engineer. If you’ve ever eaten store bought or restaurant pasta in your life it probably came from a machine that Don or his family designed, built, or serviced over the years. Don was also passionate about wine, and specifically the Petit Verdot grape, the uncommon, tiny and least used of the five classic French Bordeaux varietals. Don was convinced that even if that grape was blended into a bottle at 1-2% volume it was still of great significance, and it was his life's mission to determine why. He preached that to all he met, and relentlessly pursued bottles of pure Petit Verdot to savor and gush over. Don didn’t just keep his wine to himself either. He would always open a bottle and share it with whomever was nearby. Soon they would be deeply engaged in a vigorous discussion of Petit Verdot, birds, pasta and his love of sailing on the Far Niente with his California friend.

Though Don left us in the summer of 2023, Don’s memory lives on forever in our hearts, in our stories, and in his pictures. To honor Don's legacy, many of his bird photos have been printed on notecards and are for sale at the Parkville Wine House. All proceeds from the sale of Don’s pictures will benefit the Parkville Nature SanctuaryParkville Nature Sanctuary – one of his favorite local bird habitats for photography.

Personally, I prefer to believe that Don is still out sailing on the Far Niente along the sunny coast of California, seeking out bottles of Petit Verdot on his journey and taking grand pictures of majestic birds. For that reason, I’ll always keep a bottle of Petit Verdot behind the bar at the Parkville Wine House to share with him when he returns. I raise my glass to the man that taught us there are always nine drops left in the bottom of an empty wine bottle...Sail on, my friend...Sail on!