Fire: Light and Connection
In the Five Elements theory, summer is the season of Fire. Fire describes warmth, outward movement and connection. In our vineyards, spring’s first shoots have become a full canopy, and long days of light carry the vines toward fruit.
What does the Fire element mean?
Known in Chinese as Wu Xing, Five Elements theory follows relationships among Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Each phase changes and influences the next. Wood’s spring growth feeds Fire’s summer expansion; Fire gives way to Earth’s season of ripening and harvest. Red is Fire’s color, and bitter is its associated flavor.
Fire in acupuncture
Traditional Chinese Medicine associates Fire with the heart and small intestine. Five Element acupuncture also links it with the heart protector and triple heater. Joy is Fire’s associated emotion, reflecting the warmth of being present and connected with others.
Our founder, Dr. Robert Gross, practiced acupuncture before bringing his interest in interconnected systems to farming. Five Elements theory is rooted in Eastern philosophy; biodynamics is a separate Western agricultural tradition. In both, relationships help us understand the whole.
Fire in the summer vineyard
By summer, leaves have spread through the canopy and flowers have given way to developing grapes. The leaves capture light to support growth. Their placement also affects the air and shade around each cluster, so we watch the canopy as it changes. Summer’s abundance depends on that ongoing relationship between light, leaves and fruit.
Fire at the table
Bitter may sound unexpected for a season of warmth and joy. In Chinese dietary tradition, bitter flavor is associated with Fire and is traditionally thought to temper heat. A gentle bitter note can bring contrast to spice and summer freshness.
Parsley gives an herbal edge to a bright sauce; a little paprika brings color and warmth to fish. For this kind of summer meal, we pour Cooper Mountain Old Vines Chardonnay. It is part of our Five Elements single-vineyard series, produced in small quantities from select estate blocks.