At the Monastery

Finishing the Sierra Oro Passport Weekend tour of local farms and wineries at New Clairvaux Vineyards in Vina was amazing. They're doing great and innovative things with grapes and their passion for creating Mediterranean wines is clear. But New Clairvaux is more than just a winery--it's a working monastery. Monks wake before dawn and commit to their vows of poverty, labor, and service.

After sampling their wines, we strolled the grounds. In the chapel, I explained mensural notation to Molly as we flipped through the monks' song book. And we passed through the work-in-progress Chapter House. This building was originally built in Spain between 1190 and 1220. It was later purchased, dismantled and brought to San Francisco by William Randolph Hearst in 1931. With the help of many, the monks at New Clairvaux are in the process of reconstructing this chapter house from a variety of sacred stones. You can read more about it on their website.

I wasn't sure how my photos would turn out from the monastery grounds, but I absolutely love them. I hope you do too.

____________________
Eric
Eric Lovelin Photography