Winemaker Magazine Leaves Precious Memories
"It also helps to have good friends to enjoy the meal," he said, turning to me.
I felt my face flush. He was including me in that sentence, and I could have hugged him at that moment. Although Romeo was very attentive to his guests, he was not as demonstrative as one would think. I sensed his personal space and gave him a mental hug.
The dinners at Lost Mountain Winery drew some of the area's most respected artists. Romeo was involved in the Fine Arts Center in Port Angeles. But his son Steve and daughter-in-law Sue probably introduced Romeo to many of the writers, poets and musicians.
"The people we know are part of a circle of friends that have been on and off the Olympic Peninsula for the last 20 to 25 years," said Sue. You could say they were left overs from the counter culture movement for the most part.
"Lot of folks came to the peninsula for the same reasons we did - the beauty and isolation and to get away from the materialistic values of the urban lifestyle. They turned to tree planting in the 1970s because it was one of the few jobs on the peninsula that paid well."
Many of the people who came to the Lost Mountain area had interests in poetry, music and art, and some went on to be published or earn a living at their craft.
In the early 1980s, Romeo's wife Irene died of cancer. His family and friends said the retired organic chemist took her death hard and he began spending more time with Steve and Sue. Steve was building Lost Mountain Winery at the time.
It was at the dining room table that Romeo met many of the artists in the region. The company eased his loneliness and fed his interest in artistic endeavors.
"Romeo had a great mind and a wealth of information," said Steve. "He had a Ph.D in organic chemistry and enjoyed learning. He also liked being around movers and shakers.
"But he loved talking to people about their artistic interests."
Steve and Romeo created a poetry series on a bottle of Lost Mountain red wine called Poeisa. Every year, a poem is selected for the back label - usually around a theme of wine, or the beauty of the outdoors. This year's poem is by California poet Gary Snyder.
On the night I was in attendance at Romeo's table, I noticed the affable winemaker's ability
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